My job finishes soon and my employer will cancel my visa. I will then leave the UAE for a few weeks before returning on a tourist visa. Shortly thereafter, I expect to start a new job in the UAE. Must I cancel my internet account, electricity bill, car ownership papers, bank and credit card account, etc or can I allow some of these to carry over? In other words, what is the least necessary to be done and still avoid problems at the airport, either leaving or returning? SH, Abu Dhabi
This is not an uncommon situation and many people take a break between jobs. Provided the intention is to obtain a new visa then the various authorities and providers are not going to have any issue with a short break in continuity.
The rules regarding who can drive an owned vehicle are more flexible than before, but insurance will have been arranged on the basis of being a UAE resident. Although a driving licence is not invalidated if someone is no longer a UAE resident, the potential issue is regarding the insurance. SH should check the small print on his policy and for added security contact his motor insurance company to advise of the circumstances and get clearance to drive the car in the interim period, preferably in writing.
The bank account certainly doesn’t need to be closed but if he has a loan and/or credit card debt he can expect his account to be frozen until he recommences work. Even if an account is frozen, this is entirely different to a travel ban and the bank would have to have grounds to believe that someone was about to “do a runner”, usually with missed repayments, before opening a police case. If he has a new job offer already, notify the bank and provide a copy of the new job offer letter so it is aware of the circumstances. If he has no debt he may be able to avoid the bank account being frozen.
Keren Bobker is an independent financial adviser with Holborn Assets in Dubai, with over 20 years’ experience. Contact her at keren@holbornassets.com. Follow her on Twitter at @FinancialUAE.
The advice provided in our columns does not constitute legal advice and is provided for information only.
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Gertrude Bell's life in focus
A feature film
At one point, two feature films were in the works, but only German director Werner Herzog’s project starring Nicole Kidman would be made. While there were high hopes he would do a worthy job of directing the biopic, when Queen of the Desert arrived in 2015 it was a disappointment. Critics panned the film, in which Herzog largely glossed over Bell’s political work in favour of her ill-fated romances.
A documentary
A project that did do justice to Bell arrived the next year: Sabine Krayenbuhl and Zeva Oelbaum’s Letters from Baghdad: The Extraordinary Life and Times of Gertrude Bell. Drawing on more than 1,000 pieces of archival footage, 1,700 documents and 1,600 letters, the filmmakers painstakingly pieced together a compelling narrative that managed to convey both the depth of Bell’s experience and her tortured love life.
Books, letters and archives
Two biographies have been written about Bell, and both are worth reading: Georgina Howell’s 2006 book Queen of the Desert and Janet Wallach’s 1996 effort Desert Queen. Bell published several books documenting her travels and there are also several volumes of her letters, although they are hard to find in print. Original documents are housed at the Gertrude Bell Archive at the University of Newcastle, which has an online catalogue.
The five pillars of Islam
HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX RESULT
1. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari 1:39:46.713
2. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari 00:00.908
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes-GP 00:12.462
4. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-GP 00:12.885
5. Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing 00:13.276
6. Fernando Alonso, McLaren 01:11.223
7. Carlos Sainz Jr, Toro Rosso 1 lap
8. Sergio Perez, Force India 1 lap
9. Esteban Ocon, Force India 1 lap
10. Stoffel Vandoorne, McLaren 1 lap
11. Daniil Kvyat, Toro Rosso 1 lap
12. Jolyon Palmer, Renault 1 lap
13. Kevin Magnussen, Haas 1 lap
14. Lance Stroll, Williams 1 lap
15. Pascal Wehrlein, Sauber 2 laps
16. Marcus Ericsson, Sauber 2 laps
17r. Nico Huelkenberg, Renault 3 laps
r. Paul Di Resta, Williams 10 laps
r. Romain Grosjean, Haas 50 laps
r. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull Racing 70 laps
