Loan and financing agreements, debt restructuring, project and Islamic finance, and CBUAE regulatory compliance — drafted for when things go wrong.
Tell us what is happening in your own words. We will explain where you stand and what the sensible next step is.
A banking and finance lawyer in Dubai helps you get the terms and the regulatory position right before you sign, and keeps your options open if the facility later runs into difficulty. You do not have to work through the documents alone: we take the legal work off your shoulders and you will always know where the transaction stands. MBM advises businesses and institutions on loan and financing agreements, project finance, Islamic finance structures, debt restructuring and regulatory compliance, in Dubai, Sharjah and across the UAE. Your first consultation is free and confidential.
If your matter is an urgent dispute with a bank, such as a frozen account, a called guarantee or a bank claim, see our dedicated page for a bank account frozen lawyer in Dubai instead, because those matters are time-critical.
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Drafting, reviewing and negotiating loan and financing agreements. See loan agreement lawyer in Dubai. First we check: the term sheet or facility letter, the default and security terms and the governing law. Talk to us about a loan agreement
Finance built around a project's cash flows and assets. See project finance. First we check: who borrows, what security is offered and what happens if the project is late. Talk to us about project finance
Murabaha, Ijara, Sukuk and related structures. See Islamic finance. First we check: the asset, the parties and the documentation the structure needs. Talk to us about Islamic finance
Renegotiating before default. See debt restructuring. First we check: the facility terms, your cash-flow position and what the lender has said so far. Talk to us about restructuring
CBUAE and sector requirements affecting a transaction. See compliance. First we check: who the parties are, what the deal involves and which requirements may apply. Talk to us about compliance
Governing law and forum choices. See banking matters in the DIFC. First we check: where the parties and assets are and what the agreement says on law and forum. Talk to us about governing law and forum
Time-critical and handled separately. See bank account frozen lawyer. First we check: the bank's notice, who gave the instruction and what is time-critical. Talk to us about a frozen account
Tell us about the deal. First we check: the parties, the amount, the documents so far and the timetable. Tell us about your transaction
Banks and finance companies in the UAE operate under the oversight of the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE). As we understand it, the Central Bank's powers are set out in Federal Decree-Law No. 14 of 2018, and firms operating in the DIFC are regulated by the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA). Within that framework, the specific terms of a loan, financing or Islamic finance agreement, covering repayment, security, default and dispute resolution, govern most of what actually happens between borrower and lender.
Guarantees, letters of credit and loan facilities are each governed primarily by their own contractual terms, read alongside general UAE contract and banking practice. Islamic finance structures such as Sukuk, Murabaha and Ijara sit within their own distinct documentation conventions. This page describes the general framework. It is not advice on your transaction.
| Question | What mainly decides it | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Is the lender regulated, and by whom? | CBUAE oversight of banks and finance companies, or the DFSA for firms in the DIFC | Who the lender is and which regulatory requirements apply to the deal |
| What do I owe, and when? | The terms of the agreement: repayment and interest | Instalments, interest or profit, prepayment and fees |
| What happens if I miss a payment or breach a term? | The default and enforcement provisions | Events of default, grace periods, acceleration and cross-default |
| What security or guarantees are involved? | The security and guarantee documents | What is pledged, who guarantees and what the guarantee covers |
| Where are disputes decided? | The governing law and forum clause | Court or arbitration, and which jurisdiction |
| Is the structure Sharia-compliant? | The Islamic finance documentation | The structure used and how the documents describe it |
A loan agreement lawyer in Dubai drafts, reviews and negotiates the agreement so that the commercial terms you actually agreed are the terms on the page. Gaps in any of the key terms are common sources of later disputes, so these are the points to look at before you sign.
| Term | Why it matters | Question to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Drawdown conditions | They decide when money is actually available | What must be delivered before each drawdown? |
| Repayment and interest | They decide the real cost of the facility | How are instalments, interest or profit and fees calculated? |
| Events of default | They decide when the lender can act | What triggers a default, and is there a chance to remedy it? |
| Acceleration and cross-default | A default elsewhere may put this facility in default too | Can the lender demand everything at once, and on what trigger? |
| Security and guarantees | They decide what you or your owners can lose | What is pledged, and who gives a personal guarantee? |
| Cheques or other instruments given as security | They can create exposure of their own | What happens to them if the facility is renegotiated or repaid? |
| Governing law and forum | They decide where a dispute is fought | Court or arbitration, and under which law? |
On acceleration, standard wording matters: the CBUAE template wording reportedly lets a loan become due immediately on a default, so check exactly what triggers it and whether any grace period applies.
A financing agreement lawyer in Dubai also negotiates. Standard bank documents are drafted for the lender, and many terms can be discussed. We tell you which terms create unnecessary exposure before you sign, and we say so plainly if a point is unlikely to move.
What we handle:
Facilities often need company approvals such as board resolutions, and sometimes a power of attorney for someone who signs for the company. Where these must be notarised, we help prepare and check them so the facility is not held up. See notary public in Dubai and power of attorney notarisation.
A project finance lawyer in Dubai helps structure funding around the cash flows and assets of a specific project rather than a borrower's general balance sheet. It is commonly used for large infrastructure, energy or real estate developments, where sponsors, lenders and contractors all depend on the same project.
For construction-side disputes on a project, see construction dispute lawyer services.
An Islamic finance lawyer in Dubai structures Sharia-compliant finance, which generally avoids interest in favour of profit-sharing, asset-backed or lease-based structures. Documentation and structuring differ materially from conventional loan agreements, so the choice of structure comes first. As we understand it, approval by a Sharia supervisory board is a step in Islamic finance deals, and we ask early who gives it and what it covers.
| Structure | The idea in plain terms | Often used for |
|---|---|---|
| Murabaha | The financier buys an asset and sells it on to the customer at an agreed price payable over time | Trade and asset purchases |
| Ijara | The financier owns an asset and leases it to the customer | Equipment, property and vehicles |
| Musharaka | The parties contribute to a venture and share its profit | Business and project ventures |
| Istisna'a | Finance for an asset that is to be manufactured or built | Construction and manufacturing |
| Sukuk | Certificates representing an interest in assets or a venture, used to raise funds from investors | Larger funding and capital-markets structures |
A Sukuk structuring lawyer in Dubai looks at the underlying assets, the parties, the investor rights and the documents that tie them together. These transactions involve several parties and distinct conventions, so we scope the work carefully with you.
What we handle:
Islamic finance documents can be disputed like any other. Drafting with that in mind, and being clear on what happens on default, protects both sides.
What we handle:
A debt restructuring lawyer in Dubai helps you renegotiate repayment terms, security or the facility structure with lenders, as a constructive alternative to default. In many cases a negotiated outcome is better for both borrower and lender where it is genuinely workable, and the earlier you raise it, the more options remain.
| Route | What it is | When it may fit | Points to watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Informal renegotiation with the lender | Rescheduling, a pause on payments, extra security or revised terms agreed with the lender | Early, where the borrower and the lender both see a workable plan | Get any agreement in writing, and make sure it overrides the old default provisions |
| Agreement with several lenders | One plan negotiated with more than one lender | Where debt is spread across several lenders | Differing lender interests and the need to coordinate |
| Court-supervised procedures | Procedures that UAE law provides for companies in financial difficulty. As we understand it, Federal Decree-Law No. 51 of 2023 (which replaced Law No. 9 of 2016 and came into force on 1 May 2024) provides three routes: preventive settlement, restructuring and bankruptcy | Where informal talks are not enough | Availability depends on the company, where it is established and its debts. As we understand it, the law excludes CBUAE-licensed banks and DIFC and ADGM companies. We assess this with you and do not assume it |
As we understand it, a preventive settlement can be sought by the debtor alone and carries a reported moratorium of three to six months. Directors and managers can also face personal exposure if the company later goes bankrupt, with a reported two-year look-back on earlier transactions. These points depend on the company and the current law, so we confirm the position with you before you rely on them.
If you have given a personal guarantee or security, you should understand your own position before talks begin. Your exposure is set by the guarantee wording, not by the company's accounts. We review it first and say plainly where you stand.
If a bank has already frozen an account, declared a default or filed a claim, restructuring may still be possible, but the first step is to understand the basis and the deadline. See bank account frozen lawyer and debt recovery for the creditor-side route.
Worried about a covenant or repayment problem? Talk to us before it becomes a default. Your first consultation is free and confidential.
Finance disputes are heard where the agreement and the parties point. This is a plain-English map of the options.
On a banking matter with a DIFC connection, the first question is which law and forum apply to the transaction, because the DIFC, onshore Dubai and arbitration are different routes with different consequences. MBM acts for companies in free zones, the DIFC and the ADGM, and for matters before the DIFC Courts, and we explain which forum applies to your agreement. For DIFC proceedings, see our page on a DIFC lawyer in Dubai.
| Option | What it means | Points to consider |
|---|---|---|
| UAE courts | Disputes go to the onshore UAE courts under UAE law | Familiar to many local parties. Procedure, language and timing are set by the courts |
| DIFC Courts | Disputes go to the DIFC Courts, where the parties choose and the agreement allows | Whether it is available depends on the agreement and the parties |
| Arbitration | Disputes go to an arbitral tribunal under the rules the agreement names | Often more private and flexible than court proceedings. See arbitration lawyer in Dubai |
The choice should be made when the agreement is drafted, not after a dispute starts. We discuss what each option means for you and for the lender.
A banking regulatory compliance lawyer in Dubai advises on the CBUAE and sector-specific requirements that affect a finance transaction or an institution. Where compliance applies to your deal, we identify what is required before completion, so that the structure or the documents do not need to be changed late.
Typical questions include whether a counterparty needs particular approvals, what information the lender must collect from you and how a structure interacts with the rules that apply to it. Requirements differ by lender, sector and transaction, so we start from the facts, not a checklist.
The steps below are the order in which they usually happen, from the first conversation to completion or restructuring.
A free, confidential first consultation by phone, WhatsApp or at our Dubai or Sharjah office. Tell us the transaction, the parties and where you are in the process. Send the term sheet if you have one.
Conventional, project or Islamic finance. The structure decides the documentation and the regulatory considerations.
A written scope and fee position before you instruct us, so you know what is covered before any paid work starts.
Loan agreements, security documents and guarantees, negotiated to reflect the commercial terms actually agreed.
Where CBUAE or sector-specific compliance applies, we advise on what is required before completion.
Where a facility needs to be renegotiated, we advise on the options and support the negotiation.
You do not need everything to make a first call. The more you can send, the more specific our first read can be.
Your first consultation with MBM is free and confidential. If you decide to instruct us, we give you a written scope and fee position before you instruct us, so you know what is covered before any paid work starts.
Cost and timing depend on the size and complexity of the transaction, how many parties and documents are involved and how quickly the other side responds. A simple review of one facility letter takes far less time than a negotiated multi-party financing, and we say which you are likely to need. Third-party costs such as registration, translation and notary charges are separate and depend on the matter. We do not publish a price list. Ask at your first consultation and we will answer directly.
A facility letter to sign, or a repayment problem coming? Send us the document and we will tell you what to look at first. Your first consultation is free and confidential.
Most finance disputes trace back to a term nobody looked at closely when the agreement was signed.
Finance documents are tested hardest when something goes wrong. You do not have to work through them alone: we take the legal work off your shoulders and you will always know where the transaction stands. MBM drafts with a dispute in mind, informed by what actually gets argued in a banking dispute.
No outcome is promised, and lenders and counterparties decide for themselves what they will accept.
Your free first consultation is with a member of MBM’s legal team in Dubai or Sharjah. Financial information is handled in confidence from the first message.
Founder & Managing Partner
Mohamed Badr leads MBM and has 17 years of legal experience. His career has included roles at law firms and multinational corporations in the UAE, advising businesses on high-stakes disputes, corporate restructuring and commercial litigation.
Names and titles as published on mbm-co.com. Your first consultation is with a member of MBM’s legal team in Dubai or Sharjah.
General information about banking and finance in Dubai and the UAE. It is not legal advice. Positions and procedures can change and depend on your specific facts, so please contact MBM directly to discuss yours.
Banking and finance lawyers advise on structuring, negotiating and documenting finance transactions, such as loans, project finance and Islamic finance structures, and on regulatory compliance for institutions and borrowers dealing with UAE banks and financial regulation. MBM's first consultation is free.
The Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) regulates banks and finance companies operating in the UAE (as we understand it, under Federal Decree-Law No. 14 of 2018), and the DFSA regulates firms in the DIFC. The CBUAE sets the framework within which loan agreements, guarantees and letters of credit generally operate.
Key terms include drawdown conditions, repayment and interest terms, events of default, security and guarantees, and the governing law and dispute resolution forum. Gaps in any of these are common sources of later disputes.
Yes. Send the facility letter or draft agreement and tell us what you are trying to achieve. We tell you which terms need attention, which are unusual and which create exposure for you or your owners before you sign.
Project finance structures funding around the cash flows and assets of a specific project rather than a borrower's general balance sheet, commonly used for large infrastructure, energy or real estate developments.
Islamic finance structures, such as Sukuk, Murabaha and Ijara, are designed to comply with Sharia principles, generally avoiding interest in favour of profit-sharing, asset-backed or lease-based structures. Documentation and structuring differ materially from conventional loan agreements. As we understand it, approval by a Sharia supervisory board is a step in Islamic finance deals.
In a Murabaha the financier buys an asset and sells it on to the customer at an agreed price payable over time. In an Ijara the financier owns the asset and leases it to the customer. The documents, risks and what happens on default differ, so the right structure depends on the asset and the parties.
In many cases, yes. Debt restructuring involves renegotiating repayment terms, security or the underlying facility with lenders, and can be a more constructive route than default for both borrower and lender where genuinely workable.
Often the first step is a negotiated arrangement directly with the lender or lenders, such as rescheduling, a pause on payments or revised security, put in writing. As we understand it, UAE insolvency law (Federal Decree-Law No. 51 of 2023) also provides court-supervised routes, including a preventive settlement that the debtor can seek alone, but availability depends on the company. Whether that is enough depends on the debt, the lenders and the company's position. We advise on whether other routes are needed.
As early as you can see a payment, covenant or cash flow problem coming. Options are generally wider before a default than after it, and lenders tend to respond better to a plan raised early than to a default notice.
It depends on the wording of the guarantee, what it covers and the facility it supports. A guarantee can sit alongside the company's own obligation. Send us the guarantee and the facility and we will explain your position before any talks with the lender.
Common points of dispute include events of default, acceleration and cross-default, security and guarantees, and the governing law and forum clause. On acceleration, the CBUAE template wording reportedly lets a loan become due immediately on a default, so it is worth checking what triggers it. Gaps or unclear wording in any of these tend to surface when the facility is under pressure.
It depends on the parties, the assets and the forum that makes sense for a dispute. The choice has consequences for procedure, enforcement and cost, so it should be made when the agreement is drafted. We discuss the options with you and explain which forum applies.
Yes. The governing law and forum are agreed in the contract, and the choice can be a court or arbitration. Each has different consequences for confidentiality, speed and enforcement. See our page on an arbitration lawyer in Dubai.
Yes. MBM acts for companies in free zones, the DIFC and the ADGM, and for matters before the DIFC Courts, and we explain which forum applies to your agreement. For DIFC proceedings, see our page on a DIFC lawyer in Dubai.
No. Urgent banking disputes such as a frozen account, a called guarantee or a bank claim are handled on a dedicated page given their time-critical nature. See bank account frozen lawyer.
Cost depends on the size and complexity of the transaction. MBM provides a written scope and fee position before you instruct us. The first consultation is free.
Yes. MBM's first consultation is free and confidential. It is a discussion of the transaction and your options. If you then choose to instruct MBM, we confirm the scope and the fee in writing before any paid work starts.
Your first consultation with MBM is free and confidential. Tell us briefly what has happened. A member of MBM’s legal team will review your enquiry and come back to you with the appropriate next step.
Send the term sheet, facility letter or draft agreement on WhatsApp if that is easier. If a bank has already frozen an account or filed a claim, please call rather than waiting for a reply.
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Tell us what is happening in your own words. We will explain where you stand and what the sensible next step is.
Your first consultation is free and confidential. Whether it is a loan, project finance or an Islamic finance structure, the earlier we are involved, the stronger the documentation. Send the term sheet or facility letter and we will tell you what to look at first.
