Dubai residents sickened by sewage - Healthcare - ArabianBusiness.com: "Sewage has flooded an area of Dubai's International City for the second week in a row, infuriating the development's residents, UAE daily Gulf News reported on Thursday.
An entire car park, roads and pavements are now submerged under the sewage, which was still rising up from the drains on Wednesday, the newspaper said.
The sewage is now just a metre from the entrances of some residential buildings in the ‘England’ cluster, near one of the main roads, while the car park is also flooded with the waste water."
Showing posts with label International City. Show all posts
Showing posts with label International City. Show all posts
Thursday, 3 July 2008
Saturday, 7 June 2008
Dubai Property buyers 'have right to residence visa'
original published Gulf News June 06, 2008
http://archive.gulfnews.com/nation/Immigration_and_Visas/10218957.html
Dubai: Freehold property buyers are fully entitled to residence visas, a senior government official has confirmed, quashing widespread confusion among homebuyers in the UAE.
Officials at Dubai's Naturalisation and Residency Department (DNRD) have confirmed that anyone who buys a freehold property in the emirate is entitled to residence in Dubai through the master-developer.
Omar Mattar Bin Mizaina, head of employment permits section at DNRD, said,"Anyone who buys a property can get a residence visa in Dubai." There has been widespread concern and confusion in recent weeks among property buyers about this issue, with some believing that master developers had broken the contract as visas had not been issued.
Bin Mizaina said property owners can choose whether they want to be sponsored by their master developer or their employer."You must be a property owner, but it depends on the Ministry of Labour, as some cases are given special approval. But, yes, you can choose," he said.
This is good news for Dubai property owners, as it is seemingly a way of getting around the dreaded ban. Now, if you own a property, even if you resign or are sacked from your job, you will still have your residency visa and won't have to leave the UAE.
However, Mohammad Bin Braik, chief operating officer of Dubai Properties Group, told Gulf News last week:"Resident visas for freehold buyers are subject to conditions which include that you cannot seek employment or run a business and one would assume the buyer has sufficient funds to support himself."
Residence visas are given for one, two, or three years and are then renewed by the DNRD through the original sponsor."As long as you own a property, you will have a residency visa," Bin Mizaina said.
Delayed by developers
With the DNRD now clarifying the issue, it seems the delay in providing the promised residency visas lies with the master developers. Both Nakheel and Emaar have issued statements saying that they do sponsor freehold buyers for residency visas in line with the rules and procedures of the DNRD.
Despite the DNRD's clear-cut process, many people in Dubai who have bought freehold properties have still not received their residency visas.
Bin Mizaina said that the master developer can apply for residency visas as soon as a property is bought and a contract is signed with buyer.
The law itself clearly states:"If the homeowner has no alternative means of sponsorship for a residence visa, the first owner may be sponsored by your master-developer for residency in Dubai, UAE, subject to the applicable immigration laws of the country."
Legal issues
Bypassing Labour Law
An official at the Ministry of Labour said that no resident can jump an employment ban in the UAE."A person with an employment ban can enter the UAE on a visit visa but this does not entitle him to work in the country. However, people staying in the country on a property linked residency visa and without an employment ban can work but after they obtain a work permit," the official said.
Lawyer's view
- According to advocate Mohammad Ebrahim Al Shaiba,
a resident may not work on a property residence visa unless an official work permit is obtained. The employee must cancel the property visa and change to his company's sponsorship, but he may return to his property's visa after he leaves his work.
-The work ban is not related to residence visa. Holders of property visas or the wives on husbands' sponsorship can still stay in the UAE, while others may enter the country on a visit visa during the work ban. A property residence visa does not guarantee jobs. -
http://archive.gulfnews.com/nation/Immigration_and_Visas/10218957.html
Dubai: Freehold property buyers are fully entitled to residence visas, a senior government official has confirmed, quashing widespread confusion among homebuyers in the UAE.
Officials at Dubai's Naturalisation and Residency Department (DNRD) have confirmed that anyone who buys a freehold property in the emirate is entitled to residence in Dubai through the master-developer.
Omar Mattar Bin Mizaina, head of employment permits section at DNRD, said,"Anyone who buys a property can get a residence visa in Dubai." There has been widespread concern and confusion in recent weeks among property buyers about this issue, with some believing that master developers had broken the contract as visas had not been issued.
Bin Mizaina said property owners can choose whether they want to be sponsored by their master developer or their employer."You must be a property owner, but it depends on the Ministry of Labour, as some cases are given special approval. But, yes, you can choose," he said.
This is good news for Dubai property owners, as it is seemingly a way of getting around the dreaded ban. Now, if you own a property, even if you resign or are sacked from your job, you will still have your residency visa and won't have to leave the UAE.
However, Mohammad Bin Braik, chief operating officer of Dubai Properties Group, told Gulf News last week:"Resident visas for freehold buyers are subject to conditions which include that you cannot seek employment or run a business and one would assume the buyer has sufficient funds to support himself."
Residence visas are given for one, two, or three years and are then renewed by the DNRD through the original sponsor."As long as you own a property, you will have a residency visa," Bin Mizaina said.
Delayed by developers
With the DNRD now clarifying the issue, it seems the delay in providing the promised residency visas lies with the master developers. Both Nakheel and Emaar have issued statements saying that they do sponsor freehold buyers for residency visas in line with the rules and procedures of the DNRD.
Despite the DNRD's clear-cut process, many people in Dubai who have bought freehold properties have still not received their residency visas.
Bin Mizaina said that the master developer can apply for residency visas as soon as a property is bought and a contract is signed with buyer.
The law itself clearly states:"If the homeowner has no alternative means of sponsorship for a residence visa, the first owner may be sponsored by your master-developer for residency in Dubai, UAE, subject to the applicable immigration laws of the country."
Legal issues
Bypassing Labour Law
An official at the Ministry of Labour said that no resident can jump an employment ban in the UAE."A person with an employment ban can enter the UAE on a visit visa but this does not entitle him to work in the country. However, people staying in the country on a property linked residency visa and without an employment ban can work but after they obtain a work permit," the official said.
Lawyer's view
- According to advocate Mohammad Ebrahim Al Shaiba,
a resident may not work on a property residence visa unless an official work permit is obtained. The employee must cancel the property visa and change to his company's sponsorship, but he may return to his property's visa after he leaves his work.
-The work ban is not related to residence visa. Holders of property visas or the wives on husbands' sponsorship can still stay in the UAE, while others may enter the country on a visit visa during the work ban. A property residence visa does not guarantee jobs. -
Tuesday, 27 May 2008
Dubai - The purchase of a freehold property does not qualify for a resident visa
original published GulfNews
http://archive.gulfnews.com/business/Real_Estate_Property/10216379.html
Buyers of freehold properties in Dubai are accusing developers of depriving them of 'promised' residence visas - a tool some developers still use to lure investors.
Developers are passing the buck to master developers Nakheel, Emaar and Dubai Properties.
Residents of International City's Riviera District are worried that there is a breach of contract since the residency visas have not been issued as contractually promised over a year ago.
One resident said, "We feel there has been a breach of contract somewhere as we have not been sold what we were told at the outset."
Registration
According to residents, the developer of the Riviera Lakeview Apartments, B&M, has been involved in a dispute with master developer Nakheel over registration, and this has delayed visa proceedings.
However, an official at B&M said that residents must understand that they cannot have residency visas until their units have been officially registered with the Land Department and the title deeds produced.
We have approached the Land Department for the registration. Nakheel says the units have to be registered first and then they will provide the residency visas," Abdul Samad, deputy general manager of B&M, said.
Another source said that there had been internal confusion in the Land Department regarding the wording of the registration, which has delayed the entire process.
There was an internal dispute within the Land Department over whether the units should be registered as net area or gross area," he said.
The source said the Land Department finally chose to use the net area, meaning all investors had to be notified again and measurements redone.
There are 221 units in the Riviera Lakeview Apartments, all pending registration. "Upon the purchase of a Nakheel property, we will provide customers the basis for sponsorship, although the grant of a residency visa is still subject to the rules, requirements and procedures of the Immigration and Naturalisation Department," a Nakheel spokesperson said.
Samad said the whole registration process should be resolved in "a matter of months".
A resident of Central Business District 21, also located in International City, is also still waiting for his title deeds and residency visa.
He said, "I don't think they [master developers] had any idea what they were getting themselves into.
A statement from Emaar said, Emaar Properties provides residency visas for Emaar homeowners in line with the rules and regulations of the Dubai Department of Naturalisation and Residency Department."
Officials of the Dubai Naturalisation and Residency Department - the visa issuing authority - were unavailable for comment.
Rules How it works
Freehold ownership in selected areas of Dubai was first introduced in May 2002, sparking the real estate boom.
The law states,
"If the homeowner has no alternative means of sponsorship for a residence visa, the first owner may be sponsored by your master developer [Nakheel, Dubai Properties or Emaar] for residency in Dubai, UAE, subject to the applicable immigration laws of the country."
The purchase of a freehold property apparently does not automatically qualify for a resident visa, officials say.
Mohammad Bin Braik, chief operating of Dubai Properties Group, said, "Resident visas for freehold buyers are subject to conditions which include that you cannot seek employment or run a business and one would assume the buyer has sufficient funds to support himself."
Blair Hagkull, managing director for the Middle East at Jones Lang LaSalle, said people should not rely on the master developer for their residency visas. "
Most people in Dubai are active in the workplace and so have a residency visa through their employer. But there is a select group which is not active.
http://archive.gulfnews.com/business/Real_Estate_Property/10216379.html
Buyers of freehold properties in Dubai are accusing developers of depriving them of 'promised' residence visas - a tool some developers still use to lure investors.
Developers are passing the buck to master developers Nakheel, Emaar and Dubai Properties.
Residents of International City's Riviera District are worried that there is a breach of contract since the residency visas have not been issued as contractually promised over a year ago.
One resident said, "We feel there has been a breach of contract somewhere as we have not been sold what we were told at the outset."
Registration
According to residents, the developer of the Riviera Lakeview Apartments, B&M, has been involved in a dispute with master developer Nakheel over registration, and this has delayed visa proceedings.
However, an official at B&M said that residents must understand that they cannot have residency visas until their units have been officially registered with the Land Department and the title deeds produced.
We have approached the Land Department for the registration. Nakheel says the units have to be registered first and then they will provide the residency visas," Abdul Samad, deputy general manager of B&M, said.
Another source said that there had been internal confusion in the Land Department regarding the wording of the registration, which has delayed the entire process.
There was an internal dispute within the Land Department over whether the units should be registered as net area or gross area," he said.
The source said the Land Department finally chose to use the net area, meaning all investors had to be notified again and measurements redone.
There are 221 units in the Riviera Lakeview Apartments, all pending registration. "Upon the purchase of a Nakheel property, we will provide customers the basis for sponsorship, although the grant of a residency visa is still subject to the rules, requirements and procedures of the Immigration and Naturalisation Department," a Nakheel spokesperson said.
Samad said the whole registration process should be resolved in "a matter of months".
A resident of Central Business District 21, also located in International City, is also still waiting for his title deeds and residency visa.
He said, "I don't think they [master developers] had any idea what they were getting themselves into.
A statement from Emaar said, Emaar Properties provides residency visas for Emaar homeowners in line with the rules and regulations of the Dubai Department of Naturalisation and Residency Department."
Officials of the Dubai Naturalisation and Residency Department - the visa issuing authority - were unavailable for comment.
Rules How it works
Freehold ownership in selected areas of Dubai was first introduced in May 2002, sparking the real estate boom.
The law states,
"If the homeowner has no alternative means of sponsorship for a residence visa, the first owner may be sponsored by your master developer [Nakheel, Dubai Properties or Emaar] for residency in Dubai, UAE, subject to the applicable immigration laws of the country."
The purchase of a freehold property apparently does not automatically qualify for a resident visa, officials say.
Mohammad Bin Braik, chief operating of Dubai Properties Group, said, "Resident visas for freehold buyers are subject to conditions which include that you cannot seek employment or run a business and one would assume the buyer has sufficient funds to support himself."
Blair Hagkull, managing director for the Middle East at Jones Lang LaSalle, said people should not rely on the master developer for their residency visas. "
Most people in Dubai are active in the workplace and so have a residency visa through their employer. But there is a select group which is not active.
Saturday, 5 April 2008
International City Residents complain about lack of facilities
By Alice Johnson, Staff Reporter GulfNews http://archive.gulfnews.com/nation/Housing_and_Property/10203136.html
|
Dubai: Residents of Dubai's International City have mixed feelings about their homes and its location. While the area is relatively cheap compared with the sky-high rent in other communities in Dubai, some residents are not entirely happy with the area. The main issues are parking, on-site facilities, signage and the smell of sewage that sometimes hangs over the area. F.Z., a resident of the Persia Cluster, has been living in International City for more than two years. "The smell is really bad, especially when there's a wind blowing." The smell originates from the nearby Al Aweer sewage plant, which reportedly cannot cope with the amount of sewage delivered. Rashid Al Helli, Nakheel's general manager for International City, said: "Nakheel has commissioned and completed an independent study into the Dubai Municipality Sewage Treatment Plant (STP), which is located close to International City. The resulting report recommended upgrading the STP to accommodate the rapid growth of Dubai's development and following discussions with the municipality, upgrading work commenced on the plant in October 2007. This work is due to be completed by June 2008." Another issue for some residents is the lack of signage. F.Z. said: "There's no signage to show people how to get here. There's 50,000 people living here now so it should be sign-posted." Al Helli said additional internal road signage will be in place by the end of the summer 2008. F.Z. also complained about the lack of facilities. "There's only a small number of laundries, restaurants and shops." Al Helli commented: "International City is now fast establishing itself as a vibrant community, providing much needed affordable living with excellent facilities for a broad range of people in Dubai. Facilities are continuing to be made available, landscaping is well underway, and community events are regularly being held, including a hugely successful basketball tournament." Traffic problems are caused by a large number of sewage trucks that pull in on the hard shoulder by the International City main entrance at the Dragon Mart, slowing traffic down and causing a road hazard. J.H. a secretary from the UK, said: "Big trucks pull in on the side of the road by the main entrance, making cars drive across two lanes. It's very dangerous." M.M. a resident of the China Cluster for the last two years, believes that the reason for the traffic is a diversion from a currently closed roundabout. Al Helli said there are currently four access points to International City and the main entrance will be ready before the end of this year. However, despite these issues, Dubai residents are still attracted to the area. Rising rent One married couple who wished to remain anonymous, said: "Property prices are so high in Dubai that there are few places left that are affordable. We currently live in The Greens but, with increased rent, it's no longer possible for us to stay there. While International City may be a bit deserted at the moment, I think it will soon fill up as people are forced further and further out of the city just to afford a roof over their heads." J.H. also moved to the area because of rising rent. "I used to live in Umm Suqeim where my rent was Dh78,000 a year. I I moved to International City where a studio is Dh40,000 a year. It is almost half the price." Do you know anyone who lives in the area? Do they suffer from the same problem? How has it impacted their stay? |
Monday, 10 March 2008
International City complaints - Letters written to Nakheel
original published:
http://www.totallyproperty.com/international-city-dubai-owners-group-forum/1286-international-city-nakheel-complaint-letter-template.html
YOUR NAME
Your address
Your email
20 December 2006
Aaron Richardson
Senior PR Executive
Nakheel,
P.O. Box 17777,
Dubai,
UAE
Tel: +971 4 368 6946
Dear Aaron Richardson,
I am writing to you to complain about the high service charge for my International City apartment that is being forced upon me by Nakheel.
International City is marketed as an "affordable living experience" [1] which is one of the reasons I decided to purchase an apartment in this development. I expected that the service charge would be around AED 6/sf, since more luxurious apartments with facilities such as a sauna, swimming pool and gym in other developments where no more than AED 12/sf. I was therefore very surprised to have recently received an email from my building owner informing me that the service charge will be AED 11.64/sf. The building owner informed me that this was the price set by Nakheel and didn’t have any explanation as to why it had been set to such a high amount. He also mentioned that different buildings had different service charges and some where as much as AED 3/sf less than mine. His opinion on the difference was that it could be due to the different amount of landscaping required between the buildings.
In my contract it states that “the applicable rate shall be advised to the Purchaser by 31st March 2005” [2]. Had this actually been the case I may have decided to sell the apartment before completion and would have had time to do so. Instead the first I hear about the service charge is just two months prior to handover. Nakheel has put me in a difficult position because if I try to complain or get any information about why the service charge has been set to such a high amount I do not get a reply to my emails. Also, I cannot temporarily withhold payment until this matter is resolved because if I don’t pay the service charge I won’t beable to complete handover of the apartment.
I would like a statement from Nakheel informing me how the service charge has been set and what guarantees there are that it won‘t keep increasing every year. I would also like to know why there are such levels of variance between buildings. I cannot believe this is due to different amounts of landscaping required between the buildings, mainly because It is quite well documented in the media how low the wages of the workers are. A bit of extra landscaping shouldn’t require every person in the building to pay an extra AED 3/sf.
I would like to alert you to the fact that there are many other angry customers who have just found out how much their service charge is [3]. The UK media seems to be on a mission these days to report any negative aspects of the Dubai property market. There are a growing number of frustrated International City customers looking for any way to get their message out to force Nakheel to address their concerns. This could result in their grievances been reported in a story in the overseas property column of a prominent newspaper. As a Senior PR executive I’m sure you can see that this would not be good for Nakheel.
[1] http://www.internationalcity.ae/home.php
[2] International City Unit Sale & Purchase Agreement. Terms and Conditions section 10.3 (page 12)
[3] Totally Property International city forum
http://www.totallyproperty.com/international-city-dubai-owners-group-forum/
Sincerely,
YOUR NAME
http://www.totallyproperty.com/international-city-dubai-owners-group-forum/1286-international-city-nakheel-complaint-letter-template.html
YOUR NAME
Your address
Your email
20 December 2006
Aaron Richardson
Senior PR Executive
Nakheel,
P.O. Box 17777,
Dubai,
UAE
Tel: +971 4 368 6946
Dear Aaron Richardson,
I am writing to you to complain about the high service charge for my International City apartment that is being forced upon me by Nakheel.
International City is marketed as an "affordable living experience" [1] which is one of the reasons I decided to purchase an apartment in this development. I expected that the service charge would be around AED 6/sf, since more luxurious apartments with facilities such as a sauna, swimming pool and gym in other developments where no more than AED 12/sf. I was therefore very surprised to have recently received an email from my building owner informing me that the service charge will be AED 11.64/sf. The building owner informed me that this was the price set by Nakheel and didn’t have any explanation as to why it had been set to such a high amount. He also mentioned that different buildings had different service charges and some where as much as AED 3/sf less than mine. His opinion on the difference was that it could be due to the different amount of landscaping required between the buildings.
In my contract it states that “the applicable rate shall be advised to the Purchaser by 31st March 2005” [2]. Had this actually been the case I may have decided to sell the apartment before completion and would have had time to do so. Instead the first I hear about the service charge is just two months prior to handover. Nakheel has put me in a difficult position because if I try to complain or get any information about why the service charge has been set to such a high amount I do not get a reply to my emails. Also, I cannot temporarily withhold payment until this matter is resolved because if I don’t pay the service charge I won’t beable to complete handover of the apartment.
I would like a statement from Nakheel informing me how the service charge has been set and what guarantees there are that it won‘t keep increasing every year. I would also like to know why there are such levels of variance between buildings. I cannot believe this is due to different amounts of landscaping required between the buildings, mainly because It is quite well documented in the media how low the wages of the workers are. A bit of extra landscaping shouldn’t require every person in the building to pay an extra AED 3/sf.
I would like to alert you to the fact that there are many other angry customers who have just found out how much their service charge is [3]. The UK media seems to be on a mission these days to report any negative aspects of the Dubai property market. There are a growing number of frustrated International City customers looking for any way to get their message out to force Nakheel to address their concerns. This could result in their grievances been reported in a story in the overseas property column of a prominent newspaper. As a Senior PR executive I’m sure you can see that this would not be good for Nakheel.
[1] http://www.internationalcity.ae/home.php
[2] International City Unit Sale & Purchase Agreement. Terms and Conditions section 10.3 (page 12)
[3] Totally Property International city forum
http://www.totallyproperty.com/international-city-dubai-owners-group-forum/
Sincerely,
YOUR NAME
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