I was an employee at a financial lending entity and also had a credit card offered by them, for which they were deducting the minimum payment from my salary. Recently, I was made redundant because of the impact Covid-19 had on my company’s business.
The credit card limit was Dh11,000, but due to late fees and interest, I now owe Dh15,789. I used the credit card for retail purchases and general living expenses as I was working on a commission basis and had no salary in 2016.
I had requested an instalment plan to pay off the card, but this was declined by the collections team, which said that this facility was not available to staff. On top of my minimum payments, I was also paying Dh100 a month towards a credit shield insurance plan and had done so for the past four years. However, the company's collections team deducted the entire amount owed on the credit card from my end-of-service payment, barely leaving me with any money for my survival.
According to the policy terms, I was required to inform the collections department within 30 days that I had lost my job to claim an insurance payout that would cover the monthly payments on my card until I could find new employment. I contacted the call centre and informed them of this seven days after I lost my job.
The collections team is now saying that the insurance company changed the policy and it was no longer offered to staff – even though I continued to pay the Dh100 a month for this service. The total amount I have paid towards the credit shield insurance is more than Dh6,000.
I would appreciate it if I can get clarity on what rights I have to claim the credit shield insurance as I feel it is totally unfair, especially as I had paid it for more than four years. SR, Dubai
Debt panellist 1: Philip King, head of retail banking at Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank
While you have been placed in a difficult position with your recent job loss, it is great to see that you have taken the initiative to further examine the nature of your situation and to try to clarify your rights and obligations with your lender.
Given that the lender is also your employer, the first point of contact should be your HR team. The credit shield policy changes and use of your end-of-service benefit to clear the card balance should be clarified in line with whatever contractual arrangement you have with the company.
In general, lenders do include a clause in their agreements that entitles them to collect their receivables through gratuity payments as a precautionary measure against default. This may be different in your case given you were employed by the company.
It is particularly important to confirm whether the sudden policy changes in your credit shield insurance are applicable to you as per your contract. The changes in terms and conditions of your policy should have been communicated to you well in advance as it is designed to afford protection for exactly the situation in which you now find yourself.
There is a lot being done to protect vulnerable individuals during this time, and lenders are being encouraged to support customers who are struggling due to changes in their income and job losses.
When dealing with the collections team, you should continue to explain your situation, reassuring them that you are looking for a job, committed to repaying your debt on time, and that you will be providing them with the full details of your contract once your new employment begins.
If there are no clear responses, you can consider approaching the Consumer Protection Division at the Central Bank of the UAE, which works to protect consumers from unfair banking practices. Ensure that you provide all the necessary proof of your correspondence, copies of your contract and all related paperwork. Given Covid-19 precautions, you can complete this process through their online portal or by visiting their branches to lodge the complaint in person.
We encourage you to remain optimistic and continue your job hunt. You are on the right path and taking suitable steps to deal with this situation appropriately.
Debt panellist 2: Ambareen Musa, founder and chief executive of Souqalmal.com
It is standard practice for banks in the UAE to have the first right over a borrower's end-of-service benefits in case there is an outstanding balance on an unsecured loan, such as a personal loan, owed to them. Once the borrower's employer credits the end-of-service benefits including gratuity and final salary dues into his/her account, the bank can use this amount to offset against the borrower's personal loan debt . This is usually very clearly mentioned in loan contracts.
You might want to consult with legal counsel regarding your credit shield policy or pursue the insurance company directly for the claim.
In your case, the credit card provider and employer are the same entity, so it is likely that they've used the terms and conditions of your employment contract as well as the credit card contract to use up your end-of-service gratuity towards the outstanding debt.
Further, your concerns about the credit shield are also justified. One of the biggest benefits of having credit shield protection is the insurance coverage it offers to repay your outstanding credit card balance in case of unforeseen and involuntary unemployment.
It would have been okay for the card provider/employer to not offer you this benefit at the time of signing up for your credit card, but to have the benefits denied after you've been paying for it for over four years is unfair. It is best to approach a legal expert and ask them to review both your employment and credit shield contract.
Opting for legal expertise is important here because credit shield contracts come with a long list of terms, conditions and exclusions. For example, to claim involuntary loss of employment, the redundancy must not be a result of underperformance, misconduct, etc. A full-time permanent employment contract may also be another requirement. The card provider can use these terms to their advantage, so having a lawyer to go over these documents is a good way to get started.
On the employment front, while you're on the lookout for a full-time job, you could also look for part-time or freelance work to start earning some cash and support yourself financially.
Debt panellist 3: Stuart Ritchie, chartered financial planner at AES International
Banks in the UAE often place a lien on a client’s bank account when they either receive their end-of-service gratuity or when they are informed that the client has been terminated. In your circumstance, as your lender is also your employer, they have the option of freezing funds in your bank account in order to cover any outstanding debts.
The collections policy of your bank will be documented in detail in the initial credit card agreement that you signed with the bank. It would be a good starting point to review this agreement in detail. However, there are often clauses that permit the lender to freeze and collect any outstanding debt.
A major benefit of credit shield insurance is that it provides involuntary loss of employment benefits. However, these benefits vary significantly between financial institutions and there are often several exclusions included such as percentage of debt to be paid off or the circumstances of job loss.
Several banks implement a policy that requires the cardholder to continue to make payments on the card even while they are unemployed, and while the insurance claim is being processed. This is implemented to prevent a customer’s existing credit rating from further deteriorating as there are often delays associated with credit shield insurance policies due to them being underwritten by a third party insurance provider.
Under certain circumstances, the validity of the insurance policy may be surrendered if the cardholder does not make these payments. Unfortunately, this makes it very difficult to break the debt cycle as most people who claim this type of insurance do not have the emergency funds required to pay their debts at short notice.
You might want to consult with legal counsel regarding your credit shield policy or pursue the insurance company directly for the claim. It would also be beneficial to lodge a formal complaint with your bank and try to discuss your situation with a senior staff member or former manager.
They might be able to help with refinancing the credit card debt and extending your repayment period to reduce the regular monthly instalment you’re paying. This will allow you to service the debt in a more manageable way. Alternatively, you can file a complaint with the Central Bank of the UAE through a form on its website or by calling the toll-free number 800 CBUAE.
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
Al Jazira's foreign quartet for 2017/18
Romarinho, Brazil
Lassana Diarra, France
Sardor Rashidov, Uzbekistan
Mbark Boussoufa, Morocco
Kanye%20West
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A Bad Moms Christmas
Dir: John Lucas and Scott Moore
Starring: Mila Kunis, Kathryn Hahn, Kristen Bell, Susan Sarandon, Christine Baranski, Cheryl Hines
Two stars
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
ZAYED SUSTAINABILITY PRIZE
Score
Third Test, Day 1
New Zealand 229-7 (90 ov)
Pakistan
New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat
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Winners
Best Men's Player of the Year: Kylian Mbappe (PSG)
Maradona Award for Best Goal Scorer of the Year: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
TikTok Fans’ Player of the Year: Robert Lewandowski
Top Goal Scorer of All Time: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
Best Women's Player of the Year: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)
Best Men's Club of the Year: Chelsea
Best Women's Club of the Year: Barcelona
Best Defender of the Year: Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus/Italy)
Best Goalkeeper of the Year: Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG/Italy)
Best Coach of the Year: Roberto Mancini (Italy)
Best National Team of the Year: Italy
Best Agent of the Year: Federico Pastorello
Best Sporting Director of the Year: Txiki Begiristain (Manchester City)
Player Career Award: Ronaldinho
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
The specs: 2019 Haval H6
Price, base: Dh69,900
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 197hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 315Nm @ 2,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20FinFlx%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20January%202021%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Amr%20Yussif%20(co-founder%20and%20CEO)%2C%20Mattieu%20Capelle%20(co-founder%20and%20CTO)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%20in%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20FinTech%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%20size%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%241.5m%20pre-seed%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Venture%20capital%20-%20Y%20Combinator%2C%20500%20Global%2C%20Dubai%20Future%20District%20Fund%2C%20Fox%20Ventures%2C%20Vector%20Fintech.%20Also%20a%20number%20of%20angel%20investors%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Results for Stage 2
Stage 2 Yas Island to Abu Dhabi, 184 km, Road race
Overall leader: Primoz Roglic SLO (Team Jumbo - Visma)
Stage winners: 1. Fernando Gaviria COL (UAE Team Emirates) 2. Elia Viviani ITA (Deceuninck - Quick-Step) 3. Caleb Ewan AUS (Lotto - Soudal)
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
TOURNAMENT INFO
Opening fixtures:
Friday, Oct 5
8pm: Kabul Zwanan v Paktia Panthers
Saturday, Oct 6
4pm: Nangarhar Leopards v Kandahar Knights
8pm: Kabul Zwanan v Balkh Legends
Tickets
Tickets can be bought online at https://www.q-tickets.com/apl/eventlist and at the ticket office at the stadium.
TV info
The tournament will be broadcast live in the UAE on OSN Sports.
THE BIO:
Favourite holiday destination: Thailand. I go every year and I’m obsessed with the fitness camps there.
Favourite book: Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. It’s an amazing story about barefoot running.
Favourite film: A League of their Own. I used to love watching it in my granny’s house when I was seven.
Personal motto: Believe it and you can achieve it.
The Bio
Favourite Emirati dish: I have so many because it has a lot of herbs and vegetables. Harees (oats with chicken) is one of them
Favourite place to go to: Dubai Mall because it has lots of sports shops.
Her motivation: My performance because I know that whatever I do, if I put the effort in, I’ll get results
During her free time: I like to drink coffee - a latte no sugar and no flavours. I do not like cold drinks
Pet peeve: That with every meal they give you a fries and Pepsi. That is so unhealthy
Advice to anyone who wants to be an ironman: Go for the goal. If you are consistent, you will get there. With the first one, it might not be what they want but they should start and just do it
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
WWE Super ShowDown results
Seth Rollins beat Baron Corbin to retain his WWE Universal title
Finn Balor defeated Andrade to stay WWE Intercontinental Championship
Shane McMahon defeated Roman Reigns
Lars Sullivan won by disqualification against Lucha House Party
Randy Orton beats Triple H
Braun Strowman beats Bobby Lashley
Kofi Kingston wins against Dolph Zigggler to retain the WWE World Heavyweight Championship
Mansoor Al Shehail won the 50-man Battle Royal
The Undertaker beat Goldberg
Apple%20Mac%20through%20the%20years
%3Cp%3E1984%20-%20Apple%20unveiled%20the%20Macintosh%20on%20January%2024%3Cbr%3E1985%20-%20Steve%20Jobs%20departed%20from%20Apple%20and%20established%20NeXT%3Cbr%3E1986%20-%20Apple%20introduced%20the%20Macintosh%20Plus%2C%20featuring%20enhanced%20memory%3Cbr%3E1987%20-%20Apple%20launched%20the%20Macintosh%20II%2C%20equipped%20with%20colour%20capabilities%3Cbr%3E1989%20-%20The%20widely%20acclaimed%20Macintosh%20SE%2F30%20made%20its%20debut%3Cbr%3E1994%20-%20Apple%20presented%20the%20Power%20Macintosh%3Cbr%3E1996%20-%20The%20Macintosh%20System%20Software%20OS%20underwent%20a%20rebranding%20as%20Mac%20OS%3Cbr%3E2001%20-%20Apple%20introduced%20Mac%20OS%20X%2C%20marrying%20Unix%20stability%20with%20a%20user-friendly%20interface%3Cbr%3E2006%20-%20Apple%20adopted%20Intel%20processors%20in%20MacBook%20Pro%20laptops%3Cbr%3E2008%20-%20Apple%20introduced%20the%20MacBook%20Air%2C%20a%20lightweight%20laptop%3Cbr%3E2012%20-%20Apple%20launched%20the%20MacBook%20Pro%20with%20a%20retina%20display%3Cbr%3E2016%20-%20The%20Mac%20operating%20system%20underwent%20rebranding%20as%20macOS%3Cbr%3E2020%20-%20Apple%20introduced%20the%20M1%20chip%20for%20Macs%2C%20combining%20high%20performance%20and%20energy%20efficiency%3Cbr%3E2022%20-%20The%20M2%20chip%20was%20announced%3Cbr%3E2023%20-The%20M3%20line-up%20of%20chip%20was%20announced%20to%20improve%20performance%20and%20add%20new%20capabilities%20for%20Mac.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
Gran Gala del Calcio 2019 winners
Best Player: Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus)
Best Coach: Gian Piero Gasperini (Atalanta)
Best Referee: Gianluca Rocchi
Best Goal: Fabio Quagliarella (Sampdoria vs Napoli)
Best Team: Atalanta
Best XI: Samir Handanovic (Inter); Aleksandar Kolarov (Roma), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli), Joao Cancelo (Juventus*); Miralem Pjanic (Juventus), Josip Ilicic (Atalanta), Nicolo Barella (Cagliari*); Fabio Quagliarella (Sampdoria), Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), Duvan Zapata (Atalanta)
Serie B Best Young Player: Sandro Tonali (Brescia)
Best Women’s Goal: Thaisa (Milan vs Juventus)
Best Women’s Player: Manuela Giugliano (Milan)
Best Women’s XI: Laura Giuliani (Milan); Alia Guagni (Fiorentina), Sara Gama (Juventus), Cecilia Salvai (Juventus), Elisa Bartoli (Roma); Aurora Galli (Juventus), Manuela Giugliano (Roma), Valentina Cernoia (Juventus); Valentina Giacinti (Milan), Ilaria Mauro (Fiorentina), Barbara Bonansea (Juventus)
