Q: Hi! I have a few questions that I hope you can help with. My friend took a loan for his studies and left UAE. He paid monthly settlements for 10 months, each of the payments was around thousand dirhams. But there he didn't find the job and therefore couldn't continue to pay. He asked for a delay due to temporary inability to pay, but this request has been rejected. They also said that police case has been opened against him. Therefore he is asking if there are some chances to solve this and reduce the outstanding amount? Also, can this affect him somehow in travelling purposes? For example, if he goes to UAE or Qatar, can he go there or can he be arrested there?

Q: What happens if I failed to pay several installments from my personal loan from the bank?  I have not received any warnings or notice to pay, does this mean they filed a case or they must send me a notice first.

Q: My brother arrived at Dubai airport on 05/04/2017. Dubai Immigration authorities detained him upon arrival and sent him to Naif Police Station. On April 6, 2017, a relative went to Naif Police Station, they kept his passport as a guarantor without providing any information. Furthermore, I went today to the police station after arriving from Pakistan and tried to meet my brother, however, I was not allowed to meet him. When I inquired about the detention reason, a traffic warden from the police office gave me this case number 2014/4286 outlining it as a detention reason. It is noteworthy to mention that he was already interrogated briefly by the authorities in this case and was let go without detention. During the course of three years (2014-2017), he has traveled to Dubai on visit visa 4-5 times. We are seeking help in the above case as we went to Dubai Courts and they sent us to Dubai Public Prosecution but no help.

Q: I have cleared all dues pending and have court papers on hand. Still, I was stopped transiting Abu Dhabi. How can I clear this?

Q: Dear Nikhat, I have a personal loan with a bank in Dubai. Last October 2016 I lost my job and the company sent me back to my country. Now I have a job offer and visa. Will I be arrested if I arrive in the UAE? Due to the job lost only I didn't pay the amount. If possible I can speak to the bank and I can pay the amount monthly. Please advise me. Thanks / Regards

Q: I have a bank case of AED 64000 for which I was caught from Airport upon my return from vacation on Oct 3rd. I was detained in Naif police station and next day they gave me bail by keeping my passport. Now I have received a summons from court to appear before the prosecutor on Nov 5th. I'm really afraid if they will put me in jail again. I also didn't go for negotiation with the bank as many of my friends advised me that there is no need for that as I will have to pay only a fine of AED 2000 for this. Is it true? I feel very worried as the day is approaching. Please help urgently.

Q: Hello, I had a credit card from a bank for AED 12,000. I failed to pay since I lost my job for the last 10 months. The bank stopped contacting me for 6 months. I recently found a job and I have an emergency to fly back home. Will I be stopped at the airport and how can I know if the bank filed a case against me? Thank you

Q: My friend was detained by police at Dubai airport while coming back from India for a cheque which bounced 3 years back. The person did not give back my friend's cheques which equalled to around AED 600000 & has registered a complaint now in Ajman. This cheque was given as a guarantee and the drawee was not supposed to present it to the bank. My friend kept asking for his cheques back after the deal was closed but he wouldn't give. He assured it won't be presented in the bank. But he presented it & kept silent for more than 3 years & now has registered the case. Now he is detained by the police in Ajman. What is going to happen in his case? How long will he be detained at the police station until the court decides? What will be his penalty? So what I need to know is that can anybody file a case after more than 3 years? How can he apply for bail & does he have to pay for it? Is there a minimum period he has to be in detention before he gets bail? How long will it take for the judgement to be made?

Q: My friend had a bounced cheque case in 2018. He was arrested and sentenced for one month but still did not get to pay. He has been arrested again in 2021 and jailed without been arraigned to court. The case is a civil case. What procedure does he have to take to get out of jail considering the fact he doesn’t have all the money to pay? Must he be in jail till all money is paid or could a payment plan be arranged by the court? Thank you

In the UAE, cheque bounce is a very frequent problem faced by people during their span in the country. It is covered under the purview of Commercial Transactions Law, and legal implications/penalties can be financially severe and daunting for more “serious” offenses. Bounced cheque issues may arise in a variety of commercial transactions, including but not limited to, companies’ exchanges, bank loans, property rents or purchases, and individual transactions.

This Law promulgates the Federal Penal Code (Criminal Law) of the United Arab Emirates. Crimes and chastisement punishments shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of this Law and other penal codes.

The law promulgates UAE Civil Procedures Code (Civil Procedure Law) which governs civil procedures in the United Arab Emirates, including the prosecution before the courts, litigation and execution.

The provisions of this Federal Decree-Law No. (31) of 2021 Promulgating the Crimes and Penalties Law, known as the "New UAE Penal Code", governs criminal actions in the United Arab Emirates. The New Penal Code repeals the previous UAE Penal Code (Federal Law No. (3) of 1987 Promulgating the Penal Code).