I have accepted a new job offer and am due to start work next week.
I am late in paying my telephone bill by a month because I have been out of work for three months. Will this stop me from getting a new visa and the job? JR, Abu Dhabi
A late payment for a bill is not a reason for an employer to withdraw a job offer and they are unlikely to know about it.
The only time this could be an issue is if the telephone company has filed a police case for late payment. But this seems unlikely as the amount outstanding is lower than Dh500 and the payment is only one month overdue.
A police case against an individual can prevent them from obtaining a new employment visa. However, JR can check if there is a police case registered against him.
Abu Dhabi residents can check if there are any cases against them through an online service from the judicial department called Estafser. An Emirates ID number is required regardless of the residency visa status. An individual’s ID number does not change, so a valid ID card is not required.
The procedure is different in other emirates. In Dubai, this information can be checked through the Dubai Police app but it will also show cases in other emirates.
It is a free service, so is worth checking first before contacting the police in other emirates for confirmation.
I recently moved to Dubai because I received a job offer, which I signed. However, I have not started work yet because the restaurant is not open. My visa is still under process.
I also received another job offer and can start work immediately. I would like to take up this job.
Can I resign while waiting to start work or during the probation period? If I resign during the probation period, do I need to pay my employer for a one-month notice period or for three months, as per my employment contract? Or can I resign immediately during my probation period? PK, Dubai
It seems the employer has submitted an application for a residency visa. If the visa is being processed or is ready, PK will generally be considered an employee, whether or not he has actually started working. This means that he is required to give notice in line with the provisions of Federal Law 33 of 2021, also known as the new Labour Law.
The notice period depends on whether someone is leaving the UAE or moving to another job in the country, which seems to be the case here.
“If the worker wishes to move during the probationary period to work for another employer in the state, he shall notify the original employer of the same in writing within not less than one month from the date of his wish to terminate the contract,” clause 3, under Article 9, of the Labour Law says.
“Then, the new employer shall compensate the original employer for the costs of recruitment or contracting with the worker, unless otherwise agreed upon.”
The situation is different if the individual plans to leave the UAE.
“If the foreign worker wishes to terminate the employment contract during the probationary period to leave the state, he shall notify the employer of the same in writing not less than 14 days from the date specified for the termination of the contract,” clause 4 says.
As PK wishes to move to another job in the UAE, he is obliged to serve one months' notice and the employer has the right to insist on this.
Most employers will not wish to retain an employee in this situation and will allow them to leave immediately, but it may also depend on whether they have paid for the visa.
“If either party terminates the employment contract without taking into consideration the provisions of this Article, it shall pay to the other party compensation equal to the worker’s wages for the notice period or the remaining period of the notice period,” clause 5 of Article 13 says.
However, this does not imply that an employee can simply quit as that can lead to a ban for absconding. Instead, the two parties must try to reach an agreement.
If the employer agrees, PK can offer to pay full or a part of the compensation for the notice period.
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 is Genes in Space?
Genes in Space is an annual competition first launched by the UAE Space Agency, The National and Boeing in 2015.
It challenges school pupils to design experiments to be conducted in space and it aims to encourage future talent for the UAE’s fledgling space industry. It is the first of its kind in the UAE and, as well as encouraging talent, it also aims to raise interest and awareness among the general population about space exploration.
Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
IF YOU GO
The flights: FlyDubai offers direct flights to Catania Airport from Dubai International Terminal 2 daily with return fares starting from Dh1,895.
The details: Access to the 2,900-metre elevation point at Mount Etna by cable car and 4x4 transport vehicle cost around €57.50 (Dh248) per adult. Entry into Teatro Greco costs €10 (Dh43). For more go to www.visitsicily.info
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-finals, first leg
Liverpool v Roma
When: April 24, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Anfield, Liverpool
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
