An Israeli visitor to the UAE has lost his appeal against a life prison sentence for a premeditated murder resulting from a feud.
The Dubai Court of Appeal upheld the lower court's decision sentencing the main defendant – Hassan Yajori, who is 19 – to life in prison and five other Israelis aged 18, 22, 24, 25 and 50, to 10 years each.
The incident happened on May 24, 2023, near the Dubai Water Canal in Business Bay.
It involved an altercation at a cafe that resulted in the death of Israeli Ghassan Shamsyeh, 33.
According to evidence from a waiter at the cafe, the defendants had visited the venue for two days in a row before the incident.
On the day of the killing, they arrived, ordered lunch and shisha, and about 20 minutes later, the victim entered the cafe with a friend.
“After serving [them] their order, [I saw] one of them abruptly stand up, draw a knife and begin chasing the man who had just entered,” the waiter told the court.
He said the others followed, then Yajori stabbed Mr Shamsyeh, while the five others held Mr Shamsyeh's friend to stop him from intervening.
“I chased after them and witnessed one of them withdraw the knife from the victim’s chest amid a surge of blood.”
Although severely injured, Mr Shamsyeh fled to a car park about 150 metres away, seeking safety in a car.
He locked himself inside, and the attackers surrounded the vehicle.
All attackers were arrested that day. Some were detained at Dubai International Airport and others at Abu Dhabi International Airport as they attempted to flee the country.
The court heard testimony that Yajori had planned the murder, acquiring a penknife in his homeland and conspiring with his accomplices to travel to Dubai and carry out the attack, which resulted in a lethal five-centimetre stab wound to the victim's heart.
The court record said that Yajori held Mr Shamsyeh responsible for the deaths of a relative and a friend.
A civil lawsuit has been filed against the attackers.
They have been ordered to pay an initial Dh51,000 in temporary compensation, which may be increased if a ruling is issued against them in a civil case.
The defendants have the option to contest the sentence at Dubai’s Court of Cassation, the highest court in the emirate, within 30 days.
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Essentials
The flights
Whether you trek after mountain gorillas in Rwanda, Uganda or the Congo, the most convenient international airport is in Rwanda’s capital city, Kigali. There are direct flights from Dubai a couple of days a week with RwandAir. Otherwise, an indirect route is available via Nairobi with Kenya Airways. Flydubai flies to Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo, via Entebbe in Uganda. Expect to pay from US$350 (Dh1,286) return, including taxes.
The tours
Superb ape-watching tours that take in all three gorilla countries mentioned above are run by Natural World Safaris. In September, the company will be operating a unique Ugandan ape safari guided by well-known primatologist Ben Garrod.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, local operator Kivu Travel can organise pretty much any kind of safari throughout the Virunga National Park and elsewhere in eastern Congo.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Switching%20sides
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Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
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Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The%20specs
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The biog
Name: Abeer Al Shahi
Emirate: Sharjah – Khor Fakkan
Education: Master’s degree in special education, preparing for a PhD in philosophy.
Favourite activities: Bungee jumping
Favourite quote: “My people and I will not settle for anything less than first place” – Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid.
