This paper describes the design of a robust adaptive fuzzy observer for uncertain nonlinear dynamical system. We propose a new method in which no strictly positive real (SPR) condition is needed. No a priori knowledge of an upper bound on the lumped uncertainty is required. The Lyapunov synthesis approach is used to guarantee a semi-global uniform ultimate boundedness property of the state observation error, as well as of all other signals in the closed-loop system. The theoretical results are illustrated through a simulation example of a mass-spring-damper system.