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Dubai: Residents duped after Business Bay food service providers vanish with advance payments

The service was especially popular with young executives, most of whom live in shared accommodations

Published: Tue 1 Oct 2024, 6:00 AM

Updated: Tue 1 Oct 2024, 11:39 PM

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Image used for illustrative purpose only

Image used for illustrative purpose only

Scores of residents of Oval Tower in Business Bay have been left with a bitter experience after their food service providers disappeared overnight, taking advance payments with them.

The two Asian brothers, who ran the meal service, had been providing home-cooked meals to many in the building. The service was especially popular with young executives, most of whom live in shared accommodations.

For Dh600, residents could get three meals a day, while Dh400 covered two meals, offering a variety of vegetarian and non-vegetarian options such as dal makhani, masala bhindi, mutton curry, and chicken curry.

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Their promotional material boasted a specialty for each day — aloo gosht on Sunday, peshawari chicken on Saturday, and biryani on Friday.

But all that convenience came to a sudden halt two weeks ago when the food deliveries stopped, and calls to the brothers went unanswered. When residents tried to investigate, they discovered the brothers had vanished.

Mohammad Akram, an Indian accountant who had signed up for two meals a day in August, said: “It’s frustrating. They took our money and disappeared without a word. Now we’re all left scrambling.”

The building management said they were unaware of a meal service operating from the building.

Akram has since taken to social media to warn others about the scam and cautioned them about paying for services upfront without verifying credentials.

A Pakistani resident, who preferred to remain anonymous, shared how the meal service had been a budget-friendly solution for many. “Everything around here is expensive. This meal plan was affordable and spared us the hassle of buying food every day. Now they’ve disappeared and left us in the lurch. We weren’t prepared for this at all. Food is something we need daily, and now our budget has been completely thrown off.”

Another Pakistani man, who also requested anonymity, said he had signed up for dinner only, paying Dh200 upfront until October. “All four of my roommates signed up with them for different services. The exact number of affected residents is hard to estimate, but it could easily be around 40 to 50 people.”

Dubai Municipality enforces strict regulations on food safety to protect consumers. Food providers operating without proper licensing are subject to fines and legal action.

Under Federal Law No. 10 of 2015 on Food Safety, any food provider found violating safety standards or operating without approval faces fines of up to Dh100,000 and, in severe cases, imprisonment. The law ensures that all food businesses meet rigorous safety standards, including sourcing ingredients from approved suppliers and maintaining proper hygiene practices.

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