Lefiam wrote to me through the GetOutOfDebt.org site and asked the following question. If you have a credit or debt question you’d like to ask just use the online form. I’m happy to help you totally for free.
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“Dear Steve,
This is how the story goes,i have 2loans and 3credit cards with a local and international bank and my debts sums up to $13,000. I am currently working here in Dubai, UAE. And as we all know that UAE law with the debtors are so tight that they put everybody in jail who ever fails to pay their bills.
I am pregnant at the moment and soon to be married next month or sooner since I am here in a muslim country but since my company doesnt provide any medical coverage to pregnant staffs, I have to resign from my job and go home. but since my husband to be was in qatar (which is also a GCC), I planned to quit my job and go to him after we get married and have our license to be together.
I am a good payer to all of my debts. now my plan is like this I have thought to stop my payments at those banks for a couple of months say 10months, cause I don’t have any plans of running away to all my debts for I will not be able to live my life pleasurably. I am planning to resume the payments after i give birth and find a new job.
Is it possible to pause or stop a loan and credit card payment and went on after a couple of months?
Leifam”
The Answer:
Dear Leifam,
You certainly have a number of issues going on. Even giving birth as an unwed mother in UAE can create some legal issues for you as well.
If you’re in this position, you’ll be in a bit of trouble. There are many cases of unmarried mothers in Dubai ending up in jail (with their baby) after delivery, followed by deportation on completion of their sentence. Rather than end up in that situation, you can either leave the country and go to your home country, or get married. Bear in mind that there are flying restrictions depending on how close to delivery you are so if you are unlikely to get married before giving birth, get your exit from the UAE organised as soon as possible.
Government hospitals in Dubai will probably give you a hard time if you go for maternity care without a marriage certificate and possibly notify the police. You’ll definitely have a problem if you try and give birth while still unmarried. Source
Solely based on reports from other debtors in the UAE it might be best to get out of the country before you fall behind in your payments. Since Qatar is part of the GCC (The Gulf Cooperation Council members are: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates) it may be easier to find you there. But given the options of being an unwed mother in the UAE and unable to pay your bills or in Qatar and married to your husband and dealing with the debt from there, that might be better solution.
Once you leave the UAE and your debts fall past due, criminal charges will be filed against you in the UAE and it you attempt to come back into the country before the debt situation is resolved, your passport will be seized and you will be thrown in jail.
At the first possible moment that you and your husband can afford to repay this debt, contact the bank in UAE and make arrangement to do so. Fleeing the country keeps you out of jail. It doesn’t resolve the situation.
