A bank may block further use of a credit card if they are aware that there will be no income to support any borrowing. Jeffrey E Biteng / The National
A bank may block further use of a credit card if they are aware that there will be no income to support any borrowing. Jeffrey E Biteng / The National
A bank may block further use of a credit card if they are aware that there will be no income to support any borrowing. Jeffrey E Biteng / The National
A bank may block further use of a credit card if they are aware that there will be no income to support any borrowing. Jeffrey E Biteng / The National

‘Will my bank freeze my account after I quit my job?’


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  • Arabic

I have resigned from my job and my visa will be cancelled in two weeks, when my last salary is paid. I do not have any loans or outstanding credit card debt in the UAE, but have some money saved in a local bank. Will my bank account be frozen or is it safe to leave my savings in it? RD, Dubai

When a bank is notified of a final salary payment or the cancellation of a work visa, their automatic reaction is often to freeze all accounts. This is not always the case but it should be expected.

However, if a person has no debt, the account should be unfrozen quite quickly. The bank may block further use of a credit card if they are aware that there will be no income to support any borrowing.

If an account is frozen, it can take a few days to unfreeze it. If RD thinks this could be an issue, it would be wise to withdraw funds to tide them over until they have access to the account again.

If I resign from my job, do I have to pay a certain amount to my employer? My visa was issued seven months ago. My contract is unlimited. JM, Abu Dhabi

If an employee is on an unlimited employment contract, they do not have to pay any money to an employer when they leave the company. They only need to give notice in accordance with the contract, which is usually a minimum of 30 days as per the UAE Labour Law.

As JM has been with this employer for less than one year, she is not entitled to receive any gratuity but should be paid for any days of annual leave that she has accrued but not taken.

If an employee is on an unlimited contract of employment, they do not have to pay any money to an employer upon leaving service
Keren Bobker

I am facing an issue with my employer. The human resources manager asked me to pay for my visa expenses and serve one month’s notice if I want to leave the job. However, I want to leave the job immediately.

Is it possible for me to leave without serving a notice? How would that affect me? AB, Dubai

It is understood that AB works for a mainland company or a free zone that has adopted the UAE Labour Law. There are two issues to address here.

No employer should ever ask an employee to repay any cost incurred with their employment. I would expect anyone in an HR role to know that this is not permitted.

This is covered in Ministerial Order 52 of 1989, Article 6a, which states: “An undertaking from the employer to the effect that he shall sponsor and be responsible for the recruited labourer, the bearing of his recruitment expenses and his employment in accordance with the employment contract in a way not prejudicing the provision of the Federal Law No (8)/1980 referred to herein.”

Furthermore, these expenses cannot be passed on. This is the case, no matter how long an employee has been in a job.

If an employer insists on payment, which is illegal under UAE law, the employee can register a case with the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation.

Under Article 117 of the Labour Law, AB is required to give a minimum notice period of 30 days and needs to give this notice in writing to her employer.

The only exception is if the employer breaches the terms of employment in a serious way or assaults the employee according to Article 121. Such cases are rare and often hard to prove.

An employee cannot simply walk out of a job but if they do so, there will be consequences. The employer can request an employment ban, which will prevent the person from taking on a new job.

In addition, Article 119 of the Labour Law states: “Should the employer or worker fail to notify the other party of the termination of the contract … the notifying party shall pay to the other party a compensation in lieu of notice, even if such failure to notice or such reduction of the period does not cause damage to the other party. Such compensation shall be equal to the wage of the worker with regards to the entire notice period or the reduced part thereof. The compensation in lieu of notice shall be calculated on the basis of the last wage paid to the worker.”

This means that the employee can end up paying the employer to compensate them for the inconvenience of breaching the agreed contract terms, as well as receive a ban. It is always better to give notice as agreed.

Keren Bobker is an independent financial adviser and senior partner with Holborn Assets in Dubai, with more than 25 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

What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

Report to local authorities

Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

The specs

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Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm

Transmission: 9-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km

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Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
 
Based: Dubai, UAE
 
Sector: Entertainment 
 
Number of staff: 210 
 
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
F1 The Movie

Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Rating: 4/5

Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021

Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.

The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.

These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.

“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.

“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.

“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.

“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”

Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.

There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.

“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.

“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.

“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”

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Director: Jesse Armstrong

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The alternatives

• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.

• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.

• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.

2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.

• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases -  but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.

Global Fungi Facts

• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil

Infiniti QX80 specs

Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6

Power: 450hp

Torque: 700Nm

Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000

Available: Now

How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE

When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.

Key figures in the life of the fort

Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.

Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.

Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.

Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.

Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.

Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.

Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.

Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.

Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae

Profile

Co-founders of the company: Vilhelm Hedberg and Ravi Bhusari

Launch year: In 2016 ekar launched and signed an agreement with Etihad Airways in Abu Dhabi. In January 2017 ekar launched in Dubai in a partnership with the RTA.

Number of employees: Over 50

Financing stage: Series B currently being finalised

Investors: Series A - Audacia Capital 

Sector of operation: Transport

Gothia Cup 2025

4,872 matches 

1,942 teams

116 pitches

76 nations

26 UAE teams

15 Lebanese teams

2 Kuwaiti teams

Drishyam 2

Directed by: Jeethu Joseph

Starring: Mohanlal, Meena, Ansiba, Murali Gopy

Rating: 4 stars

The specs

Engine: 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder turbo

Transmission: CVT

Power: 170bhp

Torque: 220Nm

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Specs

Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request

Updated: March 08, 2023, 8:16 AM`