Kerry Nwachukwu, a 44-year-old British marketing consultant from London, spent a month in a Dubai prison for failing to pay £19,000 in rent. She shared a cell with murderers and drug dealers, describing the experience as a "dark side to the glitz and glamour" of Dubai.
Nwachukwu moved to Dubai in August 2022 with her adult son to set up a marketing agency. She fell into rent arrears after clients failed to pay over £10,000 in contracts by November last year. She now faces two travel bans and must repay her debts to two landlords to avoid returning to prison.
Arrest and prison conditions
On April 22, Nwachukwu was arrested by a CID officer at a mall and transferred to Bur Dubai police station. After two weeks, she was moved to Al Awir Central Jail, where she said she was placed with "people who've murdered people" and drug dealers. She described having to beg for a mattress, sleeping without shoes, and living in constant fear of attack.
"I was put inside with people who've murdered people, I was in one cell with people who were selling drugs. How is that even possible? Just for not paying your rent, you are thrown into a horrible, horrible jail," she said.
Legal and financial struggles
Nwachukwu paid £3,000 to be released under a 15-month repayment plan, but the same judge reversed the decision three weeks later, giving her 15 days to repay. She claims she now avoids going outside to prevent arrest. Her lawyer advised her not to argue with the judge, as paying another £4,000 might cancel the arrest warrant, though this is not guaranteed.
She has been unable to renew her UAE business licence since January due to legal proceedings, and her financial situation worsened due to the war in the Middle East.
Hope to return to the UK
Nwachukwu's ultimate goal is to return to the UK. "If I had any means to literally pay the courts today, I'll be on a plane straight out of here. I would not even look back," she said. Friends and family have set up a GoFundMe page to help cover living costs and rent while she repays her debts.
