My residence visa in the UAE has been cancelled. I am a British national with a British passport. I do not have any loans or credit card debts outstanding in the UAE but have some money saved at a local branch of a major bank. Will my bank account be frozen, or can I leave the cash in it? NK, Abu Dhabi
When a bank finds out that someone has received a final payment, or that their visa has been cancelled, the automatic reaction of the bank will be to freeze the accounts. If, however, a person has no debts, the account should be unfrozen quite quickly, but the bank may put a lock on further use of a credit card if they are aware that there will be no income to support any borrowing. As it can take a few days to unfreeze an account, if NK thinks that the account will be frozen, even for a few days, it would be wise to withdraw funds to tide him over.
I am writing to you about the UAE's new Clearance Certificate and police verification requirements. I am an Indian passport holder and have been working in the UAE since August 2014. It has been three and a half year years now and I am moving to a new job. I was required to travel back to my home country to get my medical and new visa entry stamp as part of the new process, and will be here for another week before coming back to Dubai. Please advise if getting a clearance certificate from Dubai Police for the last three and a half years will be sufficient for me to submit for clearance certificate, or do I have to get a report for the one and a half years from India as well as the time in Dubai, making the full five years, in order to get my new work visa? RA, India
With effect from 4th February, anyone who is applying for a new work visa, whether already in the UAE or a new arrival, will be asked to provide a ‘good conduct and behaviour certificate’ covering the previous five years. If therefore, as in this case, someone has been in the current country for fewer than five years, they will have to obtain a second certificate, or more, to cover the full period of five years.
This applies to all expats seeking employment visas, with GCC nationals, tourists, students and sponsored family members being exempt.
Obtaining a certificate in the UAE is a straightforward process and individuals should apply to the police in the emirate of their residency. The process will vary is other countries but for India, applications can be made online via the Ministry of External Affairs’ Consular, Passport and Visa Division.
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Repatriation is not an obligation if an employee resigns
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One of our employees was taken very ill a few weeks ago and has now sadly passed away. He had been with the company for nearly five years so in addition to some salary that is payable, there is obviously an entitlement to the End of Service Gratuity. We have never had to deal with a situation like this before and are unsure how we pay what is due or what else we have to do. ES, Dubai
My condolences for your loss. In this scenario, the employer must still cancel a visa as even in the event of death, a visa is never automatically cancelled, nor does employment legally cease. Article 114 of Labour Law states, 'the employment contract shall not be terminated with the death of the employee, unless the subject of the contract is related to the person thereof. However, the employment contract shall be terminated with the death or complete disability of the worker and such by virtue of a medical certificate approved by the competent health authorities in the State.' The employer should arrange for the employment visa to be formally cancelled in order to avoid possible issues for the company when applying for visas in the future.
With respect to the End of Service Gratuity, this is briefly mentioned in Article 136 of UAE Labour Law which states, 'in the event of the worker's death, his end of service gratuity shall be paid to the beneficiaries thereof'. The employer will usually pay the proceeds to any nominated beneficiary and it is smart practice for all employers to obtain a signed beneficiary nomination declaration from their employees to avoid any potential issues or complication regarding the intended recipients. Any salary that is also due, as well as days of annual leave accrued but not taken, should be paid in the same way. If no instructions are recorded and there are no known beneficiaries, or a valid will is not in place, the proceeds should be distributed in accordance with Sharia law per the standard provisions in the UAE.
Keren Bobker is an independent financial adviser and senior partner with Holborn Assets in Dubai, with more than 20 years’ experience.
Contact her at keren@holbornassets.com. Follow her on Twitter at @FinancialUAE
The advice provided in our columns does not constitute legal advice and is provided for information only
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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WHAT IS GRAPHENE?
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were experimenting with sticky tape and graphite, the material used as lead in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But when they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics.
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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What is tokenisation?
Tokenisation refers to the issuance of a blockchain token, which represents a virtually tradable real, tangible asset. A tokenised asset is easily transferable, offers good liquidity, returns and is easily traded on the secondary markets.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Karwaan
Producer: Ronnie Screwvala
Director: Akarsh Khurana
Starring: Irrfan Khan, Dulquer Salmaan, Mithila Palkar
Rating: 4/5
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
THE SPECS
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 275hp at 6,600rpm
Torque: 353Nm from 1,450-4,700rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Top speed: 250kph
Fuel consumption: 6.8L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: Dh146,999
How to join and use Abu Dhabi’s public libraries
• There are six libraries in Abu Dhabi emirate run by the Department of Culture and Tourism, including one in Al Ain and Al Dhafra.
• Libraries are free to visit and visitors can consult books, use online resources and study there. Most are open from 8am to 8pm on weekdays, closed on Fridays and have variable hours on Saturdays, except for Qasr Al Watan which is open from 10am to 8pm every day.
• In order to borrow books, visitors must join the service by providing a passport photograph, Emirates ID and a refundable deposit of Dh400. Members can borrow five books for three weeks, all of which are renewable up to two times online.
• If users do not wish to pay the fee, they can still use the library’s electronic resources for free by simply registering on the website. Once registered, a username and password is provided, allowing remote access.
• For more information visit the library network's website.
The specs
Engine: 0.8-litre four cylinder
Power: 70bhp
Torque: 66Nm
Transmission: four-speed manual
Price: $1,075 new in 1967, now valued at $40,000
On sale: Models from 1966 to 1970
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates, Etihad and Swiss fly direct from the UAE to Zurich from Dh2,855 return, including taxes.
The chalet
Chalet N is currently open in winter only, between now and April 21. During the ski season, starting on December 11, a week’s rental costs from €210,000 (Dh898,431) per week for the whole property, which has 22 beds in total, across six suites, three double rooms and a children’s suite. The price includes all scheduled meals, a week’s ski pass, Wi-Fi, parking, transfers between Munich, Innsbruck or Zurich airports and one 50-minute massage per person. Private ski lessons cost from €360 (Dh1,541) per day. Halal food is available on request.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
