Traffic offenders not allowed leaving UAE

Dubai Police has said traffic offenders with huge fines will not be allowed to leave the country until they pay their fines.

“She will not face any case, but her vehicle will be in detention and her file will be frozen, and she will not be able to leave the country,” the police said when asked by Emirates 24|7 on what possible action will be taken against the Bangladeshi woman who has accumulated Dh201,140 in fines for 257 traffic violations.

The police, however, clarified that the total amount can be paid in installments.

Colonel Saif Muhair Al Mazroui, Acting Director, General Department, Traffic, Dubai Police, said total traffic fines by 17 erring motorists in the emirate hit a whopping Dh2.9 million, with the list including 80 per cent Emiratis, including three women and five men.

A Syrian woman was second on the list of violators owing the department Dh186,900 for 288 violations, followed by an Egyptian recorded 236 violations - majority of them for speeding - with Dh169,420 in fines.

An Emirati woman in sixth place has a total of Dh134,160 and 218 violations, while an Emirati man accumulated Dh129,210 for 204 violations.

Earlier this year, it was reported that Dubai was planning to introduce a “white points system” involving incentives for drivers who respect traffic rules within its ongoing fight against traffic law abuses.

The novel project will run parallel to the existing black points system enforced by Dubai and all other emirates in line with a federal law intended to curb road accidents and deter reckless motorists.

“Dubai’s traffic police will enforce the new white points system this year. It includes offering incentives for committed drivers and cutting black points.

“It also involves discounts coupons at major shopping outlets, gifts and possibly reduction of fines for those who show respect to traffic rules,” Dubai’s traffic police chief, Major General Mohammed Al Zaffin, had said at the time.

RTA forfeits money for not using Salik for three years in Dubai

According to the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), it is a rule and has always been the case, but most motorists are not aware of this. If a commuter with a Salik account does not use Salik for a long time, 36 months to be precise, then he is bound to lose all the money in the account.

Mohammad Ebrahim Al Awadhi, Director ITS, at RTA’s Traffic and Roads Agency, says people have to use Salik only once in three years to save the money.

“The Salik credit will be forfeited should the user not pass the Salik toll gate over a period of three years. Secondly, as the time period of not passing under the toll gate is about to lapse {which is three years} he is notified through an SMS. Before the lapse of three years, if he passes even once, his credit will not be forfeited and he is again given a time period of three more years,” said Al Awadhi.

Brokers to register properties by end of August-Dubai's Rera launches Simsari.ae

Dubai’s Real Estate Regulatory Agency (Rera) has ordered approved property brokerage firms to register all their available properties on Simsari.ae – the region’s only authenticated and trusted multiple listing service – by August-end, face penalties, Emirates 24|7 can reveal.

In a notice sent to brokerage firms on July 19, the regulatory agency said: “We urge you to register on Simsari. Kindly note that the deadline for registration is August 31, 2012, and will be mandatory to use starting from September 1. Consequently, all Rera approved- brokers who fail to register on Simsari before the aforementioned deadlines will be penalised.”

The notice further said: “We believe that top performing companies such as yours along with Simsari, will shape and regulate the industry, establish transparency in the real estate market and align the relationship between owner and real estate broker.”

Real estate experts believe the move will reduce the number of “ghost” listings, common in the UAE, and, more possibly, the agency being able to limit listing of one property with not more than three agencies.
As per a Rera regulation, a seller can list his property with only three brokerage firms.

Unfortunately, sellers here try to list their property with numerous brokerage firms and at varying prices.

This website had reported in May 2011 that the Dubai Land Department was planning to launch Simsari.

At the time, Khalifa Al Suwaidi, Chief Executive Officer, Emirates Real Estate Solutions, had said: “The website is ready. Only listed brokers will be allowed to register properties, be it off-plan, or completed units for leasing or selling.”

He had said the listing on the website would initially be free of charge and renewable every 30 days.

Simsari was an online real estate portal, which was founded in 2006 by two Dubai-based companies - Tamweel and Tejari. The brand has subsequently been acquired by the Land Department.

In order to bring transparency in the market and control broker activities, Rera recently unveiled plans to fine brokers instead of their brokerage firms if the former was found to have misled investors, co-operated with unlicensed brokers or made phone calls to their clients to promote/advertise a project.

Earlier this month, Rera imposed fines totaling Dh900,000 on 22 real estate companies and brokerage firms during the first half of 201 for violations such as hiding information from investor; co-operation with unlicensed brokers; failure to maintain privacy of firm and client; using telephone calls for promotions and advertisement purposes without obtaining official approval and arranging deals without the knowledge of their accredited office.

In addition, Article (34) of the draft law on Dubai real estate investor protection, states an intending investor shall be entitled to terminate a contract for sale if it is proven that the seller or the lessor or a broker acting on his behalf has deliberately concealed any essential information that is likely to cause harm or loss to the intending investor.

Under Article 37 of the draft the intending investor will be entitled to recover compensation from whoever of the developer, investor or even broker has caused the loss.

UAE Central Bank issues New loan rules

The Central Bank has finally issued unified forms for all types of bank loans, ending years of controversy over such contracts and persistent complaints by borrowers, a Dubai-based newspaper said on Wednesday.

The three key forms cover personal loans, car financing and overdraft and they are all binding to all the 51 banks and other financing firms operating in the second largest Arab economy, the Arabic language daily Emirat Alyoum said.

Banks can claim immediate payment on loans if:

1. The debtor is terminated for any reason from his/her work.
2. Transfer of the monthly salary of the borrower or any part of it to another party without the written consent of the bank.
3. Breach of commitments or obligations which have been included in the contract of the loan.
4. Failing to pay three consecutive installments or six non-consecutive 
5. in addition to the invalidity of customer data.
6. Borrower leaves country permanently.
7. Death of borrower.

Bank has the right to obtain an insurance policy on the life of the debtor in case of disability and should be paid by the borrower himself. Bank can use revenue of policy to pay out the loan, to keep the interest or any other amounts due on the shoulders of the borrower or his heirs.

Interests and Commissions

Banks will have the right to calculate interests and commissions on average daily balance of amounts withdrawn and outstanding on the loan from the date of withdrawal based on the number of actual days elapsed and on the basis that a year is 365 days.

These interests are added to the loan balance so that it should be paid with the monthly instalments.

Commissions and fees and expenses incurred on the loan, according to UAE Central Bank regulations, may be amended from time to time.

Car loans

Bank should be informed of specifications of the vehicle and the value of payment in addition to the interest rate.

Insurance company must be approved by the bank.

In case of failure of the borrower to renew insurance policy, renewal fees will be added to the loan.

The forms, which will be enforced shortly, have been prepared following many rounds of negotiations and consultations between the Central Bank and the Emirates Banks Association, which groups all banks in the UAE.

The new contracts authorise banks to ask borrowers to ensure all borrowings are covered by a life insurance or a disability insurance policy, in some cases to guarantee the loans would be paid back as the lender could use its value to regain the rest of its funds.

The paper said the forms must include all details about the size of the loan, maturity, and interest rates while borrowers must submit a letter from the employer committing him to have his salary and end of service benefits transferred to that bank during the loan term.

It said the Central Bank defined seven cases in which the loan period should suspended and payment must be made immediately, including termination of services of the borrower, transfer of the salary to another bank without prior approval of the bank, violation of any loan terms by the borrower, defaulting on payment of three successive installments or six non-successive installments, presenting false data by the borrower, death of the borrower and the client’s departure from the UAE permanently.

As for overdraft, the new contract allows banks to cancel or reduce such facilities any time they deem necessary and to ask borrowers to pay back at a date determined by the lender provided the borrower is given 30-day notice.

According to the paper, the three loan forms clearly define the relationship between borrowers and lenders. One term stresses that the bank must not open an account and agree to give a loan before the borrower submits all the documents requested by the bank. Another term authorizes banks to close the account of borrowers in case they give cheques that bounce.

The forms also permit banks to provide all necessary information about the borrowers and their accounts to courts or other competent departments.

Women on relatives’ sponsorship exit country for job visa in Dubai

Image Credit: Ahmed Ramzan/Gulf News

Dubai: Women on relatives’ sponsorship have to leave the country before they can transfer their visa to employment, according to officials from the residency department.

Officials said that any woman sponsored by her relatives and wishing to transfer her sponsorship to employment visa must leave the country in order to be able to be issued the employment visa.

The officials said that if a woman is on her husband, father, brother or any relative’s sponsorship and she want to transfer her it to her employer, the relative must obtain an air ticket in her name and bring it to the residency department in order to cancel her visa.

The officials explained that the woman will be given seven days in order to leave the country.

“When the employment visa from the ministry of labour is ready then the woman can enter the country again,” the officials said.

Previously, the move was only applicable to expatriates who entered the country on visit visas and wished to change it to employment. Adjusting the legal status for everyone used to cost Dh500, without the need to leave the country.

The official said that this facility does not exist anymore and all who are on their relatives’ sponsorship must leave the country to obtain employment visa.

People questioned the move and said that this will make their life difficult.

In 2004, the UAE government took decision to allow expatriates to amend their visa statu following a Kish Airline Fokker-50 crash as it was approaching Sharjah Airport on February 10. The plane was carrying people who had flown from the UAE to Kish Island so that they could change their visa status. Forty-eight people were killed in the crash, with just three survivors. After the crash, the UAE amended its visa rules, so that people in the country could change a visit visa to an employment visa by paying a Dh500 fee.