Late payment is normal in GCC construction. Losing track of it shouldn't be. Atradius's 2026 survey of UAE businesses found late B2B payments reported by almost all companies surveyed, with "roughly two in five invoices being settled late", and the construction and industrial sectors "the most affected".
This register puts payment applications, applied vs certified, retention release dates, variations, ageing and cash flow in one Excel / Google Sheets workbook with English and Arabic labels, plus right-to-left files. Guide (PDF) with an Arabic summary. No macros. Example data is fictional.
سجل ثنائي اللغة لطلبات الدفع والمحتجزات وأوامر التغيير وأعمار الديون والتدفق النقدي للمقاولين والمقاولين من الباطن.
Free tools: retention release calculator (English / Arabic) and daily site report maker. Chasing late invoices outside construction? See the Invoice Chase Kit.
Solo
$49
- Register for up to 3 projects (LTR + RTL)
- Blank + fictional example files
- Applications, retention, variations, ageing, cash flow
- Guide (PDF with Arabic summary)
- One company
Company
$129
- Everything in Solo
- Up to 10 projects per workbook
- Printable bilingual Statement for one project
- One company, all its branches
14-day money-back guarantee: email labskaruna@gmail.com within 14 days of purchase for a full refund, no questions asked. (refund policy) · or buy on Gumroad
What the register tracks
| Sheet | What it does |
|---|---|
| Applications · طلبات الدفع | One row per interim payment application. Enter cumulative applied and certified values; retention, net, VAT, due date, outstanding and days overdue are calculated. |
| Projects · المشاريع | Contract sum, retention %, limit, payment terms, completion date, defects period, approved variations, revised contract sum, applied vs certified. |
| Retention · المحتجزات | Retention held per project, both release amounts and expected dates, received amounts, and red when a release is overdue. |
| Variations · أوامر التغيير | Every instruction the day it arrives. Verbal instructions stay red until confirmed in writing; unpriced and unapproved variations are flagged. |
| Ageing · أعمار الديون | Certified, unpaid amounts by days overdue (1-30 to 120+), plus overdue retention. |
| Cash Flow · التدفق النقدي | 12 months: certificates by due date, retention releases, planned applications, minus planned payments. |
| Statement · كشف حساب (Company) | A printable bilingual statement of one project's certificates, payments and retention. |
Retention: two dates you must not miss
Chambers and Partners' Construction Law 2026 guide for the UAE (updated 4 June 2026) describes the common pattern: typically 10% of each interim payment retained, "50% of the total retention released after takeover and the remaining 50% released after expiration of the defects liability period", which "typically lasts for 24 months". That is common practice, not a rule: the register uses your contract's rate, limit, first-release share, defects period and payment terms.
Late-payment figures: Atradius Payment Practices Barometer, United Arab Emirates 2026 (survey of 240 UAE companies, second half of Q2 2026). Read how to track retention release dates.
Who it's for
Fit-out, MEP, civil and specialist contractors and subcontractors in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain and Kuwait who track payments in scattered spreadsheets or WhatsApp. AED by default; any currency in Settings.
FAQ
- Does it work in Arabic?
- Yes. Every sheet, column and status has English and Arabic labels, and each tier includes right-to-left (RTL) versions of the files for Arabic-first offices. The Arabic wording has not yet been reviewed by a native-speaking quantity surveyor; tell us anything that reads oddly and we'll fix it.
- Does it work in Google Sheets?
- Yes. Use File > Import > Upload. No macros or scripts. Excel and LibreOffice work too.
- Is this legal or contract advice?
- No. It is a record-keeping template. Your contract decides retention rates, release events, payment terms and defects periods, and every one of those is an input. It does not say what UAE, Saudi or any other GCC law requires.
- Is it FIDIC-specific?
- No. It uses generic terms (interim payment application, certificate, retention, taking-over or completion, defects period, variation) that fit FIDIC-style and bespoke contracts. Not affiliated with FIDIC.
- Solo or Company?
- Solo ($49) covers up to 3 projects per workbook. Company ($129) covers up to 10 projects and adds a printable bilingual Statement sheet for one project. Both are for one company.
- Can I get a refund?
- 14-day money-back guarantee: email labskaruna@gmail.com within 14 days of purchase for a full refund, no questions asked.
Please read: Record-keeping template only. Not legal, contract, tax or financial advice. Your contract decides retention rates, release events, payment terms and defects periods; check it and take professional advice before acting. Not affiliated with FIDIC or any government body. Example data is fictional.
قالب لتنظيم السجلات فقط، وليس استشارة قانونية أو تعاقدية أو ضريبية. العقد هو المرجع.