British grandfather who is stranded in Dubai with no way home and says he is now facing homelessness after ‘series of misfortunes’

A British grandfather stranded in Dubai says he faced homelessness within weeks after being stuck in a nightmare that left him unable to work, access his bank account or return home.

Simon Ferguson, 64, originally from Mancot, North Wales, has lived in the UAE for nearly 20 years but says a series of health problems and financial setbacks have left him unable to escape mounting debts.

The aviation consultant said he is currently staying at a friend’s studio apartment in Dubai because he cannot afford the rent of his own home. Temporary accommodation is only possible until 20 August.

He told the Daily Mail: ‘I’m homeless on the 20th. This is what worries me the most. ‘I have no idea where to go.’

Mr Ferguson said he had previously worked with Emirates Airlines before setting up his own company, Aviation Assets Middle East, which specializes in aircraft re-delivery, sales and components.

But his fate changed after he suffered a stomach ulcer and then lung thrombosis, and he could not work as much as he needed, he said.

He said that the situation worsened after his visa expired and his passport was confiscated as part of court proceedings regarding company debts.

He says he cannot get a new visa without a passport. Without a visa, one cannot obtain a UAE ID card, open a bank account or work legally.

He said: ‘I was stuck in a cycle where I couldn’t raise money to pay my debts.’

Mr Ferguson said he now owed around 900,000 dirhams, or about £250,000, to around 15 creditors.

said her daughter Megan now takes donations to a GoFundMe campaign before sending the money through friends in the UAE; His friends collect the money and bring him cash for food..

He added that he could not afford all the medications prescribed to him due to his health problems.

‘It’s a choice between being able to eat or having access to the medicine you need,’ he said.

Mr Ferguson said he was hospitalized for about 11 days after suffering a lung thrombosis, which doctors said was life-threatening.

He said the illness left him with a hospital bill running into tens of thousands of dirhams and wiped out the last of his savings.

The grandfather of two said the prolonged uncertainty had also taken a heavy emotional toll.

‘There are times when it is almost impossible and infinite that this will not resolve itself,’ he said.

‘It feels like I’m trapped.’

He added: ‘Some days it gets overwhelming. I don’t know what the right word is for this. I’m stuck.

‘It’s getting very dark.

‘I made promises to my children that I wouldn’t do anything stupid… doing something seriously stupid doesn’t affect me anymore. This hurts everyone.’

Mr Ferguson said he feared he would have no place to stay if he could not resolve his situation before next month.

‘I think I would go and surrender to the police… I can’t do it, I have nowhere to go. “Untie me,” he said.

He said the British Consulate gave him advice and referred him to charities, while the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund gave him £750 to cover food costs.

Mr Ferguson said: ‘The advice from the consulate was: ‘You will need to move on.’

Despite his difficult situation, he said the support of family, friends and strangers kept him going.

‘I couldn’t thank them enough,’ he said.

‘I didn’t realize how many people cared about me.’

The GoFundMe page says donations will help cover his daily medication and basic living expenses, as well as help pay for emergency travel documents and flights back to the UK if he is able to leave the UAE.

Mr Ferguson said he hoped to get a new passport, obtain a visa through another company and eventually restructure his debts so he could start working again.

But for now, his priority is much simpler.

‘I just want to go home,’ he said.

The Foreign Office told the Daily Mail: ‘We are supporting a British man in the UAE and are in contact with his family.’