Q: Is a bank obligated by law or financial regulation to provide a payment plan for a credit card loan if the monthly instalments are too high?If the answer is no, what can I do to avoid legal action and only pay half the instalment which is what I can afford? 

Q: Hi, I'm not in the UAE anymore and I want to have an idea on what charges I am facing regarding debts so that I can contact the bank and hire a lawyer to settle things for me. Thanks

Q: Hello. I owe a bank here in the UAE a credit card debt amount. Due to circumstances (losing my main source of income, having other financial burdens, including monthly medical bills for cancer treatment & medications etc., and  I don't have health insurance), I haven't been able to pay back on time since over a year ago. Hence, that amount has since accumulated from a small figure to a relatively big one (currently at around AED 70,000). I have received an email recently from some "credit collection" agency, saying that if I don't pay back next month, they'll put a travel ban on me and file a civil case. However, it is impossible for me to pay this amount at this time. I am currently making "some" income (not as close as I used to before, but still), and have the intention to resolve this issue. Is there any way to reach a settlement with the bank (maybe to waive part of the amount or the interest), break down the monthly installments to smaller amounts, or any other solution you would suggest? Many thanks.

Q: I didn't pay my loan for six months because I was pregnant and on unpaid leave. I still have my job in Dubai where my leave ends soon and I need to come back to work. Will they arrest me at the airport?

Q: Dear Sir/Ma'am, Please tell me what I should do next after being imprisoned for a month and paying the fine for a bounced cheque (unpaid salary loan as I lost my job). They did not give me a receipt and/or any sort of clearance after paying, They just let me out of the jail. I am still in the UAE and will join a new company. Will I be able to get a visa? Hoping for your fast response. I really appreciate it. Thank you. Luba

Q: Someone has a police case of credit cards, loans and absconding, and then got a job offer but the visa cannot be issued because of the cases. Can he or she be entitled to get a new visa so he or she can manage to pay the dues?

Q: Hi, Is it possible to make a visa for my husband as he has had a pending bank loan since 2018 and left Dubai without settling?

The management of individual financial affairs is crucial and all the actions must be weighed down while committing to any financial liability. Whether it's job loss that may have lead to financial failure or the opposite, one must be aware of the personal liability which will not diminish by paying fines for cheque bounce cases. There are two major types of liabilities, criminal liability and civil liability. Each has its own significance, hence, must be dealt with accordingly.

The UAE has adopted a major reform in its legislative system that brought about 40 new laws and amendments to the company law, criminal law, personal status, among others. The amendments aim to develop the legislative structure in various sectors, the labor law being one of these, was the most recent. We try in this article to shed light on the changes introduced with the new labor law and their significance on both, the employer and employee.

The UAE government introduced the new Unemployment Insurance Law under the Federal Decree-Law No. 13 of 2022 Concerning the Unemployment Insurance Scheme for Unemployed People. The law aims at providing a sort of financial support in case of unemployment for a brief period, probably to help employees who got terminated find another job and avoid failing in other financial obligations.

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 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).