DUBAI  - A court in the emirate of Sharjah has ordered United Arab Emirates energy firm Dana Gas to continue with legal efforts in the UAE to have $700 million of its Islamic bonds declared invalid, the company said on Tuesday.

Last month, a High Court judge in London, where the dispute over the sukuk is also being fought, ordered Dana to withdraw its legal proceedings and injunctions in the UAE.

But in a brief statement on Tuesday, Dana said the Sharjah court had now prohibited it from withdrawing its lawsuits in the UAE or abandoning UAE court orders in its favour.

(Reporting by Andrew Torchia Editing by Stephen Coates) ((andrew.torchia@thomsonreuters.com; +9715 6681 7277; Reuters Messaging: andrew.torchia.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))