Q: Regarding the UAE debt laws, I read that Dubai is wiping the cases so that travel bans are lifted. Is this true or are travel bans still active in 2023 for unpaid debts?

Q: Dear sir/madam, I have 3 checks amounting to 13980.00 AED bounced by my real estate but under a single case reference number. There is a cheque bounce case since 2020 before the new law. The discussions with the third party were unsuccessful. My concern is: 1. How much should I pay to remove my travel ban? 2. Will they collect my passport when I am paying? 3. Should I go to the police station in-person or someone can do it for me? 4. Will there be an arrest? The cheque was from my SAIF zone company account and when it bounced, I closed the account. So the check bounce was on the grounds of a closed account.

Q: Hello Experts, I need your kind advice regarding my loan. I had a loan of 250k and a credit card of 13k with a bank. When I left the UAE in March-20, my cumulative outstanding of both was 160k. Since then, I'm in Pakistan and hasn't come back to the UAE The bank has bounced security cheques and filed criminal cases. Now I have a job offer from Dubai and they already applied for my employment visa. Meanwhile, I'm negotiating with the bank for a one-shot settlement over the telephone. They are asking me to pay 112k one payment for the full and final settlement of both liabilities. They have waived off all the interest and just asking the principal amount in this way. Please advise if 112k is a good deal considering the situation or I should have to get more discount. Also, advise how should I go forward with them (they said, they'll issue a settlement letter/new offer letter, after which I'll submit the payment and then within 2 weeks they'll withdraw the criminal case).

Q: Hello, I will have a potential criminal and cheque execution case due to a bounced cheque with criminal intent. My question is if I settle the execution case by paying the total amount, is there any possibility of avoiding criminal proceedings or getting the case closed?

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.

What shall I do if I have a bounced cheque? You need to contact your lawyer as soon as possible to issue a travel ban against the person who issued the bounced cheque. It should be noted that time plays a very important role in bounced cheque cases.

This Law applies to merchants, as well as to all acts of commerce carried out in the UAE by any person even though he be not a trader. Commercial matters regarding which specific Federal laws are issued shall be subject to the provisions of such laws, and to the provisions hereof which do not contradict with said laws.

The provisions of this law, promulgating UAE Civil Code, govern the civil transactions in the United Arab Emirates. The commercial transactions remain subject to the laws and regulations applicable in their regard.

The provisions of this Decree by Law amend the Federal Law No. (18) of 1993 by replacing Clause (4) of Article (379) as well as Articles (600), (617), (641), (642), (643), (644), and adding new articles numbered (635) Bis, (641) Bis (1), (641) Bis (2), (641) Bis (3), (641) Bis (4), (643) Bis (1), (643) Bis (2), (644) Bis (1) and (644) Bis (2). The Decree-Law also repeals Articles (401), (402) and (403) of the Federal Law No. (3) of 1987.