Nathan McFarlane is the founder of HelpWithDebt.ae, an online platform that aims to educate and help UAE residents solve their debt problems. Originally from the UK, Mr McFarlane, 34, moved to Dubai in 2014 to work as a financial adviser but realised that his knowledge of the industry and his own debt experiences could be better used to help people find their financial freedom.
Where did you grow up and how did your upbringing shape your attitude towards money?
I grew up in Portsmouth in the south of England. My mum was a nurse and my dad was a pharmaceutical representative. They both came from an army background, so my dad served in The Falklands and my mum was an army nurse. Once they came out of the army, we lived a very simple life. My relationship with money was actually not very good if I am honest. When I was younger, I was terrible with cash and got myself into debt when I moved to London after studying for a sports psychology degree at university. I understood how it felt, how tough it was and the mistakes I made – that is what drew me into finance. I didn’t want to be in that situation anymore. When I came to the UAE in 2014, I saw it as an opportunity; a fresh start. But the first thing I did was borrow £10,000 (Dh48,114) off my mum to come here and then I got a credit card, which was the worst decision of my life.
What was your first job and how much were you paid?
I was 16 years and two weeks old when I got my first job at Burger King in my home town and I earned £3.21 per hour.
What was the earliest lesson you learned about money?
It’s always been my ambition to push the boundaries and I think the lesson that I have learnt is not to spend money before you have it. You can have ambition but manage things correctly to build whatever it is you are trying to build. I didn’t have my first credit card until I was 21. I probably had £7,000 of credit card debt, which I defaulted on. I understood the process but I couldn’t get out of it. My mum bailed me out. But when I moved to London, it opened up my ambition and I was around people who had gained success. Obviously, they were a lot more efficient with money than I was when I was younger.
At this point, there were instances where clients had been locked in rooms and told they couldn't leave until they paid.
Why did you move to the UAE?
In 2014, I was working on a start-up with a friend in London but he wanted to put it on hold for a while as he was going through a divorce. He asked me to wait for six months and come back. That start-up is now in eight different countries and is valued at US$200 million (Dh734.5m)! I don’t know if that was a good idea or not but I had made the decision that I was going to go out on my own. I accepted an opportunity to come to Dubai to work in financial services but it was not what I expected as I was selling financial products. I despised it, to be honest. On the flipside, I could see that you could help people – to me it was all about relationships with people. I worked there for three years and then moved over to an insurance brokerage, which is run by a very professional guy who is not from the financial advisory space. He was very open to the idea of me trying to do something to help people in debt rather than just make a quick buck. I am still working with the insurance brokerage and look after my insurance and investment clients, but it also allows me to focus on debt problems through my own company.
Is this when you launched HelpWithDebt.ae?
No – my time at the insurance brokerage helped me to realise that there were many Filipinos in the UAE who were not financially literate and what was being sold to them was ridiculous. They were being set up to fail and many had fallen into financial difficulties. So, in 2018 I set up Filpera, which means Filipino money, with a few friends to help Filipinos with their finances and debts.
During this time, I started to go to all the banks and saw how the collections agencies practised. At this point, there were instances where clients had been locked in rooms and told they couldn’t leave until they paid. There is not really a structure in the collections process that helps people and treats them like human beings. It’s all about collection targets and dealing with people who are naïve about their situation and don’t understand what is going to happen to them. They fear that they are going to go to jail.
Why did you launch HelpWithDebt.ae?
Filpera evolved into HelpWithDebt.ae after it became clear that getting into financial difficulty was not just a problem for Filipinos – it’s a problem for people of all nationalities in the UAE. We officially launched Help With Debt and the website this month.
Our plan is to restructure the system to aid people with their debts, to make sure that everyone has an opportunity to restructure their financial liabilities. This is so they can remain in the UAE and build the future they planned to do when they first came here. We want to help them stay and contribute to the economy.
Why do so many people need help with their debts?
There are many people who have a debt to burden ration of more than 50 per cent and this has been exacerbated by Covid-19. This issue is a ticking time bomb. When a person gets into financial difficulties, they are looking for someone to help them but the structure does not help people. It shouts at them and is aggressive towards them, even if they explain their financial situation to a collections agent, who will then only ask when the payment will be made. This means that the person won’t pick up their phone anymore and they will hide, opening up a larger problem as the person doesn’t know their rights and they are scared. They don’t want to hide and they don’t want to abscond – they want to fix the problem.
How do you help your clients become debt-free?
Firstly, we collate our clients’ information so that we can ascertain their situation. Based on that information, we then produce a valuation of their circumstances that they can use to solve the problem with the bank.
We are developing software that will allow clients to log into their credit card accounts directly through our platform and view their information in real time and this information can also be given to the banks when the client requests a restructuring of their debts. The banks will be able to see the exact circumstance of the client. This also means that our clients can see a way out of their financial difficulties. The next plan with our software is for clients to pay all their credit card bills in one place, which will also tell them when they will be debt-free.
What has been your weakest financial moment?
On February 14, 2016, I was supposed to go out for a Valentine’s Day dinner, but played football instead. I thought I had sprained my ankle and had gone to the hospital a week later, on February 21, to get my cast taken off, but the doctor told me that I’d broken my leg instead and the cast had to stay on. My plan was to walk to the metro station after my hospital appointment as I was down to my last Dh50 and wasn’t getting paid until the next day. I was on my own and didn’t want to borrow any more money, so I had to walk from the Saudi German Hospital Dubai all the way to Tecom Metro station on my crutches. I remember the date because it was so bad.
Are you a spender or a saver?
Before, I was definitely a spender but now, I put every single penny into my business.
What do you invest in?
Myself. I have experienced difficulties because of the mistakes that I made, however, with the knowledge that I’ve gained along the way I have been able to build foundations for the future that are very strong.
How much do you have in your wallet right now?
I have Dh126 in my wallet.
What financial advice would you offer your younger self?
I think the biggest piece of advice is don’t spend money to please other people. I would have been in a far better financial position now if I had not cared about what anyone else thought.
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
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.
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Scores
Wales 74-24 Tonga
England 35-15 Japan
Italy 7-26 Australia
THE%20STRANGERS'%20CASE
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League last-16, second leg:
Real Madrid 1 (Asensio 70'), Ajax 4 (Ziyech 7', Neres 18', Tadic 62', Schone 72')
Ajax win 5-3 on aggregate
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
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
The specs: 2018 Volkswagen Teramont
Price, base / as tested Dh137,000 / Dh189,950
Engine 3.6-litre V6
Gearbox Eight-speed automatic
Power 280hp @ 6,200rpm
Torque 360Nm @ 2,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 11.7L / 100km
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Sweet%20Tooth
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UAE squad
Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
The Pope's itinerary
Sunday, February 3, 2019 - Rome to Abu Dhabi
1pm: departure by plane from Rome / Fiumicino to Abu Dhabi
10pm: arrival at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
Monday, February 4
12pm: welcome ceremony at the main entrance of the Presidential Palace
12.20pm: visit Abu Dhabi Crown Prince at Presidential Palace
5pm: private meeting with Muslim Council of Elders at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
6.10pm: Inter-religious in the Founder's Memorial
Tuesday, February 5 - Abu Dhabi to Rome
9.15am: private visit to undisclosed cathedral
10.30am: public mass at Zayed Sports City – with a homily by Pope Francis
12.40pm: farewell at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
1pm: departure by plane to Rome
5pm: arrival at the Rome / Ciampino International Airport
UAE SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Ali Khaseif, Fahad Al Dhanhani, Mohammed Al Shamsi, Adel Al Hosani
Defenders: Bandar Al Ahbabi, Shaheen Abdulrahman, Walid Abbas, Mahmoud Khamis, Mohammed Barghash, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Hassan Al Mahrami, Yousef Jaber, Mohammed Al Attas
Midfielders: Ali Salmeen, Abdullah Ramadan, Abdullah Al Naqbi, Majed Hassan, Abdullah Hamad, Khalfan Mubarak, Khalil Al Hammadi, Tahnoun Al Zaabi, Harib Abdallah, Mohammed Jumah
Forwards: Fabio De Lima, Caio Canedo, Ali Saleh, Ali Mabkhout, Sebastian Tagliabue
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
BRAZIL%20SQUAD
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Tonight's Chat on The National
Tonight's Chat is a series of online conversations on The National. The series features a diverse range of celebrities, politicians and business leaders from around the Arab world.
Tonight’s Chat host Ricardo Karam is a renowned author and broadcaster who has previously interviewed Bill Gates, Carlos Ghosn, Andre Agassi and the late Zaha Hadid, among others.
Intellectually curious and thought-provoking, Tonight’s Chat moves the conversation forward.
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Three ways to boost your credit score
Marwan Lutfi says the core fundamentals that drive better payment behaviour and can improve your credit score are:
1. Make sure you make your payments on time;
2. Limit the number of products you borrow on: the more loans and credit cards you have, the more it will affect your credit score;
3. Don't max out all your debts: how much you maximise those credit facilities will have an impact. If you have five credit cards and utilise 90 per cent of that credit, it will negatively affect your score.
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
Dunki
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
LA LIGA FIXTURES
Friday Athletic Bilbao v Celta Vigo (Kick-off midnight UAE)
Saturday Levante v Getafe (5pm), Sevilla v Real Madrid (7.15pm), Atletico Madrid v Real Valladolid (9.30pm), Cadiz v Barcelona (midnight)
Sunday Granada v Huesca (5pm), Osasuna v Real Betis (7.15pm), Villarreal v Elche (9.30pm), Alaves v Real Sociedad (midnight)
Monday Eibar v Valencia (midnight)
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
Day 2, stumps
Pakistan 482
Australia 30/0 (13 ov)
Australia trail by 452 runs with 10 wickets remaining in the innings
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance: the specs
Engine: 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 plus rear-mounted electric motor
Power: 843hp at N/A rpm
Torque: 1470Nm N/A rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.6L/100km
On sale: October to December
Price: From Dh875,000 (estimate)
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
Babumoshai Bandookbaaz
Director: Kushan Nandy
Starring: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Bidita Bag, Jatin Goswami
Three stars
FA Cup fifth round draw
Sheffield Wednesday v Manchester City
Reading/Cardiff City v Sheffield United
Chelsea v Shrewsbury Town/Liverpool
West Bromwich Albion v Newcastle United/Oxford United
Leicester City v Coventry City/Birmingham City
Northampton Town/Derby County v Manchester United
Southampton/Tottenham Hotspur v Norwich City
Portsmouth v Arsenal
Which honey takes your fancy?
Al Ghaf Honey
The Al Ghaf tree is a local desert tree which bears the harsh summers with drought and high temperatures. From the rich flowers, bees that pollinate this tree can produce delicious red colour honey in June and July each year
Sidr Honey
The Sidr tree is an evergreen tree with long and strong forked branches. The blossom from this tree is called Yabyab, which provides rich food for bees to produce honey in October and November. This honey is the most expensive, but tastiest
Samar Honey
The Samar tree trunk, leaves and blossom contains Barm which is the secret of healing. You can enjoy the best types of honey from this tree every year in May and June. It is an historical witness to the life of the Emirati nation which represents the harsh desert and mountain environments
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
The bio
Job: Coder, website designer and chief executive, Trinet solutions
School: Year 8 pupil at Elite English School in Abu Hail, Deira
Role Models: Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk
Dream City: San Francisco
Hometown: Dubai
City of birth: Thiruvilla, Kerala
