Thursday, July 22, 2010

"Loans threaten residency"

That's the lead story in today's Gulf News, with a related report on page three.

They begin with these paras:

"Residency departments will not renew the residence visas of expatriates if they are wanted by police for financial obligations, Interior Ministry officials said."

"Residency departments cannot punish people who have arrest warrants against them for financial disputes by not renewing their residence visas, legal experts have said."


I'm not going to comment now because tomorrow there's bound to be a 'clarification'.



See what you make of it. You can read the reports here and here.

7 comments:

Dubai Photo Story said...

Isn't this step even more detrimental to the whole process? By not renewing the visas, the system is only making it more difficult for people to pay off the debt!! Ultimately don't we want the debts to be paid up? Or do we? This proposal does not benefit either the defaulters or the banks!!

Seabee said...

Yep. And in addition the people are turned into criminals because they're here illegally without a residence visa!!

But as I said, a 'clarification' is sure to follow.

Anonymous said...

I want to share my experiance

screw those banks... when I lost my job first thing they wanted is make legal cases... so I left back home.. then after 4 months I found a job in Saudi... and all this time I just disappeared from those banks... I checked with a friend of mine in dubai to see if i got any legal cases and as expected there was from two banks i got credit card from and another a personal loan..

so after another 6 months in my new job having 100% salary.. i was able to save a good amount...

after 10 months... I contacted each bank and started a settlement procedures... all of them gave me extreme discounts on all the out standings with installments... at first they tried to pressure but I found out they really cant do anything while I am out.

now.. I have paid out all those outstanding loans and credit cards and I am done with this nightmare... and

my advice... to those debited people.. leave Dubai and pay it at your own comfortable time... even for more than a year and nothing will happen...

I left Dubai with more 200K AED debits... and if I stayed in Dubai jobless I could now be in jail...

my two fils

Susan said...

I can't actually think of a comment to make that is publishable.....

Ok, deep breath, no swearing.

There is a fundamental lack of understanding about economic reality among certain elements of society here. Clearly when you have grown up to expect your government to meet your every need you probably have no reason to understand money.

But if you don't have any money, how is taking away your visa going to help you get more?

These people seem to think money is something you can magic up out of nowhere - oh look, mr banker is being and aggressive little shit, lets magic up some money to pay off our debts. Oh no, here's a scary policeman, better wave that magic wand quickly. Oh poor mr boss man, he can't afford to pay me and support his large entourage of concubines and keep them all in diamond crusted knickers so I'd better make a magic spell quickly to help him out. Oh bother, big mr landlord's little darlings need to upgrade their Lambourghinis, better get that alchemy pot out and make some more gold to pay the rent.

Acccchhhhhhh!

David Anthony Hohol said...

Long time reader, first time commenting... Banks here have no idea about much of anything an I wonder how much of anything gets done in the end. As we live in a Kingdom, they can also make and change laws anytime they want, which is scary of you think about it too much...

As a side note... I was wondering if you might be interested in allowing me to re-post one article a month on RELATIVITY OnLine. I would put up a bio promoting you as a writer and the site, and put "originally published at Life in Dubai...

Let me know what you think....

Peace
D.

a question of a question said...

Anon on 6/22
"my advice... to those debited people.. leave Dubai and pay it at your own comfortable time... even for more than a year and nothing will happen...

I left Dubai with more 200K AED debits... and if I stayed in Dubai jobless I could now be in jail... "

How about not borrowing 200K AED in the first place without working out how you are gonna repay should you lose your job?

Seabee said...

David, I have no problem with other sites re-publishing my words or pics as long as they credit them back to me.