UAE: Woman loses Dh800,000 lawsuit against husband who failed to provide 'decent home'

Abu Dhabi - The man told the court that he was building a house for his family and that his wife had exaggerated the amount she spent on renting apartments

An Abu Dhabi woman has lost a nearly Dh800,000 lawsuit against her husband, who she said failed to provide a decent marital home for her and their four children.

As a result, she demanded that the man pay her almost Dh800,000 in compensation for the charges she incurred while renting a hotel apartment and villa.

According to official court documents, the woman had earlier filed a criminal case against her husband for not taking proper care of his family, including the failure to provide a decent home for them despite earning a good salary.

The woman presented her husband's salary certificate to the court, which showed that the man earned a housing allowance of Dh14,666 a month.

The Court of First Instance had earlier fined the man Dh5,000 and instructed him to pay a temporary compensation of Dh21,000 to his wife.

The woman then filed a civil lawsuit, demanding that her husband pay her Dh797,910, which she allegedly spent on renting a villa and a hotel apartment, damages to hotel furniture, and on water, electricity and telephone bills.

Her lawyer had presented a memorandum detailing the amount she spent on accommodation, which she wanted the man to refund.

This included a rental contract for a one-bedroom suite in a hotel where she paid Dh186,410, communication bills made at the hotel worth Dh5,947 and Dh23,795 damages to furniture in the hotel.

The woman also presented a rental contract for a villa located within Abu Dhabi, where she claimed to have stayed with their children for a period of two years (2019 and 2020) and paid Dh340,000.

The judge said that if the woman opts for a house or place which exceeds what she receives from her husband, she will bear the costs.