When a group of debt experts sat around a conference table at The National's office in Abu Dhabi five years ago, they never imagined the discussion would help to ease the debt problems of hundreds of UAE residents.
At the time, banks were inundated with borrowers unable to repay their liabilities because they could no longer take on fresh credit following the launch of the Al Etihad Credit Bureau.
Set up in November 2014, the bureau brought transparency to the lending industry by assembling a credit record of the nation's financially active residents.
However, those that had borrowed excessively in the past could not take on new loans or credit cards, leaving many with debts they had no hope of repaying.
This is why The National introduced The Debt Panel in April 2016 to help those in desperate need solve their debt woes.
Since then our debt experts have answered more than 260 debt panel questions, with some readers going on to resolve their financial difficulties completely.
So, what has changed since the advice column was first launched?
Host Alice Haine is joined by Philip King, the global head of retail banking at Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank and one of the founding members of The Debt Panel, who shares his thoughts on the importance of the advice column in the UAE.
Listen to last week's episode on how to become a millionaire:
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
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Final: England v South Africa, Saturday, 1pm
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Engine: 8.0-litre, quad-turbo 16-cylinder
Transmission: 7-speed auto
0-100kmh 2.3 seconds
0-200kmh 5.5 seconds
0-300kmh 11.6 seconds
Power: 1500hp
Torque: 1600Nm
Price: Dh13,400,000
On sale: now
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PETER%20PAN%20%26%20WENDY
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
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Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
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Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
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