The establishment of a court in Dubai to handle minor offences by tourists will benefit both those who stand accused and the emirate itself. The court, to open this year, will deal with crimes such as public drunkenness and driving under the influence, which typically result in a fine and, in some cases, deportation.
Dealing with these matters quickly will not trivialise the offences nor diminish the authority of the law and those who enforce it. Having somebody languish in jail for one or two months at the emirate’s expense before the case is even heard makes little sense. The new system will free up the valuable time of police and court officers. For the offender, often a young person who has made a mistake through ignorance of the law, it can mean a speedy return to their home country, their family and their job, which might be imperilled by a sustained stay in custody. Hopefully, the court will be able to turn most cases around in even less than the proposed 10 to 30 days.
THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Tree of Hell
Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla
Director: Raed Zeno
Rating: 4/5
A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
TO A LAND UNKNOWN
Director: Mahdi Fleifel
Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa
Rating: 4.5/5
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now