My family left the UAE in December because we couldn't afford to pay our sons’ school fees anymore. I have remained here to continue working so I can financially support my family and pay off our debts.
I am finding it very difficult without my family and they are also lost without me. I resigned from my position and have already been applying for jobs back home. I plan to leave the UAE at the end of the school year.
However, I am worried about the debts we have here. While I haven’t missed any payments, supporting two households in two countries is a huge strain on our finances and my husband is diabetic and not working.
I plan to use some of my end-of-service benefit to pay off part of our debt, but I will need most of it to take home with me to continue supporting my family until I start working again.
We came here to work and make money to buy a house. But our children couldn’t attend a public school, so we went from one loan to a top-up loan, to a second and a third credit card to pay school fees. Instead of making money, we had to borrow money constantly just to send our boys to school.
Would it be possible to continue paying our UAE debts from my home country? Are banks open to this option during the pandemic, particularly if we haven't missed any instalments – or will they freeze my entire gratuity and I won't be allowed to touch it? TA, Dubai
Debt panellist 1: Philip King, head of retail banking at Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank
This is a very challenging period for many individuals and families in the UAE and I sympathise with you on the immense pressure you must be facing, both financially and mentally. It is great to see that you have been consistent with your payments, despite your circumstances. Your sense of accountability and commitment to repaying your finances will benefit you greatly when negotiating with your bank.
While cards are typically beneficial for short-term financing needs or emergencies, they could be detrimental in the long term. If not managed properly, they can pose several risks, including overspending, high interest rates and unpaid balances that will have a direct impact on a person's credit score.
Firstly, we highly recommend that you inform your bank about your resignation and plan to return home. It is essential that you explain your situation to your bank, reiterating that you intend to meet your financial obligations and will continue making your payments. Also tell them that you are actively looking for a job and/or alternative sources of income in your home country.
There is no requirement for you as a borrower to maintain a residence in the UAE while your loans are not yet fully paid
Based on specific circumstances and a borrower’s track record of timely repayments, proven ability and willingness to repay their debts in full, the bank may be able to agree on such a repayment plan.
In terms of your end-of-service gratuity, you will need to refer to the terms and conditions of your loan agreement for more clarity on your rights and obligations in this situation. Typically, loan agreements include a clause that allows lenders to allocate end-of-service gratuity payments towards debt repayments. Banks usually mark this as "final pay" and may use it to pay off your outstanding debt.
This is done as a safety measure for the lender, ensuring that the borrower will not default. Therefore, it is vital that you alert the bank about your plans to move back to your home country.
Once you reach a mutual agreement with your bank, it would be best to have it in writing. A formal clearance letter should support your eligibility to exit the country without being questioned at immigration.
Living with debt can be distressing, however, we encourage you to continue your active job search. In the meantime, it is also highly recommended that you decrease your expenditure as much as possible through stringent budgeting.
Debt panellist 2: Stuart Ritchie, director of wealth advice at AES
There is no requirement for you as a borrower to maintain a residence in the UAE while your loans are not yet fully paid. Payments can be made while you are outside of the UAE. You will need to come to an agreement with your bank if this is what you would like to do, allowing plenty of time to put your affairs in order before moving home.
They may be supportive if you have been able to keep to the repayment schedule so far and can prove you will be able to continue to make payments in the future. Your bank may change the interest rate on your debt to agree to this; it is important for you to be clear on what the new terms are so you can plan accordingly.
However, if you leave without repaying your debts and without coming to an agreement about how these will be repaid, or if you have missed three consecutive or six non-consecutive instalments, you could be detained at the airport if a travel ban is issued against you.
The consequences of leaving could include delaying your departure or even being faced with legal charges, and being marked as an absconder in immigration records.
Banks in the UAE have the right to demand immediate and full settlement of your debts when you’re leaving the country. In fact, your personal loan contract may even entitle your bank to offset your end-of-service gratuity benefits towards the outstanding loan amount.
Banks do this as a precautionary measure to ensure you do not leave with any outstanding debts and to protect their interests. Given you mention you have made all repayments, this is unlikely to be the case providing you reach an agreement with them.
Seeking a repayment break while you repatriate and search for employment will allow you some time to organise your finances, as will asking the bank to change the repayment structure to only interest repayments in the short term, with the principal part of the loan to be paid at a later date.
Debt panellist 3: Ambareen Musa, founder and chief executive of Souqalmal.com
Since you're planning to move back to your home country, you will be obligated to repay and close your outstanding credit card debts and personal loan before you go. Banks in the UAE have the right to demand immediate and full settlement of debts when your employment contract ends and if you plan to leave the country.
Banks are alerted when your final salary and end-of-service benefits are credited into your account. This transaction triggers a red flag that signals that the account holder may leave the UAE. If any of your credit cards or loan is with your primary bank, it has the right to withhold your end-of-service benefit to ensure they are able to recover your debts, at least partially.
So, what are your options? The ideal way to go would be to make a lump-sum payment against your credit cards and settle your loan before you exit the UAE. The banks could allow you to close your debts with a lower settlement amount and waive certain interest charges and fees if you were to make an up-front repayment. This would require tapping into your savings and investments or asking for financial assistance from close relatives.
The other option is to approach the bank and negotiate a restructuring of your outstanding credit card balance into a fixed-rate, fixed-tenure loan. This would convert your credit card debt into a loan arrangement and help to reduce the heavy interest you are currently being charged.
If your primary bank can consolidate your loan and credit cards into a single loan, that would also make the repayment a lot more manageable. However, banks would only be willing to go down this route if you were to find a job and continue working in the UAE.
Regardless of the option you choose, once your debts are settled, you must obtain a no-liability letter from the bank and ask them to return any post-dated cheques you signed as security against the loan. It is also important to review your credit report to ensure there's no mismatch in bank records.
The Debt Panel is a weekly column to help readers tackle their debts more effectively. If you have a question for the panel, write to pf@thenational.ae
Race card
1.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 50,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
2pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 84,000 (D) 1,400m
2.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 60,000 (D) 1,200m
3pm: Conditions (TB) Dh 100,000 (D) 1.950m
3.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 76,000 (D) 1,800m
4pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 60,000 (D) 1,600m
4.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 68,000 (D) 1,000m
Company profile
Name: Steppi
Founders: Joe Franklin and Milos Savic
Launched: February 2020
Size: 10,000 users by the end of July and a goal of 200,000 users by the end of the year
Employees: Five
Based: Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai
Financing stage: Two seed rounds – the first sourced from angel investors and the founders' personal savings
Second round raised Dh720,000 from silent investors in June this year
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Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
Types of bank fraud
1) Phishing
Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
2) Smishing
The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
3) Vishing
The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
4) SIM swap
Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
5) Identity theft
Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
6) Prize scams
Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
Seven tips from Emirates NBD
1. Never respond to e-mails, calls or messages asking for account, card or internet banking details
2. Never store a card PIN (personal identification number) in your mobile or in your wallet
3. Ensure online shopping websites are secure and verified before providing card details
4. Change passwords periodically as a precautionary measure
5. Never share authentication data such as passwords, card PINs and OTPs (one-time passwords) with third parties
6. Track bank notifications regarding transaction discrepancies
7. Report lost or stolen debit and credit cards immediately
Fight card
Preliminaries:
Nouredine Samir (UAE) v Sheroz Kholmirzav (UZB); Lucas Porst (SWE) v Ellis Barboza (GBR); Mouhmad Amine Alharar (MAR) v Mohammed Mardi (UAE); Ibrahim Bilal (UAE) v Spyro Besiri (GRE); Aslamjan Ortikov (UZB) v Joshua Ridgwell (GBR)
Main card:
Carlos Prates (BRA) v Dmitry Valent (BLR); Bobirjon Tagiev (UZB) v Valentin Thibaut (FRA); Arthur Meyer (FRA) v Hicham Moujtahid (BEL); Ines Es Salehy (BEL) v Myriame Djedidi (FRA); Craig Coakley (IRE) v Deniz Demirkapu (TUR); Artem Avanesov (ARM) v Badreddine Attif (MAR); Abdulvosid Buranov (RUS) v Akram Hamidi (FRA)
Title card:
Intercontinental Lightweight: Ilyass Habibali (UAE) v Angel Marquez (ESP)
Intercontinental Middleweight: Amine El Moatassime (UAE) v Francesco Iadanza (ITA)
Asian Featherweight: Zakaria El Jamari (UAE) v Phillip Delarmino (PHI)
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Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Yahya Al Ghassani's bio
Date of birth: April 18, 1998
Playing position: Winger
Clubs: 2015-2017 – Al Ahli Dubai; March-June 2018 – Paris FC; August – Al Wahda
Most F1 world titles
7 — Michael Schumacher (1994, ’95, 2000, ’01 ’02, ’03, ’04)
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5 — Juan Manuel Fangio (1951, ’54, ’55, ’56, ’57)
4 — Alain Prost (1985, ’86, ’89, ’93)
4 — Sebastian Vettel (2010, ’11, ’12, ’13)
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Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
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Anxiety and work stress major factors
Anxiety, work stress and social isolation are all factors in the recogised rise in mental health problems.
A study UAE Ministry of Health researchers published in the summer also cited struggles with weight and illnesses as major contributors.
Its authors analysed a dozen separate UAE studies between 2007 and 2017. Prevalence was often higher in university students, women and in people on low incomes.
One showed 28 per cent of female students at a Dubai university reported symptoms linked to depression. Another in Al Ain found 22.2 per cent of students had depressive symptoms - five times the global average.
It said the country has made strides to address mental health problems but said: “Our review highlights the overall prevalence of depressive symptoms and depression, which may long have been overlooked."
Prof Samir Al Adawi, of the department of behavioural medicine at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman, who was not involved in the study but is a recognised expert in the Gulf, said how mental health is discussed varies significantly between cultures and nationalities.
“The problem we have in the Gulf is the cross-cultural differences and how people articulate emotional distress," said Prof Al Adawi.
“Someone will say that I have physical complaints rather than emotional complaints. This is the major problem with any discussion around depression."
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Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
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SERIES SCHEDULE
First Test, Galle International Stadium
July 26-30
Second Test, Sinhalese Sports Club Ground
August 3-7
Third Test, Pallekele International Stadium
August 12-16
First ODI, Rangiri Dambulla Stadium
August 20
Second ODI, Pallekele International Stadium
August 24
Third ODI, Pallekele International Stadium
August 27
Fourth ODI, R Premadasa Stadium
August 31
Fifth ODI, R Premadasa Stadium
September 3
T20, R Premadasa Stadium
September 6
