Credit Card Debt from the UAE

2

Comments

  • Westminster
    Westminster Posts: 1,004 Forumite
    First Post First Anniversary Savvy Shopper! Debt-free and Proud!
    As a pilot there is something else you may wish to consider.

    You should be extremely cautious about buying any flights which pass anywhere near UAE airspace as Dubai is a very convenient en-route alternate for technical or medical issues and even if you are on a BA flight to the Maldives (for example) which diverts to Dubai, you will end up in prison.

    Something to consider if you are unable to resolve this fully.
  • garytryingtosave123
    garytryingtosave123 Posts: 12 Forumite
    Well following my court appearance today. I can confirm that you can be declared bankrupt in the UK for debt in the UAE. This country is a joke especially when UAE law overules UK law. Limitations Act does not apply.

    No contact in 9 years! Declared bankrupt.
  • IAmWales
    IAmWales Posts: 2,024 Forumite
    garytryingtosave123 wrote: »
    Well following my court appearance today. I can confirm that you can be declared bankrupt in the UK for debt in the UAE. This country is a joke especially when UAE law overules UK law. Limitations Act does not apply.

    No contact in 9 years! Declared bankrupt.

    Presumably you took legal advice on this, what has your solicitor said?
  • jadex
    jadex Posts: 753 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Anniversary Combo Breaker First Post
    Are Coyle White Devine happy guys now? :(
  • daneurl
    daneurl Posts: 1 Newbie
    Westminster wrote: »
    As a pilot there is something else you may wish to consider.

    You should be extremely cautious about buying any flights which pass anywhere near UAE airspace as Dubai is a very convenient en-route alternate for technical or medical issues and even if you are on a BA flight to the Maldives (for example) which diverts to Dubai, you will end up in prison.

    Something to consider if you are unable to resolve this fully.

    I can confirm that this is the case. I had a friend of mine with credit card debt from the UAE 6 years ago and moved to Thailand and forgot about it. He was en route to a conference to Switzerland from Bangkok and the plane had technical difficulties and landed in Dubai. He was apprehended at the airport and put in jail for a week until he could make bail. His debt was 50,000 AED. This was in November 2016.

    Scary that they can track you and claim in the UK somehow, can't believe that is legal. Barbaric laws and a debtors jail in the UAE.
  • PeacefulWaters
    PeacefulWaters Posts: 8,495 Forumite
    daneurl wrote: »
    I can confirm that this is the case. I had a friend of mine with credit card debt from the UAE 6 years ago and moved to Thailand and forgot about it. He was en route to a conference to Switzerland from Bangkok and the plane had technical difficulties and landed in Dubai. He was apprehended at the airport and put in jail for a week until he could make bail. His debt was 50,000 AED. This was in November 2016.

    Scary that they can track you and claim in the UK somehow, can't believe that is legal. Barbaric laws and a debtors jail in the UAE.

    The last post was almost a year ago.
  • JGUK
    JGUK Posts: 222 Forumite
    First Anniversary First Post Photogenic
    Out of interest I wonder how they did make him bankrupt for a debt from the UAE, he never did answer that?
    Thanks
    JG
  • tastyhog
    tastyhog Posts: 847 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post
    JGUK wrote: »
    Out of interest I wonder how they did make him bankrupt for a debt from the UAE, he never did answer that?

    Easily, foreign debts are enforceable in the uk.
  • societys_child
    societys_child Posts: 7,110 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post
    edited 23 January 2018 at 8:54PM
    Working in UAE and had to use credit to fly home which the op was unable to repay? I don't get it . .

    Maybe the moral is, pay your debts . .
  • chattychappy
    chattychappy Posts: 7,302 Forumite
    With increased globalisation and people travelling, I think it is good for all of us if you can't avoid debts simply by skipping the jurisdiction. Obviously there needs to be some safeguards, but if the question is why should a foreign debt be enforceable here, my question is why shouldn't it be? If it was impossible to enforce debts overseas, then travel and crossborder business could become more difficult.

    I'm rusty in this area of law, but the general principle is that it is for the foreign court to adjudicate on the facts of the matter and come to a judgment. Once the judgment is given then application can be made to UK courts to enforce here. The procedure and the extent to which UK courts might look into the matter depends on the countries involved, but it is most automatic in the case of other EU countries and countries with similar legal systems to ours (eg commonwealth countries).
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