A piece of machinery looks fine when delivered.

Months later, after normal use, an internal problem appears that could not reasonably have been spotted during the original inspection.

Under the UAE Civil Transactions Law that took effect on June 1, 2026, buyers dealing with qualifying latent defects have a wider set of remedies. Depending on the circumstances, the buyer may return the goods, keep them and seek an appropriate reduction in price, or accept an equivalent replacement free from the defect.

The statutory period for bringing a latent-defect claim has also been extended from six months to one year from delivery, unless a longer warranty has been agreed.

That extra time does not mean buyers should wait once a problem appears.

Photographs, technical reports, maintenance records, inspection findings and communications with the seller can all become important if the parties later disagree about when the defect arose.

Businesses should also pay close attention to delivery notes and acceptance documents, particularly for equipment that cannot realistically be tested fully at the point of delivery.

For suppliers, the changes are a reason to revisit warranty wording and defect-handling procedures.
A hidden defect dispute often turns on one question: what can the evidence show about when the problem really began?
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