Balcony barbeques in Dubai may incur up to Dh500,000 fine

Residents of Dubai who use balconies for activities that put at risk public health and safety are violating rules and will be penalised, according to a top Dubai Municipality official.
Redha Salman, Director, Public Health Department and Safety of Community, Dubai Municipality, told  that although Local Decree No.11 of 2003 does not prevent residents from barbequing on balconies, if their actions threaten public health safety or if they cause harm to environment, then that is considered a violation of the decree and offenders will incur fines between Dh100 and Dh500,000.

The amount will vary according to the degree of threat to public safety and health, he added.
If the offence is repeated within a year a fine not exceeding Dh500,000 will be slapped, he added.

The penalties could also include suspension of utility services for not more than three months and suspension of activity permits for a period not exceeding one month.

However, the decree does not include buildings in free zones and freehold properties in Dubai, Salman said and urged authorities to bring them under the purview of the rule.

He also called on residents to circulate the terms of the local order among all nationalities so they understand what is permitted.
Salman said smells, sounds, fumes, dust and waste resulting from any building or facility or dumping waste that may pose a threat to public health and safety is included under the local order. Similarly, any building or creative activity undertaken that puts at risk public safety is also considered a violation.

Animal farming in residential and populated areas is also against the rules, he added.

Naturalization and Residency Prosecution initiatives A'awiddne to compensate the sponsor

A'awiddne  is one of the initiatives by Naturalization and Residency Prosecution so as to compensate the sponsor with Five Thousand Dirham from the amount of fine imposed by the court and this is as a result of his absconding worker being hired by another person pursuant to the Article No. (34) repeated of the Law of Entry and Residence of Foreigners No. (6) of 1973 concerning Immigration and Residence as amended by the Federal Law No. (7) of 2007.

Purpose of this initiative:

1. Enforcing the Law of Entry and Residence of Foreigners.
2. Mitigating the losses of the sponsor.
3. Compensating the sponsor by five thousand dirham.
4. Increasing the clients' satisfaction.

Regulations of enforcing this initiative:

1. Applicant must be the sponsor of the violator.
2. He must have filed the absconding report before arresting the violator.
3. Employer must be arrested and sentenced by fine.
4. Sentence of fine must be final and conclusive.
5. Convict has paid fully the fine imposed.


Mechanism of enforcing the initiative:

1.Cases of employing absconding workers sentenced by fine will be sorted out.
2.Make sure that the employer has paid the fine amount and the conditions are applicable to the sponsor.
3.Contact the sponsor and ask him to submit a request for compensating the sponsor along with enclosing his identity proof.
4.Request is presented to the chief prosecutor and after approval, it will be transferred to the account section to disburse the money.
5.Amount will be disbursed within five working days.

No bank loans for UAE residents without Emirates ID card

The Emirates Identity Card could soon be one of the must-have documents when applying for a loan or to get other bank services and facilities as well.
According to a report in Emarat Al Youm, citing, a UAE Central Bank circular, all banks and finance companies and houses operating in the country are to request the Emiartes ID of a customer applying for banking facilities.
The report says the circular, issued by Saeed Al Hamiz, Assistant Governor, UAE Central Bank, specifies loans will not be granted without the national identity card.
The newspaper adds that the circular was issued at the request of Obaid Humaid Al Tayer, Minister of State for Financial Affairs and Chairman of the Federal Credit Bureau.
A central bank official who asked not to be named said that under this circular individuals will not be able to get any loans or financing without providing the national ID card.
The official clarified that the customer's passport is no longer sufficient to accomplish bank transactions.

The Emirates Identity Authority (Eida) has tied up with a local bank to experiment the use of ID cards in banking transactions.
According to a report in the Arabic daily ‘Emarat Al Youm’, the authority helped a client open an account with a local bank.
The transaction was quicker by at least 20 minutes, said Dr Ali Mohammed Al Khouri, General-Director, Eida.
The bank staff was able to quickly download all necessary client information from his ID card, thereby saving time. The process is also safer and more accurate, he added.
It is now up to the UAE Central Bank and individual banks to decide how to use ID cards to enhance their services, he said.
Dr Al Khouri said ID cards could also be used to deposit and withdraw money in future.

At present, Eida is also in the process of linking up with all government institutions.

Emirates ID card to open bank account

The Emirates Identity Authority (Eida) has tied up with a local bank to experiment the use of ID cards in banking transactions.

According to a report in the Arabic daily ‘Emarat Al Youm’, the authority helped a client open an account with a local bank.

The transaction was quicker by at least 20 minutes, said Dr Ali Mohammed Al Khouri, General-Director, Eida.

The bank staff was able to quickly download all necessary client information from his ID card, thereby saving time. The process is also safer and more accurate, he added.

It is now up to the UAE Central Bank and individual banks to decide how to use ID cards to enhance their services, he said.

Dr Al Khouri said ID cards could also be used to deposit and withdraw money in future.

At present, Eida is also in the process of linking up with all government institutions.

Problems at work

My company has signed my labour contract but didn’t give me a copy so I don’t know whether my contract is limited or unlimited. Is this legal or not? There are a lot of accommodation and other problems. According to my appointment letter, they offer an HRA but are refusing to give it due to the global recession.

So can I resign on these grounds? What will my position be if my resignation is against the labour law. I work in the private sector. The company has signed a letter saying that if I leave my job before the end of my contract, I have to pay

Dh9,000. Is this legal?

I have completed eight months in this company. If I resign for the reason that I’m not getting my rights as per the labour law, what action can the company take? Note: I hold a diploma.

Answer: The questioner may obtain a copy of the employment contract upon reviewing the ministry as well as the typing offices which deal with the Ministry of Labour. Failure of the employer to give the questioner a copy of his employment contract is contrary to the law. The employer is bound by what is contained in the appointment letter, if the employer has failed to apply what is stated in the letter, the questioner should file a complaint before the Ministry of Labour.

With regard to the penalty clause of imposing Dh9,000: if the questioner’s contract is limited, in this case, by law he should compensate the employer for a period not exceeding 45 days of his salary or the remaining period of the contract (if the employer proves that the employee has caused damage and a loss to his company by breaking the limited contract) but if the labour court judgment states that the employee was forced to break the contract it is considered arbitrary dismissal.

In this case the labour court will direct the employer to compensate the employee. But if the contract is for an unlimited period and he has violated the labour law, such a clause will be at the court’s discretion, as the latter might reject such a clause on the basis that it is against the worker and in accordance with UAE Labour Law, article 7 which states: “Any stipulations contrary to the provisions of this law, even if it was made prior to its commencement, shall be null and void unless they are more advantageous to the worker.”

Anyway, I would like to advise the questioner not to submit his resignation now, as he has only completed eight months, and therefore, if he submits his resignation, the Ministry of Labour — as per the employer’s request, will impose a one-year ban due to him breaking the limited contract but if the labour contract is unlimited the Ministry of Labour will impose a six-month ban because the questioner did not complete two years in service but the questioner can lift the ban if he finds a new job with a salary of Dh7,000 as long as he is holds a diploma. But in case the labour court finds breaking the contract (limited or unlimited) is as per the labour law the Ministry of Labour as per this judgment will not impose a ban and also will allow the questioner to work for a new company on any salary.