I have been retired since 2014 here in doha qatar, after my retirement I have been tried to look for a job to support myself but since 2014 ,4 of my children + daughter in law are working also in qatar through the support of my visa, airplane ticket, rent a house since they were arrived 2008 all the financial support came from me even they were staying in philippines, I mean all out support including their children and their wife and husband even I they know that is not my responsibility because already have their own family as a father I gave them a chance to full support to arrive, stay and to look for a job in qatar. Now they have a good job, salary and good company. I have been asked them since last year September 2016 to help me to pay my credit card which I used them while they were arrived, buy ticket, food and rent a house. Unfortunately I cant get a job since 2014 so have been told them to help me for the first time, for the last 2 years we have no contact even my birthdays, christmas came nobody greet me but they were refused and blocked their mobile number which until now I cant contact them, now I fed up to look for a job so I decided to go back in philippines but I'm worried about my credits cards which I have a still have a balance of 7 thousand qatar ryals I couldn't pay only minimum every month + airplane ticket to solve my problem I asked but nobodys hepl me especially my children. Do I have a rights to report the higher authority like phil. Embassy or owwa or qatar police to make action for my problem, can I apply a family law about children abandoning, ignoring their father's problem. I need your advice. Regards, jose villanueva jr

No, unfortunately, unless you had a written contract you have little or no recourse. They can always claim it was a gift.

My advice is to leave your "ungrateful" children alone, and fend for yourself. Or sue them in a court of law. I doubt you can prove you gave them loans and not gifts, but good luck with either choice.

According to the laws of Qatar, which is based on Islamic Sharia laws, as well as their version of civil laws based on Egyptian laws (French,German, British) laws but they are superseded by the Sharia laws. There is no legal doctrine under which you can claim any of your supports that you provided them in the past. As the previous answer says, that it was a gift and short of anything in writing, there's nothing you can do. There are a lotta jobs in Kuwait, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and even in Qatar that you can find. As an American I have lived and worked in GCC countries and there are always jobs available. Sometime, obviously you have to compromise of getting a lower paid job till you find a good one! Good luck and be strong and keep fighting!