Question: I came across a property listing on a portal and reached out to an agent to express my interest. I provided a security cheque, issued in the owner's name as requested.
The remaining cheques for rent were scheduled to be handed over the following week. However, due to an unfortunate incident in my family, I informed the agent that I could only supply those outstanding cheques after 15 days.
But the agent said he cannot wait for 15 days despite their knowledge of my situation, and also refused to return the security cheque.
I am willing to proceed with the rental agreement, but I require the 15-day extension. The agent currently holds my security cheque as collateral. I requested the return of the security cheque, but the agent has declined.
Is there a way to get back my security cheque or go ahead with the contract but give them the cheque 15 days later? SN, Dubai
Answer: Your concern should be directed towards the owner, rather than the agent. It is likely that the agent is following the instructions of the owner, rather than acting on their own accord. I recommend verifying that this is indeed the case.
If the deal falls through, you are entitled to a refund of your deposit. However, before taking any drastic action, I recommend reviewing the wording on the deposit receipt to determine if there are any clauses indicating that the deposit may be non-refundable.
If a deposit was provided without any mention of it being non-refundable, you are entitled to request your cheque back given the deal is off. But rather than going through all this stress, it’s better to try to find a compromise in your moving-in date or payment of the rent, to proceed.
Waiting two weeks is not too long but perhaps try to offer a small compensation or another solution to get the owner to accept the payment two weeks later.
Q: My tenant’s rent contract comes up for renewal soon. In the contract, the tenant has signed off on additional terms shown in the annexure or addendum mentioned on the Ejari contract, which include the clause below.
“The tenancy period will be for the fixed period of one year. Renewal of the contract will be at the landlord’s option and upon mutual agreement of both parties. It is agreed that renewal terms will use the prevailing market price as a reference benchmark.”
I sent renewal terms based on the aforementioned conditions 90 days prior to the lease renewal. The tenant insists that only the Real Estate Regulatory Agency index-based increase is applicable, despite having signed off on the clause included as an addendum in the Ejari.
He also claims that all additional terms relating to the allocation of maintenance charges cannot be changed.
Please provide guidance on the applicable Rera rules in the aforementioned situation. SR, Dubai
A: Despite the fact that both of you agreed on the clause mentioned in your contract, when it comes to disagreements as we have now, where the tenant no longer agrees to this clause, the law will prevail.
In this case, any increases in rent can only be as per the Dubai Land Department’s rent index, rather than the market rent, which only takes into consideration vacant unit prices, not current tenanted ones.
What seems to be the case here is that your tenant is going against one part of the agreed contract but not the other (maintenance), which presumably is in his favour now.
In instances such as this, the most effective course of action, aside from reaching a mutually agreeable compromise, is to initiate a case at the Rental Dispute Settlement Centre to allow a judge to make the final decision.
In response to your inquiry regarding whether the current contract will be upheld or if the judge will rule in the tenant's favour, unfortunately, I am unable to predict the outcome. But suffice to say that the judge will decide, and all parties will then have to abide by the decision.
I would advocate to never have clauses in a rental contract that go against the spirit of the rental laws. In the event that parties involved in the contract are unable to reach an agreement, it is important to remember that the law will always take precedence.
Mario Volpi is head of brokerage at Novvi Properties and has worked in the property sector for 40 years in London and Dubai. The opinions expressed do not constitute legal advice and are provided for information only. Please send any questions to mario@novviproperties.com
FFP EXPLAINED
What is Financial Fair Play?
Introduced in 2011 by Uefa, European football’s governing body, it demands that clubs live within their means. Chiefly, spend within their income and not make substantial losses.
What the rules dictate?
The second phase of its implementation limits losses to €30 million (Dh136m) over three seasons. Extra expenditure is permitted for investment in sustainable areas (youth academies, stadium development, etc). Money provided by owners is not viewed as income. Revenue from “related parties” to those owners is assessed by Uefa's “financial control body” to be sure it is a fair value, or in line with market prices.
What are the penalties?
There are a number of punishments, including fines, a loss of prize money or having to reduce squad size for European competition – as happened to PSG in 2014. There is even the threat of a competition ban, which could in theory lead to PSG’s suspension from the Uefa Champions League.
more from Janine di Giovanni
Pakistan Super League
Previous winners
2016 Islamabad United
2017 Peshawar Zalmi
2018 Islamabad United
2019 Quetta Gladiators
Most runs Kamran Akmal – 1,286
Most wickets Wahab Riaz –65
The Details
Article 15
Produced by: Carnival Cinemas, Zee Studios
Directed by: Anubhav Sinha
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Kumud Mishra, Manoj Pahwa, Sayani Gupta, Zeeshan Ayyub
Our rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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1.
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United States
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2.
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China
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3.
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UAE
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4.
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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6.
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Canada
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7.
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Singapore
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8.
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Australia
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9.
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Saudi Arabia
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10.
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South Korea
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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
Company Fact Box
Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019
Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO
Based: Amman, Jordan
Sector: Education Technology
Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed
Stage: early-stage startup
Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.
Company%20Profile
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Scoreline
Saudi Arabia 1-0 Japan
Saudi Arabia Al Muwallad 63’
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
In 2018, the ICRC received 27,756 trace requests in the Middle East alone. The global total was 45,507.
There are 139,018 global trace requests that have not been resolved yet, 55,672 of these are in the Middle East region.
More than 540,000 individuals approached the ICRC in the Middle East asking to be reunited with missing loved ones in 2018.
The total figure for the entire world was 654,000 in 2018.
