ABU DHABI // Two Yemenis and an Omani were each jailed for 10 years by the Federal Supreme Court for aiding Houthi rebels in Yemen.
They were convicted of supplying the rebels with chemicals, tools and communication devices.
Forty-one-year-old Yemeni businessman Abdullah Mohamed Atiyah was sentenced to 10 years in prison and fined Dh1 million for managing Houthi-owned funds.
He founded Safinat Al Sahraa General Trading in Dubai for that purpose and made investments to help fund the rebels.
The court ordered the closure of the company and the seizure of its funds.
Abdulmalek Mohamed Al Mokhnaqi, a 40-year-old Yemeni, and Ghulam Abdullah Al Bulooshi, an Omani, were also imprisoned for supplying the Houthis.
Yemenis Salah Salem Mahjoub, 36, Fadel Ahmed Al Jareidi, 41, and Abdulrahman Mohamed Al Sayad, 34, were all acquitted of the charges against them.
Defence lawyers argued that they were accused of committing the crimes in June 2014, before the UAE listed the Houthis as a terrorist group.
The court also ordered that the men be deported after completing their prison terms.
nalremeithi@thenational.ae
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What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
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The specs
Engine: 2.3-litre, turbo four-cylinder
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Power: 300hp
Torque: 420Nm
Price: Dh189,900
On sale: now
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: ten-speed
Power: 420bhp
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Another way to earn air miles
In addition to the Emirates and Etihad programmes, there is the Air Miles Middle East card, which offers members the ability to choose any airline, has no black-out dates and no restrictions on seat availability. Air Miles is linked up to HSBC credit cards and can also be earned through retail partners such as Spinneys, Sharaf DG and The Toy Store.
An Emirates Dubai-London round-trip ticket costs 180,000 miles on the Air Miles website. But customers earn these ‘miles’ at a much faster rate than airline miles. Adidas offers two air miles per Dh1 spent. Air Miles has partnerships with websites as well, so booking.com and agoda.com offer three miles per Dh1 spent.
“If you use your HSBC credit card when shopping at our partners, you are able to earn Air Miles twice which will mean you can get that flight reward faster and for less spend,” says Paul Lacey, the managing director for Europe, Middle East and India for Aimia, which owns and operates Air Miles Middle East.
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
