Finance documentation is drafted by lenders, and it reads that way. The borrower who signs without advice usually discovers the effect of the security package, the events of default and the forum clause at the worst possible moment.
Dubai Legal Expert advises borrowers, guarantors, investors and financial institutions across the UAE on facility documentation, security, guarantees, Islamic finance structures and Central Bank regulatory questions.
UAE banking is regulated by the Central Bank, which licenses institutions and issues the regulations and standards governing lending, consumer protection, outsourcing and anti money laundering compliance.
Alongside conventional lending, Islamic finance structures such as murabaha, ijara and mudaraba are widely used, with their own documentation and their own Sharia governance requirements. The structure affects both the drafting and the arguments available if the arrangement is later disputed.
Review, negotiation and drafting of facility agreements, term sheets and ancillary finance documents.
Mortgages, pledges, assignments and personal and corporate guarantees, and advice on their scope.
Murabaha, ijara, mudaraba and sukuk structures, including documentation and Sharia governance requirements.
Central Bank licensing, consumer protection standards, outsourcing and compliance questions.
Negotiated restructuring of facilities where repayment on the original terms is no longer realistic.
Facility, security and guarantee documents reviewed together, since the decisive term is rarely in the main agreement.
What a personal guarantee actually covers, its limits and whether variations released the guarantor.
Familiarity with murabaha, ijara and sukuk mechanics and the disputes that arise over profit and rental components.
Central Bank requirements on lending, consumer protection and outsourcing applied to the arrangement.
Restructuring negotiated before default rather than after enforcement has started.
Asymmetric and optional dispute clauses identified, since they decide where any dispute will be heard.
The facility agreement sets the commercial terms. The security documents decide what happens when things go wrong, and they are usually signed with far less attention. Cross collateralisation, all monies wording and unlimited continuing guarantees routinely surprise borrowers years later.
Reviewing the security package before signature costs very little and identifies exactly what is at risk. It is the single most useful piece of advice a borrower can take on any facility.
Read everything, price the risk, then negotiate what matters.
We obtain the full package including facility, security, guarantees, side letters and any prior arrangements.
Events of default, security scope, guarantee exposure and forum provisions are analysed together.
A ranked list of what to negotiate and what to accept, based on realistic exposure.
Terms are negotiated with the lender or its counsel where amendment is achievable.
Signing authority, notarisation and registration requirements are handled for security documents.
Advice through the life of the facility, including restructuring where circumstances change.
The Central Bank licenses and supervises banks and finance companies and issues the regulations governing lending, consumer protection and compliance.
A guarantee covering all sums owed by the borrower to the lender rather than a specific facility, which creates far wider exposure than most guarantors expect.
Often yes, particularly on security scope, guarantee limits, default definitions and the forum clause, and it is far easier before signature than afterwards.
Financing structured to comply with Sharia principles, using structures such as murabaha and ijara rather than interest bearing lending, with its own documentation and governance.
Yes, and negotiating restructuring before default generally produces materially better terms than negotiating after enforcement has begun.
A clause allowing the lender to choose between arbitration and court while binding the borrower to one route, which is common in finance documentation.
Send us the facility and security documents before you sign. The first consultation is free.
Dubai Legal Experts provides trusted legal advocacy across the UAE with experienced lawyers and clear legal guidance.
