Banks can charge basic fees to keep an account active

Some time ago, I opened an account with a foreign bank via its Dubai branch. I don’t have any loans or credit cards with this bank or any other liabilities. I have plans to leave the UAE and I have not used the account for a year, so is it necessary to cl

All banks operating in the UAE, even if foreign owned, are subject to the rules of the Central Bank of the UAE. Generally banks will allow a person to maintain a bank account if no longer resident, provided there are no continuing liabilities, but people need to be aware of potential charges and fees. Some banks will charge a fee simply for having an account, but more common is for a charge to be levied if the balance falls below a certain amount, often Dh3,000 for a basic account, usually in the region of Dh25 per month. While this is a small amount, if an account is left open and fees accrue over a few years this can add up, so ZL should consider if he actually needs the account. If he does want to keep it open, he needs to keep an eye on the balance and also ensure there are a few transactions a year as it is common practice for banks to suspend accounts where there have been no transactions or contact with the bank for a period of six months. I worked at a private school from August 2016 to January 2017. I left the job after giving four days’ notice because I was not given a school contract or a work permit/labour contract. I thought I didn’t need to serve a one-month notice period because there was no signed agreement between myself and the company. I only signed one paper and that was the offer letter. I finished all my work before leaving, but when I went to take my payment for the month of January, I found they had penalised me for not giving them full notice. So instead of them paying me, I have to pay them 26 days’ worth of my salary. Is that right? I left because I was working illegally; I had no work permit and no school contract. I know that I can’t file a complaint as I don’t have a contract. What can I do? JH, Sharjah This is a tricky situation as technically both parties are in the wrong. JH may well have been in a probationary period so the employer could have let her go without giving her notice, but the law is unclear regarding the obligations of employees during a notice period. I have always advised people to give 30 days’ notice and then they can ask if they can leave sooner and many employers will accept this.

All employers are supposed to have applied for a residency visa by the time an employee starts work and there is a 60-day grace period to complete the process. If a valid visa is not in place after this time, both the employer and employee are acting illegally and can be subject to fines. Worse, an individual can be deported.

As has been made clear by Ministerial Decree, no employer can seek to recover any costs from an employee should they resign. It appears that in this case the employer is trying to penalise JH for not working a full month on resigning, but as they have not acted properly and responsibly, this is unfair. Sadly, as JH does not have a proper contract of employment lodged at the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, she has little recourse and cannot make a formal complaint. But she still has nothing to lose by calling the helpline (telephone number: 800 665) as they may be able to assist if she makes it clear she has signed a contract, has been paid and has repeatedly asked for the proper paperwork. The harsh lesson here is to ensure the employer processes all residency paperwork in a timely manner, as without a visa and contract employees are very vulnerable should there be any problems. I am an employee and want to take leave to get married. Is there is any law for marriage leave because I want 90 days off for this, but the company is giving me only 30 days. Which is my annual allowance? SK, Abu Dhabi There is no provision in UAE Labour Law for people to take extended leave to get married as that is a private matter. When an employee signs a contract they accept the terms and SK has the standard 30 days of annual leave. An employer may allow additional unpaid leave but that is purely discretionary. Keren Bobker is an independent financial adviser and senior partner with Holborn Assets in Dubai, with over 20 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