A UAE man has paid a huge price for posting disparaging remarks against a business on social media. The Al Ain Court for Civil, Commercial, and Administrative Claims ordered the man to pay the business owner Dh70,000 (approximately Rs 16.21 lakh) for inflicting financial losses.
The businessman filed the lawsuit and initially sought Dh200,000 in damages for material and moral harm, court costs and legal fees. He alleged the man's remarks damaged his store's reputation and significantly reduced sales, Gulf News reported.
The court acknowledged the man's remarks about the business harmed the company's reputation.
The defendant was earlier found guilty in a criminal court ruling before filing a written defence asking the court to dismiss the case.
He also asked the Federal Tax Authority to furnish the company's tax records to verify whether there had been a decline in sales during the period of the claimed defamation.
The man also provided supporting documentation, such as images of internet conversations and a certificate of dependent status. The defendant also sought to recoup legal fees.
However, the court concluded that the man had committed defamation, affirming the previous ruling. He was mandated to compensate the merchant with the designated amount.
In a similar case in 2024, a man from Northern Ireland was sentenced to up to two years in prison in Dubai for posting a critical review of a dog grooming business.
Belfast native Craig Ballentine was arrested on "slander" charges after he posted a critical review following a dispute with his previous employer.
Ballentine lost his job and faced a travel ban for two months. He had to pay thousands of pounds to get it removed.
The man then returned to Northern Ireland and wrote a critical online review outlining all of his grievances with the grooming centre and his former supervisor.
Later, he was arrested while on vacation with friends in Abu Dhabi.
