In brief:

• In the UAE, limitation periods are not expressed in one comprehensive statue, but in various different laws.

• Although limitation periods may vary in the UAE, much depends on the construction of the statute which governs that particular limitation period itself and whether or not it is definitive.

• The importance of a limitation period cannot be underestimated as an entire claim may be time-barred if the action is not brought within the allocated time.

Limitation periods impose time limits within which a party seeking to bring a legal action or assert a right must do so. In other words, they set out the maximum time after a certain event that legal proceedings based on that event can be initiated. There is a very logical explanation for the necessity of a statute of limitation as in all likelihood, over time, evidence erodes, memories fade, records are disposed of and crime scenes are tampered with. Therefore, ideally, a lawsuit should be brought as close as possible in time to the alleged event.