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Al Safar & Partners · Fatal Accident Specialists

Compensation UAE

Diya (دية) is a mandatory AED 200,000 payment owed to the family of anyone killed in a UAE accident. Our lawyers recover the full Diya — and the additional civil compensation most families are never told they can claim.

Understanding Diya

What is Diya (Blood Money) under UAE law?

Diya (دية) is a mandatory payment under UAE law owed to the heirs of a person who has been killed, whether in a road accident, workplace fatality, or other incident. It applies to all persons in the UAE regardless of nationality or religion.

Under Traffic Law No. 14 of 2024 and Federal Decree-Law No. 25 of 2025 on Civil Transactions, the minimum Diya for the loss of a human life is AED 200,000. This is a mandatory floor — courts regularly award additional civil compensation on top of the Diya amount.

UAE Diya Formula — Traffic Law 14/2024
Total Recovery = Diya (AED 200,000) + Lost Financial Support + Moral Damages + Expenses

The AED 200,000 Diya is the mandatory floor paid by the at-fault insurer. Heirs separately claim the financial support the deceased would have provided, moral damages (Darar Ma'nawi), and reimbursement of medical and funeral expenses. Total awards in contested cases frequently exceed AED 500,000.

What fatal accident heirs can claim

Head of CompensationAmount / BasisLegal Source
Diya (Blood Money)
Mandatory payment to heirs		AED 200,000 minimumTraffic Law 14/2024, Art. 30
Lost Financial Support
Income the deceased would have provided dependants		Salary × years of supportCivil Transactions Law 25/2025
Moral Damages
Darar Ma'nawi — grief, loss of companionship		AED 50,000 – AED 200,000+Art. 298 Civil Transactions Law
Medical & Funeral Expenses
Hospital costs prior to death, burial, repatriation		Actual costsGeneral Tort Principles
Vehicle Damage
If vehicle destroyed in the same incident		Market replacement valueMotor Insurance Regulations
Liability

Who pays Diya in a UAE accident?

At-Fault Driver's Insurer
Under UAE compulsory third-party motor insurance, the at-fault driver's insurer pays the AED 200,000 Diya to the heirs. This is a mandatory minimum cover requirement.
Employer (Work Fatality)
Where death occurred at work, the employer's liability insurer is responsible. MOHRE provisions also apply for additional end-of-service entitlements.
Medical Provider
In fatal medical negligence cases, the hospital's professional indemnity insurer carries the liability. These claims require specialist medical-legal handling.
Uninsured / Unknown Driver
If the at-fault driver is uninsured or fled the scene, claims are pursued against the driver personally. Our lawyers identify every available enforcement route.
The Process

How a Diya claim proceeds

STEP 01
Police Report & Khabra
Police issue a traffic accident report and a traffic expert (khabeer) establishes fault percentages — the foundation of the entire claim.
STEP 02
Criminal Court
A criminal case is opened in the traffic court, which establishes culpability and orders the at-fault party to pay Diya.
STEP 03
Insurance Notification
The at-fault insurer is notified. If they dispute or delay, a SANADAK complaint is filed. Continued refusal leads to court enforcement.
STEP 04
Civil Court (Additional Claims)
A civil claim is filed for lost financial support, moral damages, and expenses — the amounts beyond the mandatory Diya.
STEP 05
Payment & Enforcement
Once judgment is obtained, full payment is enforced. Assets, bank accounts, and vehicles can be frozen by court order if payment is refused.
Maximising Recovery

Beyond Diya: the civil claim most families miss

Most families receive only the AED 200,000 Diya because they accept the insurer's offer without advice. A specialist lawyer files the full civil claim, which typically adds AED 150,000–600,000 to the recovery.

Lost Financial Support
Monthly income the deceased would have provided to spouse and children over the remaining working years.
AED 100K – 500K+
Moral Damages
Grief, suffering, and loss of companionship suffered by spouse, children and parents of the deceased.
AED 50K – 200K
Medical & Funeral Costs
Hospital treatment before death, ambulance, funeral and reasonable repatriation expenses.
Actual costs
Dependants' Support
Minor children and financially dependent relatives have separate rights to ongoing support payments.
Per child / dependent
Deadline warning: Civil compensation claims in the UAE have a 3-year limitation period from the date of the accident. The clock starts on the date of the incident — not when you instruct a lawyer. Contact us as soon as possible to protect your full entitlement.
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Related Services
Car Accident Compensation 7-Stage Claim Process Insurance Claim Rejected Personal Injury Lawyer Accident Claims Hub
Applicable Law
Traffic Law No. 14/2024
Federal Decree-Law No. 25/2025
UAE Civil Procedure Law
Compulsory Motor Insurance Rules
Common Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

The minimum Diya for the loss of a human life under UAE Traffic Law 14/2024 is AED 200,000. This is the mandatory floor — courts can award additional civil compensation on top for lost income support, moral damages, and other heads of loss. Total recovery in contested fatal cases frequently exceeds AED 500,000.
Yes. UAE courts apply Diya to all persons regardless of religion or nationality. Non-Muslim expatriate families are entitled to the same AED 200,000 minimum Diya. Distribution among heirs follows UAE civil law for non-Muslims, but the entitlement is identical. Our lawyers advise expatriate families on the specific distribution and additional claims available.
Yes. Diya is only the mandatory minimum. Heirs and dependants can also claim: the financial support the deceased would have provided (lost income), moral damages for grief, and reimbursement of medical and funeral expenses. UAE courts regularly award total compensation well above the Diya base — often exceeding AED 500,000 in well-represented cases.
A court may permit instalments in limited circumstances, but heirs can insist on enforcement against the insurer — who is legally obliged to pay promptly after the criminal court judgment. In most road accident cases the insurer pays within weeks. Our lawyers accelerate this and pursue enforcement where there is delay.
Our lawyers pursue direct claims against the driver personally, including freezing their assets and bank accounts. We also explore all available insurance routes and compensation fund mechanisms. Being uninsured does not mean Diya is unrecoverable — it means the enforcement strategy is different and specialist legal knowledge is essential.
Criminal proceedings (which order Diya) typically conclude in 6–18 months. Civil proceedings for additional compensation may run in parallel or follow, adding 6–12 months in contested cases. With specialist representation, many cases settle through insurer negotiation before a full trial.

Your family deserves the full amount

AED 200,000 Diya is only the beginning. Our specialists recover every entitlement — in full.

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