The Abu Dhabi Commercial Court of First Instance has issued a ruling requiring a father to pay Dh197,680 in outstanding private-school tuition fees.
- Father ordered to pay Dh197,680 in unpaid private-school tuition fees by Abu Dhabi court.
- Woman held jointly liable for Dh142,800 of that total after issuing a bounced cheque.
- Parties ordered to pay compensation of Dh3,000, plus legal costs and Dh200 in lawyer’s fees.
The school successfully presented invoices, account statements, the returned cheque, and bank documentation confirming the instrument could not be honored. The court rejected the woman's argument that she was the incorrect party, and the father failed to provide evidence that the fees had been settled. This legal action reflects a common pattern among expatriate families in the GCC, where registration contracts are signed by one parent while post-dated or security cheques are issued by another.
Under the UAE’s cheque framework, as updated by Federal Decree-Law No. 50 of 2022, a dishonored cheque serves as an executive instrument, potentially leading to travel bans and asset freezes through the Execution Court. Administrative fines ranging from Dh2,000 to Dh10,000 may also apply, with courts taking a stricter view on cheques intentionally structured to prevent payment. Additionally, a woman who issued a cheque from her account that subsequently bounced—due to being written in a manner that blocked payment—was held jointly liable for Dh142,800 of that total. Beyond the primary debt, the court ordered the parties to pay Dh3,000 in compensation, plus legal costs and Dh200 in lawyer’s fees.
The Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) regulations, effective since the 2025–26 academic year, mandate that schools provide three written reminders at least one week apart before applying penalties. While schools may suspend a student for up to three days per term for non-payment, they are prohibited from preventing students from sitting for exams. Schools may withhold certificates, block eSIS transfers, and deny re-enrolment only after providing at least three months of written notice before the end of the school year. Recent judgments in the Abu Dhabi Arabic press have reported similar fee-related cases with figures of Dh173,144, Dh206,334, Dh83,188, Dh153,340, and Dh64,663, the latter including 3% delay interest.
