National Editorial: The biggest change yet to UAE laws
The UAE has overhauled its drug laws to cut minimum sentences, provide leniency for first-time offenders and put a sharper focus on rehabilitation over punishment.
In a series of sweeping changes, people convicted of drug use and possession will serve time in secure detention offering treatment and education programmes rather than in prison with other convicts.
Deportation for expats in drug use and possession cases is no longer mandatory, with judges able to decide if someone convicted is allowed to stay.
The changes were detailed in full in the country's Official Gazette.
First-time offenders can receive minimum sentences of three months as part of an approach aimed at integrating drug users back into society but imposing tougher punishments for serial offenders.
The UAE previously reduced minimum sentences from four years to two in 2016.
Carrying food, drinks or any other products which contains marijuana, hashish or THC, found in cannabis, will no longer be a criminal offence. Instead, such items will be confiscated and destroyed.
The new legislation was outlined in the Official Gazette and will come into effect on January 2.
The move forms part of the most extensive reforms to the legal system in the country's history, announced by the President, Sheikh Khalifa on Saturday.
Changes include greater protection of personal data, stronger copyright rules and tackling fake news.
More than 40 laws are included. Some are new, while others are updated versions of existing legislation.
Three-month sentence for first offence
Article 41 of the new law states that first-time offenders will be sentenced to prison for at least three months and be fined between Dh20,000 and Dh100,000 ($5,445 and $27,225).
If they repeat the offence within three years, the sentence will be a minimum of six months with a fine of between Dh30,000 and Dh100,000.
For a third offence, a minimum sentence of two years will be imposed and the fine will be at least Dh100,000.
“The legislator gave the court freedom to decide the penalty between either imprisonment or fine in the first and second instances but in the third instance, a penalty of combined prison and fine is mandatory,” said Dr Hasan Elhais, of Al Rowaad Advocates.
Specialist detention centres instead of prison
The law sets out plans for the Ministry of Health and Prevention to establish dedicated centres where those convicted of drug use or possession will serve their terms.
These will provide treatment and rehabilitation programmes, sports and vocational training, as well as family, occupational and social integration initiatives.
'Recognising illness not crime'
Article 45 of the new law allows courts to prioritise treatment for first-time offenders.
“We can clearly see a recognition of the need for a co-ordinated approach that considers criminal justice and public health in regards to using drugs,” legal consultant Dr Elhais said.
“While justice is at the heart of the new law, we can also see how the issue of using drugs is being looked at as an illness rather than a crime."
The previous law required courts to order deportation against expatriates in drug-related cases.
“But deportation against expats is now optional for judges in cases of personal use, possession or possession with the intent to use as per the new law’s article 75,” Dr Elhais said.
“The legislative philosophy behind the amendments is coherent in the way it's considering multiple factors including health, justice, sense of security and family.”
Second chance
Ahmed Ibrahim Saif, senior judge at the Dubai Civil Court and former chief justice of Dubai's Criminal Courts, said changes to the legal system were in line with the UAE's tolerant principles.
“In this recent change, reform is further prioritised, offenders are given second chances and are spared loss of successful futures and decent living they have in the country,” he said.
Mr Saif said that deportation can be a harsh punishment, though necessary in more serious cases.
“Now, it's becoming flexible in terms of allowing judges to decide it rather than keeping it mandatory,” he said.
The official believes it is a step in the right direction, particularly in cases that involve using controlled medicine.
“For example, someone in court for using a controlled medicine without a prescription must be deported according to the previous law, but now they are given a second chance,” he said.
“If they do it again, then they only have themselves to blame if judges decided to deport them.”
Tough stance on trafficking remains in place
Under the updated laws, the fine against offenders for encouraging personal drug use among others was increased from Dh20,000 to a minimum of Dh50,000, while the prison term of a minimum of five years remains unchanged.
Should this happen with the intent of causing harm to the other person, the fine would rise to up to Dh100,000 instead of the previous Dh20,000 but the minimum prison term of seven years remain the same.
In the event of serious harm, the penalty is imprisonment for at least 10 years and a minimum fine of Dh200,00, up from Dh20,000.
UAE's legal reforms
ENGLAND SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Jack Butland, Jordan Pickford, Nick Pope
Defenders: John Stones, Harry Maguire, Phil Jones, Kyle Walker, Kieran Trippier, Gary Cahill, Ashley Young, Danny Rose, Trent Alexander-Arnold
Midfielders: Eric Dier, Jordan Henderson, Dele Alli, Jesse Lingard, Raheem Sterling, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Fabian Delph
Forwards: Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy, Marcus Rashford, Danny Welbeck
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Kathryn Hawkes of House of Hawkes on being a good guest (because we’ve all had bad ones)
- Arrive with a thank you gift, or make sure you have one for your host by the time you leave.
- Offer to buy groceries, cook them a meal or take your hosts out for dinner.
- Help out around the house.
- Entertain yourself so that your hosts don’t feel that they constantly need to.
- Leave no trace of your stay – if you’ve borrowed a book, return it to where you found it.
- Offer to strip the bed before you go.
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
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The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
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.
Monster Hunter: World
Capcom
PlayStation 4, Xbox One
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Match info:
Portugal 1
Ronaldo (4')
Morocco 0
more from Janine di Giovanni
Results
Stage 7:
1. Caleb Ewan (AUS) Lotto Soudal - 3:18:29
2. Sam Bennett (IRL) Deceuninck-QuickStep - same time
3. Phil Bauhaus (GER) Bahrain Victorious
4. Michael Morkov (DEN) Deceuninck-QuickStep
5. Cees Bol (NED) Team DSM
General Classification:
1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates - 24:00:28
2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers - 0:00:35
3. Joao Almeida (POR) Deceuninck-QuickStep - 0:01:02
4. Chris Harper (AUS) Jumbo-Visma - 0:01:42
5. Neilson Powless (USA) EF Education-Nippo - 0:01:45
MATCH INFO
Final: England v South Africa, Saturday, 1pm
Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi
Director: Kangana Ranaut, Krish Jagarlamudi
Producer: Zee Studios, Kamal Jain
Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Ankita Lokhande, Danny Denzongpa, Atul Kulkarni
Rating: 2.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Winners
Best Men's Player of the Year: Kylian Mbappe (PSG)
Maradona Award for Best Goal Scorer of the Year: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
TikTok Fans’ Player of the Year: Robert Lewandowski
Top Goal Scorer of All Time: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
Best Women's Player of the Year: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)
Best Men's Club of the Year: Chelsea
Best Women's Club of the Year: Barcelona
Best Defender of the Year: Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus/Italy)
Best Goalkeeper of the Year: Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG/Italy)
Best Coach of the Year: Roberto Mancini (Italy)
Best National Team of the Year: Italy
Best Agent of the Year: Federico Pastorello
Best Sporting Director of the Year: Txiki Begiristain (Manchester City)
Player Career Award: Ronaldinho
Getting there
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly to Johannesburg or Cape Town daily. Flights cost from about Dh3,325, with a flying time of 8hours and 15 minutes. From there, fly South African Airlines or Air Namibia to Namibia’s Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport, for about Dh850. Flying time is 2 hours.
The stay
Wilderness Little Kulala offers stays from £460 (Dh2,135) per person, per night. It is one of seven Wilderness Safari lodges in Namibia; www.wilderness-safaris.com.
Skeleton Coast Safaris’ four-day adventure involves joining a very small group in a private plane, flying to some of the remotest areas in the world, with each night spent at a different camp. It costs from US$8,335.30 (Dh30,611); www.skeletoncoastsafaris.com
How to increase your savings
- Have a plan for your savings.
- Decide on your emergency fund target and once that's achieved, assign your savings to another financial goal such as saving for a house or investing for retirement.
- Decide on a financial goal that is important to you and put your savings to work for you.
- It's important to have a purpose for your savings as it helps to keep you motivated to continue while also reducing the temptation to spend your savings.
- Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
