Akhmedova v Akhmedov: Superyacht freed from Dubai port
From our London family law team:
Since December 2016 the wife has continued to fight for enforcement of her financial order in this long running case.
Back in 2018 the wife made a claim that the Dubai court had a duty to uphold the UK ruling and seize the husband’s superyacht. This was as a result of the husband’s failure to pay the wife a $600m financial settlement. The husband’s superyacht was seized in March 2018 whilst the wife’s enforcement proceedings were ongoing.
More recently, the Dubai Court of Appeal has now dismissed the wife’s claim and the court has ruled against the freezing order placed on the superyacht by the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) in aid of the English Judgment. The superyacht will now be returned to the husband and as part of the decision the wife has been ordered to pay the husband’s expenses and legal fees.
The decision has been labelled merely a ‘procedural decision’ by the wife’s legal representatives and as such the matter has been listed for further hearings in the Dubai courts. The decision to release the husband’s superyacht highlights once again the difficulties parties face enforcing decisions made by the English courts in circumstances where there are international assets involved.
The spokesman said Mr Akhmedov's ex-wife's attempts to seize his assets were "as misguided as the original English High Court" ruling.
But lawyers for his former wife, Tatiana Ahkmedova, reportedly called the ruling "procedural".
"Akhmedova will simply continue to pursue her claims in the Dubai Courts," a statement seen by Reuters says, adding that she "successfully obtained additional orders in the English Court yesterday" to secure the vessel.”
