# 'Blacklisted in Abu Dhabi but never been to UAE'‏



## imi (Mar 23, 2011)

Hi All,

I work in the UK for a company that requires me to have SC clearence.

The project I took on required me to get Abu Dhabi residency. The sponsor applied on my behalf (twice) it was ok at MoL but at MoI both times it has got rejected and the only information the PRO is able to get is that my name and/or passport is blacklisted (or it could be something else). Now considering I have not been to UAE I find this strange.

I do have a common pak/indo asian name but born in the UK so have a british passport.

1. Now to resolve this what can I do?

2. Can I go to the UAE embassy in the UK to resolve this?

3. Also, if I were to enter Dubai via different employment company would I encounter the same problem?

I look forward to the replies, thanks


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## pamela0810 (Apr 5, 2010)

You should have the PRO provide you with more detailed information about why your application is being rejected. This is quite a serious issue and you could face challenges if you were to come to the UAE on vacation and were held back at the airport. You do not want to end up in that situation.

You should go ahead and contact the UAE embassy and let them know that you have never been to the UAE so don't understand why you are blacklisted. 

Were you ever used as a guarantor for someone else's bank loan, credit card, etc in the UAE? I'm just wondering if that could be a problem.

Unfortunately, if you are blacklisted, it doesn't matter which company applies for your employment visa, the answer will still remain the same. So it's best to contact the UAE Embassy while you are still in the UK.


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## imi (Mar 23, 2011)

Nuance

Chronological 




pamela0810 said:


> You should have the PRO provide you with more detailed information about why your application is being rejected. This is quite a serious issue and you could face challenges if you were to come to the UAE on vacation and were held back at the airport. You do not want to end up in that situation.
> 
> You should go ahead and contact the UAE embassy and let them know that you have never been to the UAE so don't understand why you are blacklisted.
> 
> ...




Hi Pamela,

Thanks for your reply.

I have never been a guarantor for anyone.

The PRO services are outsourced by the company I work for. So it was a struggle getting any information out of them. I have asked again for more details so let’s see what that brings.

In the meantime I am planning to go to UAE embassy in London on Friday.

Is it worth hiring lawyer in UAE?


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## momo007 (Jan 12, 2011)

Outsourced PRO services = longer time to get detailed information, sometimes they are slack and may have 'accidentally' given you the wrong info or even exchanged it with someone elses. Heard of these things happen, thats why just letting you know.

Get in touch with the UAE embassy in UK as this is your best bet at the moment.


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## ReggieDXB007 (Mar 10, 2011)

Hi Imi, here's hoping it is a case of mistaken identity or wrong information passed on by the PRO; clearly it is something that you are checking up on. Have you had any contacts with UAE citizens or residents? It is possible that someone has lodged a complaint.

I don't know how the UAE embassy works but in most countries they are part of the foreign office and may not be able to help in an internal matter. You may also want to contact the British Embassy in the UAE who may be able to point you to the right people (Help for British Nationals).

Hope you sort this out - it must be an awful experience.


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## imi (Mar 23, 2011)

ReggieDXB007 said:


> Hi Imi, here's hoping it is a case of mistaken identity or wrong information passed on by the PRO; clearly it is something that you are checking up on. Have you had any contacts with UAE citizens or residents? It is possible that someone has lodged a complaint.
> 
> I don't know how the UAE embassy works but in most countries they are part of the foreign office and may not be able to help in an internal matter. You may also want to contact the British Embassy in the UAE who may be able to point you to the right people
> Hope you sort this out - it must be an awful experience.


hi Reggie,

Thanks for the support.

You triggrred something that happened in 2005. I booked a hotel and thereafter cancelled it in Dubai. Can they blacklist me?


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## wandabug (Apr 22, 2010)

Are you sure the UAE in London is open on a friday?


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## imi (Mar 23, 2011)

wandabug said:


> Are you sure the UAE in London is open on a friday?


I cant look at their website atm, but opening times if i remember are 

United Arab Emirates Embassy
30 Princes Gate,
London SW 7 1PT,
England 

Tel: +44-207-5811281
Fax: +44-207-5819616
Email: [email protected]

Opening Hours: 9 a.m.— 3 p.m. Monday to Friday


............just checked another site.


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## Maz25 (Jul 6, 2008)

imi said:


> hi Reggie,
> 
> Thanks for the support.
> 
> You triggrred something that happened in 2005. I booked a hotel and thereafter cancelled it in Dubai. Can they blacklist me?


No, you cannot get blacklisted for a cancelled booking. I"m assuming that the hotel understood that you had cancelled the booking and provided confirmation of the cancellation and would therefore have no reason to think that you owe them any money?

Based on the information you have provided, it is quite likely a case of mistaken identity, which as Pamela has stated, is better that you sort out before ever setting foot in the UAE. The experience for those who have run foul of immigration and the authorities have been far from pleasant and you definitely do not want to have to cut through all the red tape whilst here for you to sort this out. It would be far easier to get it sorted from the UK.

Do come back and post the outcome as I'm sure the information would be useful for anyone who is unfortunate enough to face a similar situation.

Good luck, I hope you manage to get it sorted out.


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## imi (Mar 23, 2011)

Maz25 said:


> No, you cannot get blacklisted for a cancelled booking. I"m assuming that the hotel understood that you had cancelled the booking and provided confirmation of the cancellation and would therefore have no reason to think that you owe them any money?
> 
> Based on the information you have provided, it is quite likely a case of mistaken identity, which as Pamela has stated, is better that you sort out before ever setting foot in the UAE. The experience for those who have run foul of immigration and the authorities have been far from pleasant and you definitely do not want to have to cut through all the red tape whilst here for you to sort this out. It would be far easier to get it sorted from the UK.
> 
> ...


Hi Maz,

Well it was paid on my wifes cc, so she dealt with it. She assures me they understood that we were cancelling. No written confirmation though.

do you think it is worthwhile ringing them up? How could approach them it was well over 5 years ago!


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## Maz25 (Jul 6, 2008)

imi said:


> Hi Maz,
> 
> Well it was paid on my wifes cc, so she dealt with it. She assures me they understood that we were cancelling. No written confirmation though.
> 
> do you think it is worthwhile ringing them up? How could approach them it was well over 5 years ago!


I wouldn't really worry about it if the card was in your wife's name. I'm sure that if they thought that you were a 'no-show', they would have charged the full amount on the card in any case. I doubt that an unpaid bill would land you in any form of trouble in any case - it would have to be a pretty substantial bill for a debtor to even waste the time to lodge a case against you.

As others have suggested, head down to the UAE Embassy and see whether they can assist you. 

You also need to keep the pressure on your PRO to find out the real reason for your blacklisted status. PROs can be notoriously slow at getting anything done so unfortunately, you will need to constantly bug them. Having this information will help shed light on the mystery and let you know on whose door you need to knock to try and this whole issue resolved.


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## Canuck_Sens (Nov 16, 2010)

The problem with indian and pakistani names is that we have at least thousands with the same name and surname....


I agree with Pamela, you gotta go to UAE embassy and sort things out. Ask to match the fingerprint and eye scan with yours and they will find out that you are not the guy who is supposed to be blacklisted.


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