Hotels barred from keeping passports of guests

Dubai's hotels and tourism establishments will no longer be allowed to hold the passports of their guests which are usually kept as a 'security instrument', according to a recent notice issued by the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM).

The notice, signed by Khalid bin Sulayem, DTCM director-general, bearing reference No. D/000/152/033 and dated October 11, 2003, while quoting the Dubai Naturalisation and Residency Administration (DNRA), says: "As per the directives of the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior, kindly advise all hotel and tourism establishments not to keep the passports of their guests.

"A passport is considered a personal document that proves the identity of the holder and the law stipulates that the visitor must keep the passport and present it to the concerned authorities upon their request.

"The only party allowed to hold the passport is the concerned judicial authorities or in cases specified by the law. Therefore, keeping the passport of any person staying in the UAE by any other party without a court order is considered in violation of the law."

The DTCM issued the notice after receiving directives from the DNRA. Hotels and serviced apartments in the Gulf usually keep the passports of their guests as a security to ensure the settlement of bills.

This is a general practice in the Gulf and has been going on ever since the hotels started operations in the region.

With the latest notification, this is going to stop, at least in Dubai. The implementation of the instruction will help Dubai's hotels become more competitive and on par with hotels in the West, said hoteliers in Dubai.

For some hotels, especially the luxury brands, the notice comes as good news as they usually do not face problems in collecting payments from guests.