Emirates ID Card to include traffic details-Federal Traffic Council

The Federal Traffic Council has recommended unifying drivers' traffic file information and linking it to the Emirates ID card so that it takes the same ID number. This is in a bid to make it easy for customers to complete their transactions in any one of the emirates in the country.

Major General Mohammed Saif Al Zafeen, Head of the Federal Traffic Council and Deputy Chief Commander for Operational Affairs at Dubai Police,  said that the council has finalised drafts of the recommendations related to traffic law and is expecting suggestions on the possibility of adding new texts that are commensurate with the developments and requirements of traffic security.

Al Zafeen added that the council has issued a set of recommendations to be submitted to the higher committee for policies and strategies headed by Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, to take the final relative decision, noting that Sheikh Saif has given clear directives for unifying traffic related procedures in all the emirates, aiming to eliminate any deficiencies or differences in regulations or application.

He pointed out that members of the council and directors of traffic departments in the country have unanimously approved these recommendations. Mechanisms to implement the recommendations will be coordinated with the relevant authorities in each emirate, he added.

Law No 26 of 2007 issued to regulate eviction of tenants,Landlords can evict tenants to reconstruct property or recover it for personal use

Articles 25 (2) and 26 of Dubai Law No 26 of 2007 which regulate the relationship between landlords and tenants in the emirate of Dubai state that landlords may demand eviction of tenants prior to expiry of tenancy period in the following cases:

Article 25 (2): Landlord may demand eviction of tenant upon expiry of tenancy contract in the following cases: a.If development requirements in the emirate requires demolition and reconstruction of the property in accordance with government authorities’ instructions

b. If the property requires renovation or comprehensive maintenance which cannot be executed while tenant occupies the property, provided that a technical report attested by Dubai Municipality is submitted to this effect.

c.If landlord wishes to demolish the property for reconstruction or to add new constructions that prevent tenant from benefiting from the leased property, provided that necessary licences are obtained.

d. If landlord wishes to recover the property for use by him personally or by his children.

Article (26): If, upon expiry of the tenancy period, the landlord demands recovery of the property for his own use, or use by his children, and the committee approves the same, then the landlord shall not rent the property to others before one year from date of recovery of the property, otherwise the tenant shall have the right to request the committee to order proper compensation to him.

Shaikh Mohammad issues decree on rent hike caps while renewing tenancy contracts

Future rent increases in Dubai will be decided by a weighted average of what properties in that particular area command rather than an arbitrary demand by a landlord. It applies equally to residential and commercial realty in the emirate.

This will be the natural result of a new decree issued by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. The Decree, No. 43 of 2013, sets a specific band on how the optimum rental increases that a landlord can demand while renewing leases.

The new rental slab will not allow landlords to raise rents on renewals if the current lease is only 10 per cent lower than the average rent of a similar property.

It will be applicable to private and public sector owned properties in Dubai, as well as — pertinently enough — within the free zones. The Decree thus brings the future setting of lease terms and renewals more in sync with the Dubai Rent Index brought out by the Real Estate Regulatory Agency.

Landlords can raise rents on renewals by:

    5 per cent if the earlier rental is 11 to 20 per cent lower than the average rent for a similar property;
    10 per cent if the rental is 21 to 30 per cent lower than the current going rates for properties of a similar scale;
    15 per cent if the rent is as low as 31 to 40 per cent than comparable ones; and
    20 per cent if a property’s rental is more than 40 per cent less than the average.

In a statement, the Dubai Government emphasized the need to abide by the new regulations. The Decree takes effect from the date of issue and will be published in the gazette.

“There were several controls already in place, such as the rent cap, to ensure landlords could not arbitrarily hike rents on renewals,” said Niraj Masand, partner at the real estate services firm Banke M. E. “The creation of the rental slab and the strict parameters on when and by how much hikes can be effected will have a significant impact on market dynamics.”

The latest announcement is seen as part of a series of steps taken by the Dubai Government to ensure that the momentum build-up within the real estate sector is managed well and does not lead to an overheated environment.

It was in late September that Dubai reconstituted a court — under the aegis of the Land Department — exclusively given to handling rental disputes, for both residential and commercial properties.

There were concerns in the local property sector that the city winning Expo 2020 would place additional stress on rentals. New businesses and new professionals coming in would lead to saturation demand on available property stock, which would then lead to landlords to demand more.

Now, with the rental slab and its link-up with the rental index, landlords’ leeway in setting the terms of renewals is circumscribed to an extent.

Will this mean a doing away with the rental cap? While there has been no statement on the same, market sourced believe with the new leasing renewal structure in place, the rationale for a cap is no longer there.

UAE visa on arrival for 13 EU countries

The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced today that citizens of 13 European Union member states, who hold ordinary passports, will be exempted from the need to acquire pre-entry visas to the UAE with effect from March 22, 2014, in implementation of the decision taken by the UAE Cabinet in this regard.

The countries are: Poland, Slovenia, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Lithuania, Hungary, Latvia, Estonia, Malta, Cyprus, Croatia, Romania and Bulgaria.

As a result of the above decision, citizens of all 28 countries in the EU will be allowed to enter the UAE without having to previously apply for a visa.

The Ministry statement added that all necessary measures have been taken by the Ministry of the Interior to implement the decision at all UAE points of entry.

The statement went on to say that these exemptions will enhance political relations between the UAE and European Union, will help to further develop economic ties and bilateral trade and will also help to encourage mutual investment, while promoting tourism both to and from these countries.

Standard contract to regulate relations between domestic workers and employers will be introduced shortly in UAE

“The new unified contract will be made by a joint committee made up of representatives from the ministries of Interior, Labour, Health, and economic departments across the UAE,” Dr Hashim Al Nuaimi, Director of the Consumer Protection Department at the Ministry of Economy.

Dr Al Nuaimi said the contract will be taken up by the Higher Committee for Consumer Protection, chaired by Sultan Al Mansouri, Minister of Economy. He gave no time-frame as to when this contract will see the light. “The standard contract will take time because many authorities are contributing to it,” Al Nuaimi said, ruling out the issue being taken up by the next meeting of the Higher Consumer Protection Committee, scheduled for March 26.

According to a draft law on domestic workers, passed by the Federal National Council in 2012, the standard contract will be signed by the employer and the employment agency, setting out job description and qualifications of the worker as well as obligations of the employer, specifically the nature of the work and the remuneration.
Standard contract for maids in the UAE: Law states contract will set out job description and qualifications, as well as salary
    According to the Ministry of Interior’s statistics at the end of 2007, there were around 750,000 domestic workers in the UAE. Picture for illustrative purposes only.

“The contract will also provide for financial obligations towards the workers travelling to the UAE, fees of the agent and the period required to bring in the employee. If the agent fails to honour these obligations as set out in the contract, the employer shall have the right to refuse offering the job to the worker, and the agent will bear the costs of returning the worker home, without prejudice to the employer’s right to claim compensation for any injuries caused by the agent’s failure to meet the contract’s terms,” states the legislation which requires to be signed into law by President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Ali Eisa Al Nuaimi, a member of the FNC, will put a question to the Minister of Economy on Tuesday about the growing fees imposed by placement companies of domestic workers.

Al Nuaimi told  he would suggest that agreements be signed between the UAE and countries exporting domestic workers, to curb exploitation of recruiting agencies, which charge up to Dh12,000 in fees for employment of a domestic helper..

The contract, which can extend to no more than two years and is renewable for similar periods, shall more particularly specify the date of its conclusion, the date on which work is to begin, type of the work and workplace, duration of the contract, the remuneration and how it is paid as well as any other terms required by the nature of the work.

A domestic worker, the law states, may be engaged on probation for six months, during which his or her service may be terminated by the employer with the placement agency bearing the cost of sending the worker home if necessary. The agent has to repay all fees if the contract is revoked of the worker’s own will, because of the worker or because agreed terms of the employment contract are not honoured.

To address abusive practices in respect of payment of wages, the law lays down a number of principles with regard to the protection of remuneration. Remuneration, which has to be communicated to the worker and agreed by him or her before travelling to the UAE, has to be paid no later than the 10th of the following month and a receipt is signed upon every payment. No amount of money may be deducted from a worker’s salary or end of service gratuity except for a debt payable in execution of a court ruling or repair of any damage caused by the worker, provided that the deduction shall not exceed a quarter of the worker’s salary. If a dispute occurs, it has to be settled by the special tribunals at the Ministry of Interior or be referred to the court.

Once the law is issued, a domestic worker will enjoy a weekly day off with full pay, paid annual leave of 14 days and sick leave of up to 30 days a year.