Q: Dear Sir/Madam, I am a UAE ex-pat. I have a debt from a bank and their collection agency is trying to chase me. I am unable to pay back because of my financial issues. Now they are trying to defame me in my existing company and looping my employer in the emails to humiliate and defame me. Are they legally allowed to do so?

Q: I am in Abu Dhabi. Someone was disputing about the money he says I owe him. On WhatsApp, I told him if you have a problem, you can complain or report that. Then he started sending me messages saying that I was a liar and a scam. And that he will come to my residential building and tell everyone that I am a liar and scammer, and he will come to my apartment and take the money he claims it’s his. He also made a racial comment about my home country (that this is UAE and not your home country where you can scam people). He also mentioned something bad about my family. I reported this to the police with screenshots of the chat. What else can I do in this case of threatening and defaming?

Q: Hi, I would like to ask if a finance company can file a civil case with the amount of less than AED 5000. Does a third party have the right to collect the money under another finance company even though the company has been closed and harass anyone even if the employer has no responsibility to them? Please advise because a lot of people are suffering mentally and psychologically due to their misbehavior and wrongdoings. Thank you

Q: Dear Lawyers, I'm seeking your valuable advice as per the UAE Law for the below inquiry. One of my close friends had taken a personal loan of AED 250k in the UAE and was paying EMI amounts regularly. Later, he was terminated by his company due to some issues and returned to his home country. A debt collection agency contacts him every day and gives more threats even though he has agreed to pay back the amounts after getting a new job. It has been 1 year and until now he did not get any good job and is unable to pay back the amount. However, the debt collection agency contacts him every day at least 3 times and threatens him with a criminal case against him, and that they will send him to jail and many more things. Now the inquiry is generally, if anyone is unable to pay back the outstanding EMI loan amount due to job loss, can the debt collection agency file a case against him or an arrest warrant, etc in their home country? Can we make a case against the debt collection agency for their outrageous behavior?

Q: I have applied for a credit card with a well-known bank here in Dubai. During the verification course from the bank, they sent my salary certificate to our company's info at an email address to which half of the staff have access. I have been told by several members of my staff, that they received this email. I am the Deputy CEO of the company and obviously, this is not a light matter. I have contacted the bank and they have offered me vouchers for AED 1000 and then 2000 but I want to press charges for a serious offence and go for punitive damage. I know the latter is not a usual practice in the UAE, but I want to explore my options. I have also informed the Central Bank, but they say I must wait 30 days before proceeding.

An interview-format article covering the topic of loans and bounced cheques in the UAE. This is from the legal podcast of lawyer Ludmila Yamalova, the founder of Lawgical with LYLAW.

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.

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).

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.