Abu Dhabi Court Orders Woman to Pay Dh60,000 After Cancelled Wedding Dispute

An Abu Dhabi court has mandated that a woman pay Dh60,000 to her former fiancé after she canceled their wedding and did not return cash and gold bars he had given her.

The Abu Dhabi Family, Civil and Administrative Claims Court issued the ruling after determining that the woman had acknowledged the debt in writing and had agreed to a settlement but failed to fulfill the payment.

The dispute arose when the man provided the woman with money and gold valued at Dh67,827 as part of their marriage agreement. After the woman decided not to proceed with the marriage, the man requested the return of the gifts, which she acknowledged owing but did not repay, prompting legal action.

In his lawsuit, the man sought the return of all cash and gold or, if the gold bars could not be returned, compensation of Dh31,500, the stated value of the gold. He supported his claim with bank transfer records and a written acknowledgment signed by both parties.

During court proceedings, the couple informed the court that they had agreed on a Dh60,000 settlement to be paid in two installments and initially requested the court to record the agreement as enforceable.

However, at a subsequent hearing, only the man appeared, stating that the woman refused to attend and sign the final agreement.

The court found that the woman's earlier written acknowledgment confirmed she owed Dh17,300 in cash and two one-ounce gold bars. The document was deemed legally binding and could not be disregarded without a valid legal reason. The woman appeared in court but did not dispute the authenticity or contents of the acknowledgment.

She proposed settling the entire dispute by paying Dh60,000, an offer the man accepted. Since there was no evidence that she had made any payment, the court ruled that the debt remained unpaid.

The court ordered the woman to pay Dh60,000 to the man and cover court fees and legal expenses.