Irish businessman Christopher Renehan is currently in the emirate’s notorious Central Jail for the dud payments.

But Renehan claims his company Sire Contracting is owed around £5.5m from government-owned agencies for construction work and he cannot settle his debts until he is paid.

Renehan is president and chief executive officer of Sire which has been working in the United Arab Emirates since 2003.

Speaking from his home in Swords, Dublin, Renehan’s father Michael told the Irish Sun: “I tried to talk him out of it because I’d be worried he could do long-term damage to himself.”

Christopher Renehan said he is prevented from collecting the cash he is owed unless his company’s sponsor signs the business back into his control.

He said: “After nearly seven months in a UAE jail, I feel this is my only recourse.”

The nightmare situation also means several Sire Contracting staff are trapped in Dubai because they cannot afford to pay for their flats and have had their passports confiscated.

Renehan’s wife and their young children returned to Ireland following his arrest and are staying with his parents.

A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs said it cannot discuss individual cases, but it is understood that embassy officials in Abu Dhabi are liaising with Christopher.