A rise in the number of people caught using drugs in Abu Dhabi is adding greater need for a specialised justice system and dedicated drug courts, according to a senior justice official.
As the International Society of Addiction Medicine global conference concluded in the capital yesterday, Abu Dhabi Judicial Department (ADJD) said it expects such courts will be ready by early next year.
Ali Al Dhaheri, head of the Judicial Inspection Department at ADJD, said the move came against a backdrop of a notable rise in the number of cases seen by the courts.
He said there were 721 cases involving the consumption of drugs between October 2015 and September 2016. This rose to 925 between October 2016 and September 2017.
This has made it "necessary and not a luxury" to establish specialised drug courts, which are widely used in the United States.
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Requests have already been made to issue a federal law paving the way for such services across the country.
"We are ready and it should happen very soon, because this is a positive move so it shouldn't take time to be introduced, and we are working on that," Mr Al Dhaheri said.
The Abu Dhabi Judicial Department has previously introduced courts and prosecutions specialised with certain offences.
"And drugs are even more serious and dangerous because they are directly connected with society, the economy and state security," he said.
Mr Al Dhaheri said a special system tailored to understanding and tackling drug problems will bring better treatment and value for money.
"The cost of treatment, clothing, food, nursing and rehabilitation of one user in prison costs more than Dh500 a day," he said.
If a drug addict could be treated at home then he or she could be catered for for about Dh100 a day, the official said.
The ISAM conference, held at Emirates Palace, has in recent days discussed the rise of new drugs, challenges to tackling addiction and the best practice for anti-narcotics authorities.
Desiree Bruce-Lyle, a US superior court judge from San Diego, told delegates that trying to treat a drug addict in the mainstream justice system costs seven times more than in a tailored system or facility.
Mr Al Dhaheri said that the new courts would treat addicts and users as patients, rather than criminals, which is a more efficient way to tackle the issue.
"It has become a social and humanitarian issue as well," he said.
In drug courts, the judge would follow the treatment of an addict and have an understanding of the drug addiction and recovery process. Prosecutors would also know that there were a range of tools at their disposal, not just jail terms.
"Specialised judges will have a scientific background on addiction and not only legal; they would also have thorough knowledge on rehabilitation and will cooperate with the National Rehabilitation Centre (NRC)."
The main goal is that drug users don't turn into criminals, but have the chance to recover and return safely back to society and their families, he said.
"The point is not to throw them in prison or fine them, but the real challenge is how to bring them back as positive members of society," he said.
The fight against drugs like heroin continues, but he said many addicts today are hooked on prescription drugs.
"Drug consumption is no longer limited to the main drugs like hashish, heroin and cocaine," he said.
"Now there are many medical pills that are being used for addiction. So a family should not have to lose a member because of psychotropic pills."
The UAE justice system has already taken a more lenient stance on drug users - but not dealers and suppliers - and last year halved the minimum sentence, to two years from four.
It also gave judges more options, such as a Dh10,000 fine and community service for first time offenders. It also strengthened rehab options.
The old law also did not give judges any room for considering leniency factors, such as defendants aged under 21, or first offenders, he said.
"Before 2016, the idea was that stringency might be the deterrent to stop the spread of drug use, but despite the strictness of the penalty... the cases did not drop," he said.
Mike Trace, chief executive of the Forward Trust, a British organisation that runs drug and alcohol treatment programmes in prisons and in the community, said that evidence suggests tough punishments for possession in particular does not put users off drugs.
"Generally, being tougher does not solve the problem," he said.
"What we saw in America in the 80s and 90s was they had the toughest measures in the world, and during that period they had the highest rate of drug use among young people," he said.
"So that is one example of how more tough measure does not mean less use."
Over the past 20 years, the UK has adopted a more progressive approach to sentencing, he said.
"In our sentences we have diverted more people away from prison rather than sending them there," Mr Trace said.
"We have had this policy in the UK for twenty years, during this period we have seen a small reduction in number of addicts, but quite a large number of reduction in users."
There were around four million drug users 20 years ago, he said, and that figure has gone down by 20 per cent since then.
"So broadly a good situation but not a spectacular success," he said.
The specs
Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo
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Three ways to limit your social media use
Clinical psychologist, Dr Saliha Afridi at The Lighthouse Arabia suggests three easy things you can do every day to cut back on the time you spend online.
1. Put the social media app in a folder on the second or third screen of your phone so it has to remain a conscious decision to open, rather than something your fingers gravitate towards without consideration.
2. Schedule a time to use social media instead of consistently throughout the day. I recommend setting aside certain times of the day or week when you upload pictures or share information.
3. Take a mental snapshot rather than a photo on your phone. Instead of sharing it with your social world, try to absorb the moment, connect with your feeling, experience the moment with all five of your senses. You will have a memory of that moment more vividly and for far longer than if you take a picture of it.
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Frida%20
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The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Soldier F
“I was in complete disgust at the fact that only one person was to be charged for Bloody Sunday.
“Somebody later said to me, 'you just watch - they'll drop the charge against him'. And sure enough, the charges against Soldier F would go on to be dropped.
“It's pretty hard to think that 50 years on, the State is still covering up for what happened on Bloody Sunday.”
Jimmy Duddy, nephew of John Johnson
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Book%20Details
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'HIJRAH%3A%20IN%20THE%20FOOTSTEPS%20OF%20THE%20PROPHET'
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In numbers
1,000 tonnes of waste collected daily:
- 800 tonnes converted into alternative fuel
- 150 tonnes to landfill
- 50 tonnes sold as scrap metal
800 tonnes of RDF replaces 500 tonnes of coal
Two conveyor lines treat more than 350,000 tonnes of waste per year
25 staff on site
Can NRIs vote in the election?
Indians residing overseas cannot cast their ballot abroad
Non-resident Indians or NRIs can vote only by going to a polling booth in their home constituency
There are about 3.1 million NRIs living overseas
Indians have urged political parties to extend the right to vote to citizens residing overseas
A committee of the Election Commission of India approved of proxy voting for non-resident Indians
Proxy voting means that a person can authorise someone residing in the same polling booth area to cast a vote on his behalf.
This option is currently available for the armed forces, police and government officials posted outside India
A bill was passed in the lower house of India’s parliament or the Lok Sabha to extend proxy voting to non-resident Indians
However, this did not come before the upper house or Rajya Sabha and has lapsed
The issue of NRI voting draws a huge amount of interest in India and overseas
Over the past few months, Indians have received messages on mobile phones and on social media claiming that NRIs can cast their votes online
The Election Commission of India then clarified that NRIs could not vote online
The Election Commission lodged a complaint with the Delhi Police asking it to clamp down on the people spreading misinformation
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
'Lost in Space'
Creators: Matt Sazama, Burk Sharpless, Irwin Allen
Stars: Molly Parker, Toby Stephens, Maxwell Jenkins
Rating: 4/5
The specs: 2018 BMW R nineT Scrambler
Price, base / as tested Dh57,000
Engine 1,170cc air/oil-cooled flat twin four-stroke engine
Transmission Six-speed gearbox
Power 110hp) @ 7,750rpm
Torque 116Nm @ 6,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 5.3L / 100km
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
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
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Transmission: 8-speed automatic
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On sale: Available for preorder now
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.
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.
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.
More on Quran memorisation:
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GREATEST ROYAL RUMBLE CARD
The line-up as it stands for the Greatest Royal Rumble in Saudi Arabia on April 27
50-man Royal Rumble
Universal Championship
Brock Lesnar (champion) v Roman Reigns
Casket match
The Undertaker v Rusev
Intercontinental Championship
Seth Rollins (champion) v The Miz v Finn Balor v Samoa Joe
SmackDown Tag Team Championship
The Bludgeon Brothers v The Usos
Raw Tag Team Championship
Sheamus and Cesaro v Bray Wyatt and Matt Hardy
United States Championship
Jeff Hardy (champion) v Jinder Mahal
Singles match
Triple H v John Cena
To be confirmed
AJ Styles will defend his WWE World Heavyweight title and Cedric Alexander his Cruiserweight Championship, but matches have yet to be announced
What is an ETF?
An exchange traded fund is a type of investment fund that can be traded quickly and easily, just like stocks and shares. They come with no upfront costs aside from your brokerage's dealing charges and annual fees, which are far lower than on traditional mutual investment funds. Charges are as low as 0.03 per cent on one of the very cheapest (and most popular), Vanguard S&P 500 ETF, with the maximum around 0.75 per cent.
There is no fund manager deciding which stocks and other assets to invest in, instead they passively track their chosen index, country, region or commodity, regardless of whether it goes up or down.
The first ETF was launched as recently as 1993, but the sector boasted $5.78 billion in assets under management at the end of September as inflows hit record highs, according to the latest figures from ETFGI, a leading independent research and consultancy firm.
There are thousands to choose from, with the five largest providers BlackRock’s iShares, Vanguard, State Street Global Advisers, Deutsche Bank X-trackers and Invesco PowerShares.
While the best-known track major indices such as MSCI World, the S&P 500 and FTSE 100, you can also invest in specific countries or regions, large, medium or small companies, government bonds, gold, crude oil, cocoa, water, carbon, cattle, corn futures, currency shifts or even a stock market crash.
