Eddy1981

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

captainflack

I would not risk it. Computers have long memories, and the UAE doesn't have a functioning legal system in the same sense western countries do. Due to the time, they may stop routinely checking and have basically written their chance of ever getting repayment off, but if you arrive back in the country, it may very well retrigger something. UAE banks and other entities are notorious for piling in penalty charges on disputed or unpaid debts, so it is very likely whatever was 290,000 back then is now well north of a million. It might be different in a western country where you'd have some rights and debtors don't go to prison, but personally I'd absolutely avoid setting foot in Dubai again. I just wouldn't sleep at night. Even if you reached agreements to settle with the bank(s) I still would not trust them not to try a second bite of the cherry once you were there.

tdrinker

The length of the potential prison term and conditions and treatment whilst there would make it FAR too risky for me to ever set foot in Dubai again. If able to, I would have cleared the debt years ago, lest one day there's an extradition treaty with the UK or any other country I may visit or simply change planes in.

UKMS

Similar answers you got on the other forum.

To add I would never rely on checks that have been done as favours, however close your cousin might think he is to CID.

You will never know for sure until your passport gets scanned at immigration and even then it might not trigger immediately, it could be when you least expect it after the banks reignite everything. 100% certain the debt won’t be 290k now and whatever the figure they arrive at they can pretty much make it up as they go along and could really shaft you if they so choose.

Very high risk to come back, if it’s all bought back to life you could very easily be banged up however much you want to clear it.

tdrinker

It's not just getting banged up, it's getting banged up in Dubai which will be far worse than in the UK. And for a long time. If you haven't already done so, read up on the experiences of expats jailed in Dubai. And don't expect the UK consul to help you, however badly you're treated - they see their role as maintaining good relations with the host government not helping UK citizens in trouble.

Meow

Why haven't you repaid what you owe?