United Arab Emirates — Central Bank Consumer Protection Regulation and Sanadak

The clocks it starts

• Card scheme dispute window (commonly 120 days)The scheme window is short and it is the one that closes first. It runs from the transaction or, for undelivered goods and interrupted services, from the date delivery or performance was due. The domestic routes below run much longer, so a closed scheme window is a reason to hurry, not a reason to stop.Filing window

What it entitles you to, beyond money

• A reasoned written decision from the institutionA decision naming the clause or rule relied on is the thing that unlocks everything above it, and it is an obligation rather than a favour in every regime in this file.complaint handling, disclosure, and the treatment of unauthorised and disputed transactions by licensed financial institutions
• Reversal or refund of the disputed amount where the claim succeedsWhat that is worth depends on the route: a scheme dispute reverses the transaction, a conduct regulator can require the institution to put you back in the position you would have been in, and a court or ombudsman can go further and cover consequential loss.
• Blocking further payments to the same merchantAsk for this in the same letter. Recovering what has gone does not stop what is coming, and a recurring authority survives a successful dispute unless you cancel it separately.

What the other side will say

Each of these is a refusal this regime lets a counterparty attempt, paired with the answer to it. Reading them before you write is worth more than any amount of polish on the letter itself.

Where to take it next

1. 01Written complaint to the institution that debited youAddress it to the complaints or consumer-protection unit, not to a branch. Ask for a reference number and a written decision with reasons, and say what outcome you want in one sentence.Claim direct·typically 30 days
2. 02Scheme chargeback, in parallelAsk the issuer to raise a dispute under the card scheme reason code that fits the facts. It is faster than any regulatory route, it costs nothing to run alongside, and a refusal decides nothing about your legal rights.Claim direct·typically 45 days
3. 03Sanadak — the independent ombudsman unitBinding on themSanadak is the UAE's independent ombudsman for banking and insurance complaints, established by the Central Bank and operating since 2023. It is free to consumers and its decisions bind the licensed financial institution within its limits. You must complain to the institution first and give it the period the Consumer Protection Standards allow before Sanadak will take the case.Ombudsman·typically 90 days·official page
4. 04The Central Bank of the UAEThe Central Bank makes and supervises the Consumer Protection Regulation and Standards, but individual complaints are handled by the independent ombudsman unit, Sanadak, which it established. It will not resolve your individual claim — it acts on patterns — so file anyway, because that is how patterns are built, but do not wait on it as your remedy.Regulator·official page
5. 05Civil or small-claims proceedings against the merchant or the institutionThe last rung, and in several countries here the cheapest one — consumer courts and small-claims procedures in this region are frequently free or nearly so and do not need a lawyer. Use it when the sum is worth it and the regulator route has produced nothing.Small claims·typically 180 days