It wasn't that long ago that the issue of human trafficking was a taboo subject in the Arab world and left to fester. But the UAE - often more than other countries in the region - has openly confronted the problem. And a complicated problem it is, running the gamut from prostitution to modern-day slavery.
Today's arrival of the United Nations special rapporteur on trafficking in persons is a good step in sorting through this tangle. Joy Ngozi Ezeilo, the UN envoy, will have the Government's support during her week-long investigation into trafficking in the UAE; Abu Dhabi requested her visit last year, just one of three Middle East states to do so (the others being Saudi Arabia and Kuwait).
Forced prostitution, child sexual abuse and other forms of victimisation associated with human trafficking are global problems. There has been progress in the last couple of years on eliminating the root causes of trafficking, but the highly transient population and large foreign workforce make this a vexing problem with no easy solutions.
As Ms Ezeilo said from Geneva last week, her visit to Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi will be to gather evidence from advocates and victims "so that their voices are heard and can be considered in the development of national laws, policies and measures related to trafficking in persons".
The UN considers any person "exploited" for economic gain to be a victim of trafficking. But victims involved in prostitution suffer particularly. What makes this problem more complicated is the interplay between labour policies and prostitution. Too often victims arrive through labour loopholes. As one Uzbek victim told Al Jazeera in 2009, she was duped into accepting a job offer in Dubai by an unscrupulous recruiter at home. When she arrived she was forced into prostitution by means of a threat to her family at home.
Better-defined labour policies and international police cooperation are part of an effective strategy to eliminate the causes of human and sexual trafficking. But immediately, what's needed are additional programmes and support services for victims. A handful of shelters have been opened across the UAE in recent years, but more are needed.
Ms Ezeilo's arrival this week should be seen as an opportunity to accelerate implementation of victim-orientated approaches. Now that the region is talking openly about this problem, we can all battle this scourge effectively.
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Scoreline
Chelsea 1
Azpilicueta (36')
West Ham United 1
Hernandez (73')