Construction claim format in the UAE (FIDIC 20.1)

The time limits

28 daysNotice of claim, from the date you became aware of the event

42 daysFully detailed claim, or another period the Engineer approves

MonthlyInterim claims while the effect continues, then a final claim within 28 days after it ends

42 daysThe Engineer’s response, approving or disapproving with detailed comments

The Engineer then agrees or determines the extension of time and the additional payment under Sub-Clause 3.5. Your Particular Conditions may change any of these periods, so check them first.

Step 1: the notice of claim

The notice only has to describe the event and say that you claim. Keep it short and send it on time: the detail follows in the claim. Include:

The contract name and number, and the parties
The event, in plain words, with its date
The date you became aware of it
The Sub-Clauses you rely on
What you claim: an extension of time, additional payment, or both
A statement that you are keeping contemporary records

Sample wording

We give notice under Sub-Clause 20.1 that the Employer has not yet given us access to Zone C of the Site, which was due on 1 April 2026 under Sub-Clause 2.1. We became aware of the delay on 1 April 2026. We claim an extension of the Time for Completion and payment of the Cost plus reasonable profit. We are keeping contemporary records and will send the fully detailed claim within 42 days.

Step 2: the fully detailed claim

The fully detailed claim proves the entitlement and the amount. It should let the Engineer check every figure without asking for more:

1A summary of the event, the Sub-Clauses relied on, and the time and money claimed
2The contractual basis for each part of the claim
3The facts in date order, each with a record behind it
4The delay analysis on the accepted programme, showing the effect on the critical path
5The cost build-up, with the records behind each figure
6The list of supporting documents

Records that win claims

Under Sub-Clause 20.1 the Engineer may inspect the records you keep, and a claim is only as strong as its records. Start them on the day of the event:

Daily site reports signed by both sides
Programme updates and look-aheads
Letters, instructions and RFIs, with the dates they were sent and received
Photographs with dates and locations
Cost records: timesheets, plant logs, invoices and hire records

Common mistakes

Waiting until the effect is known before giving notice
Raising the event only in meeting minutes or progress reports
A global claim that does not link each cost to the event
Stopping the monthly interim claims while the effect continues

UAE law and your contract

FIDIC-based contracts are also common in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain, often with local Particular Conditions. The steps are the same, and the periods and the governing law follow your contract. In the UAE, the new Civil Transactions Law, Federal Decree-Law No. 25 of 2025, took effect on 1 June 2026 and replaced the 1985 Civil Code; it generally does not apply to contracts made before that date. For a dispute or a missed deadline, take legal advice.