Dumped in Dubai: The luxury high performance cars left abandoned by British expats who fear being jailed because of debts



They were once status symbols for wealthy Brits living the millionaire lifestyle in Dubai.



But now, they are just powerful images showing how the worldwide economic crash has left even the rich financially ruined.



These high-performance cars have been left abandoned at the airport by expats who fear being jailed because they are in debt.

Sign of the times: Thousands of high-performance cars have been left abandoned at Dubai airport by expats who fear being jailed because they are in debt. This is a Ferrari Enzo worth £1million

Dusty: Another luxury car left dumped is this Honda NSX which was worth about £75,000

Dumped: Instead of facing possible jail sentences under the strict debt laws in Dubai, many Brits have decided to return home, without even bothering to sell on the cars. This is a Jaguar XJ220 worth £200,000

Instead of facing possible jail sentences under the strict debt laws in Dubai, the Brits have decided to return home, without even bothering to sell on the cars.



Luxury cars which have been left at the airport with the keys in the ignitions include Mercedes, Audi's and Jaguars.

But by far the biggest surprise to police in the wealthy oil-rich state was the discovery of a £1million Ferrari Enzo.



Just 399 of the powerful vehicles were built - with four currently on sale in the UK for between £775,000 and £1.5m.

Abandoned: Luxury cars which have been left at the airport with the keys in the ignitions include Mercedes, Jaguars and this Ferrari

Incredible: More than 3,000 cars were found abandoned last year, which were then sold on by police or scrapped, including this Audi

They have a six-litre engine and top speed of 217mph.



Speaking to The Sun, one expat explained that the financial crisis was the reason behind the cars being left at the airport, with many people seeing their finances slowly drain away.



Harsh: A rising number of business men and women have been sent to jail in Dubai for going into debt. So instead of facing time behind bars, many Brits simply opt to leave and return home

STRICT SHARIA LAW RESULTS IN SKINT EXPATS FLEEING FOR HOME

Dubai is governed by strict Sharia laws which can see people sent to prison for being in debt.

An average of 2,500 people left the United Arab Emirates every month last year because of unpaid debts. This includes 8 per cent of the expat population.

Writing a cheque which bounces is a criminal offence and there are no clear bankruptcy laws. This means that banks can be inflexible and unclear on repayments of loans.

However, for those Brits who leave Dubai without paying their debts they could still end up in trouble.

Once they have left the UAE, a creditor could pass a criminal file onto Interpol.

He said: 'If you are landed with a big bill, the danger is your financial plight will be exposed.



'Trying to sell your car to foot your bills is all well and good, but that takes time.

'It’s easier to simply scarper.'



Incredibly, more than 3,000 cars were found abandoned last year.



They were then sold on by police or scrapped.

A rising number of businessmen and women have been sent to jail for debt in Dubai.

Even bouncing a cheque is a criminal offence.

An average of 2,500 people left the United Arab Emirates every month last year, often leaving behind unpaid debts.

Incredibly, this has resulted in almost 8 per cent of the expat population already leaving.



It is believed this will increase even further.

Strict: Even bouncing a cheque is a criminal offence in Dubai, highlighting how harsh the laws can be. This is a Nissan Skyline

Coming home: Many Brits decide to leave rather than attempt to sell their cars to pay off debt, which can often take some time



