I have a credit card and it has reached its limit. I do not have the money to make the payment this month and the bank wants to take legal action. Is there anything I can do? LK, Dubai
When anyone takes out a credit card, or a loan, they sign a contract to say that they will make the repayments as agreed. With a credit card, there is a stated minimum that must be paid each month, as a percentage of the amount owed. This can vary but can be as little as 3 per cent of the total and interest is also payable. If anyone misses a payment, then they are in breach of the terms of the contract and the lender is within its rights to request payment. In the UAE, a bank will follow up if one payment is missed and if anyone fails to make three payments the bank can register a police case and that can have serious consequences. Late payment can also incur a financial penalty.
Non-payment of debt is a criminal issue for expats in the UAE and if someone has borrowed money they are legally obliged to pay it back. Banks are strict regarding repayment as too many people take far too relaxed an attitude to the money they have borrowed, and others ‘do a runner’ failing to repay at all. LK needs to speak to her bank and keep them informed as avoiding them will only make a situation worse. She needs to let them know when she will be able to make the payment and ensure she does so without too long a delay to avoid further issues. Without knowing her full situation I cannot say much more apart from stressing that making the repayments on loans and credit cards each month must be treated as a priority.
______________
Read more:
Can Dubai employee continue to receive benefits during notice period?
I have to resign from my Abu Dhabi job. Is it better to take redundancy or be terminated?
______________
I have been in the UAE for 16 days, am employed and came here on an employment visa. The HR department has kept my passport for the last 16 days, preventing me from travelling for emergency family circumstances. Even when I resigned they did not accept the resignation without me serving three months' notice. So I was shocked to learn that they have not yet applied for my residency. I sent a message to them warning them that I will sue them if my passport was not ready soon, as I need to see my son and come back to serve their three months' notice. What if they do not return my passport before I am due to leave? How can I leave this country? BS, Sharjah
If someone has arrived in the UAE on an employment visa, the employer has to then apply for a proper residency visa. It is normal for a passport to be given to an employer during this process. Although it should start straight away, the process can take a few weeks. If a passport is given back midway and a person leaves the country, the process has to start all over again, incurring costs and delays. I would be surprised if this employer did not have the residency process underway, as they have already paid for an employment visa to allow BS to enter the country. Suing an employer is not really an option in these circumstances and BS would not win such a case and only incur costs.
If employment has commenced, a contract has been signed and the visa process is underway, then BS will be deemed to be properly employed and he can be asked to serve his notice period in full even if in a probationary period. And, as it appears that he has signed a contract for a fixed term, he will be penalised for breaking the contract terms in accordance with UAE Labour Law, Article 116, which states: "should the contract be rescinded by the worker… the worker shall be bound to compensate the employer for the loss incurred thereto by reason of the rescission of the contract, provided that the amount of compensation does not exceed the wage of half a month for the period of three months, or for the remaining period of the contract, whichever is shorter, unless otherwise stipulated in the contract". If anyone signs a contract they are agreeing to the terms and it is legally binding.
An employer does not have to allow anyone additional days off work, above those required for a public holiday, during a notice period. BS can request the return of his passport, which the employer should honour, although I would imagine they are expecting him to abscond, given the circumstances, so may be reluctant for that reason. I hope, however, that given the family circumstances, both parties can come to an amicable agreement and I would encourage BS to have a calm discussion with the company so that there is a satisfactory outcome for all parties.
Keren Bobker is an independent financial adviser and senior partner with Holborn Assets in Dubai, with over 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.
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Company profile
Date started: January, 2014
Founders: Mike Dawson, Varuna Singh, and Benita Rowe
Based: Dubai
Sector: Education technology
Size: Five employees
Investment: $100,000 from the ExpoLive Innovation Grant programme in 2018 and an initial $30,000 pre-seed investment from the Turn8 Accelerator in 2014. Most of the projects are government funded.
Partners/incubators: Turn8 Accelerator; In5 Innovation Centre; Expo Live Innovation Impact Grant Programme; Dubai Future Accelerators; FHI 360; VSO and Consult and Coach for a Cause (C3)
Name: Brendalle Belaza
From: Crossing Rubber, Philippines
Arrived in the UAE: 2007
Favourite place in Abu Dhabi: NYUAD campus
Favourite photography style: Street photography
Favourite book: Harry Potter
J%20Street%20Polling%20Results
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The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
Sheer grandeur
The Owo building is 14 storeys high, seven of which are below ground, with the 30,000 square feet of amenities located subterranean, including a 16-seat private cinema, seven lounges, a gym, games room, treatment suites and bicycle storage.
A clear distinction between the residences and the Raffles hotel with the amenities operated separately.
Info
What: 11th edition of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship
When: December 27-29, 2018
Confirmed: men: Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Kevin Anderson, Dominic Thiem, Hyeon Chung, Karen Khachanov; women: Venus Williams
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.ae, Virgin megastores or call 800 86 823
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The biog
DOB: March 13, 1987
Place of birth: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia but lived in Virginia in the US and raised in Lebanon
School: ACS in Lebanon
University: BSA in Graphic Design at the American University of Beirut
MSA in Design Entrepreneurship at the School of Visual Arts in New York City
Nationality: Lebanese
Status: Single
Favourite thing to do: I really enjoy cycling, I was a participant in Cycling for Gaza for the second time this year
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
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The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
More from our neighbourhood series:
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
RESULTS
2.30pm Jaguar I-Pace – Conditions (PA) Dh80,000 (Dirt)
1,600m
Winner Namrood, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Musabah Al Muhairi
(trainer)
3.05pm Land Rover Defender – Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D)
1,400m
Winner Shadzadi, Tadhg O’Shea, Bhupat Seemar
3.40pm Jaguar F-Type – Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,600m
Winner Tahdeed, Fernando Jara, Nicholas Bachalard
4.15pm New Range Rover – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,400m
Winner Shanty Star, Richard Mullen, Rashed Bouresly
4.50pm Land Rover – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 2,400m
Winner Autumn Pride, Bernardo Pinheiro, Helal Al Alawi
5.25pm Al Tayer Motor – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 T) 1,000m
Winner Dahawi, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
6pm Jaguar F-Pace SVR – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,600m
Winner Scabbard, Sam Hitchcock, Doug Watson
MATCH RESULT
Al Jazira 3 Persepolis 2
Jazira: Mabkhout (52'), Romarinho (77'), Al Hammadi (90' 6)
Persepolis: Alipour (42'), Mensha (84')
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