Residents of Dubai who report absconding household helpers to authorities will receive a Dh10,000 refund if their former staff are found to be working illegally elsewhere.
Dubai Prosecution said the financial incentive was in place as part of efforts to combat illegal working practices.
The initiative was highlighted during the launch of the Compensate Me campaign at an online seminar organised by Dubai Prosecution and the emirate’s Community Development Authority.
Officials said the move would afford sponsors the opportunity to recoup some of the costs of hiring maids and other domestic workers who leave their positions without notice.
Some people either neglect or forget to report their runaway maids or depend on the recruitment agency to do so
But residents were warned they themselves could face heavy fines for failing to report such incidents.
“Many sponsors don’t know they can get some of their money back if they report their absconding workers,” said senior prosecutor Faisal Ahli, from Dubai Naturalisation and Residency prosecution.
For the refund to apply, authorities must be notified within 10 days.
Mr Ahli said Emirati sponsors in particular were not aware of the support on offer.
“If they file a report within 10 days from the time the worker has absconded, and the worker was caught illegally employed by a different sponsor, they can get a Dh10,000 refund,” he said.
Sponsors can file their reports with the Naturalisation and Residency department or by calling 800 5111.
The refund will be taken from a Dh50,000 fine imposed on those found to have hired the absconding maid, Mr Ahli said.
But a sponsor who fails to report an employee who has absconded could end up paying a Dh50,000 fine.
“Sponsors who reported their absconding workers were surprised to receive a call from us asking them to come collect a Dh10,000 refund from prosecution,” the senior prosecutor said.
The official urged residents to not rely on recruitment agencies when it comes to reporting absconding workers.
“Some people either neglect or forget to report their runaway maids or depend on the recruitment agency to do so,” he said.
Sponsors should not only report the incident to authorities but also cancel the employee’s visa immediately, he said.
Should the domestic worker return to the recruitment agency and join a different employer, the initial sponsor needs to follow up and ensure the worker’s visa status has been changed.
“If they fail to do so, the initial sponsor will be fined Dh50,000,” Mr Ahli said.
The senior prosecutor recalled a case of an Emirati whose two workers left to take up roles with a different employer but failed to change their visa status.
“He was fined Dh100,000 for not rectifying their status, a mistake that many make,” he said.
In a separate incident, he said, two families were each fined Dh50,000 for hiring the same housemaid.
The first family had returned the maid, who was under their sponsorship, to the recruitment office, which sent her to work in another household.
Neither family ensured the visa status of the worker was changed.
“The maid worked for the other family for two years without her status being rectified, which led to both families being fined Dh50,000 each,” Mr Ahli said.
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
What is type-1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is a genetic and unavoidable condition, rather than the lifestyle-related type 2 diabetes.
It occurs mostly in people under 40 and a result of the pancreas failing to produce enough insulin to regulate blood sugars.
Too much or too little blood sugar can result in an attack where sufferers lose consciousness in serious cases.
Being overweight or obese increases the chances of developing the more common type 2 diabetes.
Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance: the specs
Engine: 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 plus rear-mounted electric motor
Power: 843hp at N/A rpm
Torque: 1470Nm N/A rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.6L/100km
On sale: October to December
Price: From Dh875,000 (estimate)
RESULTS
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m, Winner SS Lamea, Saif Al Balushi (jockey), Ibrahim Al Hadhrami (trainer).
5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,400m, Winner AF Makerah, Sean Kirrane, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m, Winner Maaly Al Reef, Brett Doyle, Abdallah Al Hammadi
6.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh90,000 1,600m, Winner AF Momtaz, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
7pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 2,200m, Winner Morjanah Al Reef, Brett Doyle, Abdallah Al Hammadi
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 2,200m, Winner Mudarrab, Jim Crowley, Erwan Charpy
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Essentials
The flights
Whether you trek after mountain gorillas in Rwanda, Uganda or the Congo, the most convenient international airport is in Rwanda’s capital city, Kigali. There are direct flights from Dubai a couple of days a week with RwandAir. Otherwise, an indirect route is available via Nairobi with Kenya Airways. Flydubai flies to Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo, via Entebbe in Uganda. Expect to pay from US$350 (Dh1,286) return, including taxes.
The tours
Superb ape-watching tours that take in all three gorilla countries mentioned above are run by Natural World Safaris. In September, the company will be operating a unique Ugandan ape safari guided by well-known primatologist Ben Garrod.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, local operator Kivu Travel can organise pretty much any kind of safari throughout the Virunga National Park and elsewhere in eastern Congo.
Founders: Ines Mena, Claudia Ribas, Simona Agolini, Nourhan Hassan and Therese Hundt
Date started: January 2017, app launched November 2017
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Private/Retail/Leisure
Number of Employees: 18 employees, including full-time and flexible workers
Funding stage and size: Seed round completed Q4 2019 - $1m raised
Funders: Oman Technology Fund, 500 Startups, Vision Ventures, Seedstars, Mindshift Capital, Delta Partners Ventures, with support from the OQAL Angel Investor Network and UAE Business Angels
Company Profile
Name: JustClean
Based: Kuwait with offices in other GCC countries
Launch year: 2016
Number of employees: 130
Sector: online laundry service
Funding: $12.9m from Kuwait-based Faith Capital Holding
Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
Director: Scott Cooper
Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Odessa Young, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 4/5
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Sustainable Development Goals
1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere
2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation
10. Reduce inequality within and among countries
11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its effects
14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development
