Hundreds of inmates will be freed early from federal prisons following a royal decree ordering their release and the settling of their debts.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed, the President of the UAE and Ruler of Abu Dhabi, yesterday ordered the executive pardon of the 700 prisoners four days before the start of Ramadan.
Hundreds more prisoners were expected to be pardoned by the rulers of the various emirates.
Clemency was granted after federal prison wardens drew up a list of eligible inmates, which was then submitted to the attorney general's office for review.
Pardons are granted for humanitarian reasons, but other factors taken into consideration, include the nature of the crime, the length of the sentence, how much of a jail term has been served and the behaviour of the prisoner while in jail. Faith and nationality are not usually taken into account.
The move is in line with Sheikh Khalifa's desire to promote tolerance in the UAE and his belief that people should be given a second chance and that their families deserve relief from their suffering.
@email:ealghalib@thenational.ae
* With reporting by WAM
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
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The specs
Engine: 2-litre 4-cylinder and 3.6-litre 6-cylinder
Power: 220 and 280 horsepower
Torque: 350 and 360Nm
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Price: from Dh136,521 VAT and Dh166,464 VAT
On sale: now
Where to buy art books in the UAE
There are a number of speciality art bookshops in the UAE.
In Dubai, The Lighthouse at Dubai Design District has a wonderfully curated selection of art and design books. Alserkal Avenue runs a pop-up shop at their A4 space, and host the art-book fair Fully Booked during Art Week in March. The Third Line, also in Alserkal Avenue, has a strong book-publishing arm and sells copies at its gallery. Kinokuniya, at Dubai Mall, has some good offerings within its broad selection, and you never know what you will find at the House of Prose in Jumeirah. Finally, all of Gulf Photo Plus’s photo books are available for sale at their show.
In Abu Dhabi, Louvre Abu Dhabi has a beautiful selection of catalogues and art books, and Magrudy’s – across the Emirates, but particularly at their NYU Abu Dhabi site – has a great selection in art, fiction and cultural theory.
In Sharjah, the Sharjah Art Museum sells catalogues and art books at its museum shop, and the Sharjah Art Foundation has a bookshop that offers reads on art, theory and cultural history.