Left Dubai in 2007 with unpaid debts

Eddy1980

Hello,

In 2007, I left Dubai with unsettled debts and am now considering a return next month owing to a compelling job proposition I've recently received. Prior to making this decision, I conducted a thorough legal check to ascertain if my name had been flagged by the police or if I was subject to any travel bans. Thankfully, there was no mention of my name, nor any cases against me. Furthermore, my cousin, having ties with a senior officer in the CID, affirmed this. However, curiously, when I had him make the same enquiry last year, there was a case noted against me. Might this be because these loans are over 15 years old?

To provide a clearer picture, the outstanding sum is approximately AED 290,000, encompassing various loans and credit card debts:

• AED 180,000 from a personal loan.
• AED 45,000 from a car loan.
• The remaining balance is distributed amongst five credit cards.

Since 2008, I've been approached by debt collection agencies roughly four times. Yet, their attempts to reach me have been sporadic, despite my social media accounts transparently displaying my current living and working location.

Could anyone provide insight on this matter? My main reason for liaising with the police was to identify which bank had lodged a case against me, enabling me to address and clear the loan.

Thanks

Brie

I doubt there are many people here with sufficient knowledge of the banking and legal systems in Dubai so it's unlikely there will be much help available.  Is there something similar to Experian in Dubai that you might access to do a credit check?

la531983

Brie said:

I doubt there are many people here with sufficient knowledge of the banking and legal systems in Dubai so it's unlikely there will be much help available.  Is there something similar to Experian in Dubai that you might access to do a credit check?

I suspect his main concern is being bundled into a van once he arrives at DXB, rather than being able to get a credit card.
Personally not a chance I would be risking it with a country of that nature. 

Brie

la531983 said:

Brie said:

I doubt there are many people here with sufficient knowledge of the banking and legal systems in Dubai so it's unlikely there will be much help available.  Is there something similar to Experian in Dubai that you might access to do a credit check?

I suspect his main concern is being bundled into a van once he arrives at DXB, rather than being able to get a credit card.
Personally not a chance I would be risking it with a country of that nature. 

Quite agree.  But a credit check, should such a thing exist, might tell which bank might be cranky enough to call in the coppers.

turnitround

Thats a hell of a lot of money plus interest. Better stay over here.

sourcrates

I know nothing of the law regarding debt in Dubai.

However there are websites that do, and these are the initial results from Google -

The limitation period in Dubai is 15 years.

"Unlike Western countries, the UAE treats debt as a criminal matter rather than a civil one.  The result being that if a borrower is late with payments, they can be sentenced to jail for up to three years.  However, the debt is not cleared because of this sentence, only the “criminal” act of not paying it/the instalments due.  After the initial sentence the debtor is freed for thirty days to allow them to arrange payment of the money due.  If they do not have the money to pay, a civil case is then taken by the creditor, and the debt victim is sent back into jail indefinitely, until the money is paid".

"Banks in Dubai, knowing they can have a defaulter jailed for missing payments, do not feel the need to lend responsibly, like banks in the West do.  Most expats will be familiar with getting between two and ten phone calls a day, six days a week, trying to sell them loans and more credit cards.  Eventually even the strongest crack and take credit to finance their “Dubai Lifestyle.”

Sometimes the borrower’s circumstances change.  People get ill, or fired.  They can’t pay what they could pay before. But the banks are unwilling to negotiate.  Why give a carrot, when they have such a big stick (jail) at their disposal?

There are Indian labourers who have been in jail for over a decade for debts as little as £1000.  They have no hope of ever getting out of prison".

Source - The truth about leaving a debt behind in Dubai. (detainedindubai.org)

I don`t know about you but there isn`t enough money in the world that would persuade me to return to such a country given the ruthless nature of the laws regarding debt that exist there.

NeverendingDMP

Do you have the money to repay the debts on arrival is one question you need to ask.
At one point there was a spate of people leaving the country and abandoning cars at the airport due to debts. I wouldn't want to risk it. How much legal support would your new job offer you?

Purplelady65

You were lucky you were able to leave the country in 2007 with those outstanding debts. I think you’d be pushing your luck to even contemplate returning. 

DjangoUnchained

its a mediaeval country with a brutal regime, although a tourist hotspot they have a contempt for foreigners and have no qualms about using their laws to extort fines and imprison you for what would be laughable things here. I would not return there with anything like this to deal with.