Q: I have a personal loan debt in Saudi Arabia. I am looking now to get a job in Dubai. Will I be allowed to work in Dubai, as the money I will make will allow me then to pay back the debt in Saudi in full probably by the end of next year? Please let me know if a travel ban in Saudi is applicable to other GCC countries like Dubai. I really need some advice as I have been struggling to get a job and had to leave Saudi as I was gonna have my contract not renewed and had to process my divorce as well. Thanks

Q: Good day! I'm a resident of the UAE now. I had an unpaid bank loan in Saudi Arabia way back in 2014. Now, Bilkish agency, a debt collection agency, keeps on calling me to pay my debt in just a few days. I can't afford to pay immediately because I'm not earning too much. An agent said she will make sure the bank will block me here in the UAE. Does the collection agency have the right to block me in immigration or put me into travel ban here in the UAE? Thank you so much for your reply.

Q: I have an outstanding balance from a personal loan I took from KSA. After leaving, I continued paying for 2 years while I was offshore. Then I lost my job and I couldn’t continue paying. Now, I have a job interview and a chance to work in the UAE. Can I travel to Dubai so I can get a job and start repaying my dues?

Q: Hello, I am asking on behalf of my friend. She was working in Saudi Arabia in a salon for the past 4 years. Her employer was working her and her coworkers like slaves; 15 to 17 hour days, one day off. Her employer keeps all their passports. Just a very strict environment and not a good one. My friend was a good employee and lots of customers liked her work. As you can imagine being treated like this; working so hard for half the pay took its toll on my friend. She became very unhappy and asked her employer's permission to go home to the Philippines as her contract was over. They said OK but went ahead and paid for her to come back after her vacation. Well, she did not return and her employer became very angry and has put her on a GCC ban or something like this. Now she can't work abroad in Dubai, Bahrain, or Saudi again. My friend never asked them to pay for her return work visa; they just did it because they assumed that she would. How can we fix this problem of the GCC ban?

Q: Dear Sir, I have an outstanding loan and I have left KSA because I lost my job 2 years ago. The bank has used a legal firm in Dubai to contact me. Since I'm jobless for 2 years, I cannot afford to make payments. Can I pay with the new payment schedule, with a lower installment that I can afford? I think if we continue to make payments (any amount) the legal team has no right to block me from entering KSA in the future. Please advise.

Q: Hi, May you and your family be blessed. I'm extremely tense and need your kind feedback on the following issue. If I have a travel ban in KSA, can I travel to the UAE on a work visa? I have been visiting Dubai on a tourist visa without any problems. The ban was imposed because I had to leave KSA suddenly and could not return after an exit-entry, and I was unable to pay back my car EMI and credit card payment totaling 30k SAR, which I intend to pay off gradually now. When I left KSA, they only had my fingerprints at the time. I also understand that while coming for a visit to Dubai, only a retinal scan is done. On the other hand, when obtaining a work visa, UAE takes and registers fingerprints as well. Could this lead to any issues for me? I have finally obtained a better-paying job after a long time and can finally save up to pay off my debts. The case registered for which the travel ban is imposed is only for SAR 16000. As of now, I cannot afford to hire a lawyer to check in UAE. Thank you for your help!

Q: I live in Dubai and I have outstanding loans and credit card debts with 5 different Singapore banks totaling about 500,000 AED (converted from SGD). I do not have the means to make even the minimum payments. If the banks in Singapore got a judgment against me and then come to the UAE court to enforce the judgment, what would happen to me?

The UAE travel ban may be imposed on a person on various grounds, for instance, as the result of criminal offences, unpaid loans, breach of immigration laws or family matters. Implications of such a ban can be financially severe and daunting for the affected person. This article aims to give readers a clear understanding of what is the UAE travel ban, what are the grounds and procedures for its imposition and removal, how to check if the person is banned from travelling and other related topics.

With the introduction of the new procedures for obtaining a power of attorney (POA) remotely in the UAE, after it was mandatory to appear in person in front of the notary public as a global rule to ensure the identity and intention of the person requesting a POA, we put between your hands this brief guide for how you get it done.