A Dubai civil court has ordered a tenant to pay Dh20,000 in compensation after he threatened to set a warehouse on fire during a rent dispute, following his earlier criminal conviction in the case.
The Dubai Court of First Instance issued the ruling after the tenant had already been fined Dh5,000 by the Misdemeanors Court for making the threat. The criminal conviction was upheld on appeal, making it final and binding.
Court records showed the dispute stemmed from a commercial lease involving warehouse facilities. The disagreement escalated after the tenancy expired, when both parties met to negotiate renewal terms.
During discussions, the landlord proposed a rent increase, which the tenant rejected, saying he could not afford the higher rate. The argument then escalated into a heated exchange, during which the tenant allegedly threatened to set the property on fire if the rent was not maintained, and said he would leave the country.
Alarmed by the statement, the landlord filed a police complaint. The tenant later admitted to making the threat and was convicted by the criminal court for intimidation.
Following the final judgment, the landlord filed a civil case seeking Dh20 million in damages, citing psychological distress and potential security risks across his wider property portfolio.
However, the civil court ruled that while the incident caused moral harm and distress, the claims for material damages were not sufficiently proven.
The court ultimately awarded Dh20,000 in moral damages, plus 5% legal interest from the date the ruling becomes final until full payment. The tenant was also ordered to pay court fees and legal costs.
