DUBAI // Humayun Al Rahman had good reason to fear he would never taste freedom again.
Despite being pardoned four years ago for his part in a 2006 crash that killed 10 people, his chances of leaving jail and returning to his fiancee in Pakistan rested on his ability to pay blood money settlements worth Dh2 million.
Such an amount represented more than 90 years worth of the Dh1,800 monthly salary Mr Al Rahman, 30, was receiving as a bus driver before he was jailed.
But yesterday what seemed impossible came true, after the charity Dar Al Ber cleared his debts and those of five others owing blood money, who had also overstayed their sentences.
While Mr Al Rahman's situation was not unique, it seemed the most hopeless as his debt was by far the biggest.
"People used to come and go and I was the oldest one overstaying a sentence because of blood money," he said. "I lost all hope.
"In the beginning I hoped I would be released soon, then I thought maybe after 10 years. In the end I started thinking maybe never."
Latifa bin Khadem, head of the care section at the Dubai Central Prison, agreed Mr Al Rahman's case was the most challenging.
"The amount was very big and it was difficult to find a donor for such a big amount," Ms bin Khadem said. "But we never gave up hope and tried all means until we were able to make his dream come true."
Mr Al Rahman said that when the charity stepped forward on August 18 to tell him it would intervene, he fainted from shock.
"I just could not believe it. I got dizzy and fell to the floor," he said.
Even then, having spent so long inside, he wondered whether his dream would come true.
The first person Mr Al Rahman spoke to after hearing the news was his sick mother, whom he feared he would never see again.
"The donors handed me a mobile and asked me to call her to deliver the happy news," he said. "When she found out she did nothing but cry and say 'thank God'."
Since then, his mother has been growing impatient.
"The wait over the last 17 or so days was the worst," Mr Al Rahman said. "My mother was starting to think that I lied to her to make her feel better and stronger but officials are assuring me that I will soon leave."
Prison authorities say he should be freed within the next 10 days as the paperwork is finalised.
Mr Al Rahman had been in the country only a year when the crash that changed his life occurred on December 14, 2006.
He was driving labourers from Jebel Ali to Al Warqa when he tried to overtake another bus on Sheikh Zayed Road but lost control.
His vehicle broke through the traffic barrier, veered on to the other side of the road and hit a minibus travelling in the opposite direction.
When Mr Al Rahman awoke there was a helicopter flying above him and the magnitude of what had happened dawned on him.
The crash killed 10 people and injured 50. He was jailed and ordered to pay Dh200,000 for each person who died. He was pardoned in 2008, but the blood money was a seemingly insurmountable obstacle.
The fiancee he had left behind in Pakistan stood by him through his ordeal and promised to wait for him while he served what appeared to be an interminable jail sentence.
Now her wait is soon to end. The charity has pledged to help him finance his marriage to the 24-year-old and has given him Dh10,000 as a gift for his mother
"The first thing I want to do when I get back home is to go with my mother to Haj and then get married on my return," Mr Al Rahman said.
The six years since the accident were "the worst of my life", but he had come to accept what happened.
"I am sorry for all the people's lives that were lost but this is destiny," Mr Al Rahman said. "It was destiny that they died and I did not, and it was destiny to spend these six years in prison."
Another pressing plan he has when he arrives back in Pakistan is to visit the family of one of the people who died in the accident. He found out while in prison that they live in a nearby village.
There are still 10 inmates overstaying their sentences in Dubai jails. They owe a total of Dh1.9m, but authorities say they have the means to pay.
wissa@thenational.ae
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Total funding: Self funded
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Welcome back. What was it like to return to RAK and to play for fans out here again?
It’s an amazing feeling to be back in the passionate UAE again. Seeing the fans having a great time that is what it’s all about.
You're currently touring the globe as part of your Legends of the Feels Tour. How important is it to you to include the Middle East in the schedule?
The tour is doing really well and is extensive and intensive at the same time travelling all over the globe. My Middle Eastern fans are very dear to me, it’s good to be back.
You mix tracks that people know and love, but you also have a visually impressive set too (graphics etc). Is that the secret recipe to Dash Berlin's live gigs?
People enjoying the combination of the music and visuals are the key factor in the success of the Legends Of The Feel tour 2018.
Have you had some time to explore Ras al Khaimah too? If so, what have you been up to?
Coming fresh out of Las Vegas where I continue my 7th annual year DJ residency at Marquee, I decided it was a perfect moment to catch some sun rays and enjoy the warm hospitality of Bab Al Bahr.
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Business Insights
- As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses.
- SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income.
- Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
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Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
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Citizenship-by-investment programmes
United Kingdom
The UK offers three programmes for residency. The UK Overseas Business Representative Visa lets you open an overseas branch office of your existing company in the country at no extra investment. For the UK Tier 1 Innovator Visa, you are required to invest £50,000 (Dh238,000) into a business. You can also get a UK Tier 1 Investor Visa if you invest £2 million, £5m or £10m (the higher the investment, the sooner you obtain your permanent residency).
All UK residency visas get approved in 90 to 120 days and are valid for 3 years. After 3 years, the applicant can apply for extension of another 2 years. Once they have lived in the UK for a minimum of 6 months every year, they are eligible to apply for permanent residency (called Indefinite Leave to Remain). After one year of ILR, the applicant can apply for UK passport.
The Caribbean
Depending on the country, the investment amount starts from $100,000 (Dh367,250) and can go up to $400,000 in real estate. From the date of purchase, it will take between four to five months to receive a passport.
Portugal
The investment amount ranges from €350,000 to €500,000 (Dh1.5m to Dh2.16m) in real estate. From the date of purchase, it will take a maximum of six months to receive a Golden Visa. Applicants can apply for permanent residency after five years and Portuguese citizenship after six years.
“Among European countries with residency programmes, Portugal has been the most popular because it offers the most cost-effective programme to eventually acquire citizenship of the European Union without ever residing in Portugal,” states Veronica Cotdemiey of Citizenship Invest.
Greece
The real estate investment threshold to acquire residency for Greece is €250,000, making it the cheapest real estate residency visa scheme in Europe. You can apply for residency in four months and citizenship after seven years.
Spain
The real estate investment threshold to acquire residency for Spain is €500,000. You can apply for permanent residency after five years and citizenship after 10 years. It is not necessary to live in Spain to retain and renew the residency visa permit.
Cyprus
Cyprus offers the quickest route to citizenship of a European country in only six months. An investment of €2m in real estate is required, making it the highest priced programme in Europe.
Malta
The Malta citizenship by investment programme is lengthy and investors are required to contribute sums as donations to the Maltese government. The applicant must either contribute at least €650,000 to the National Development & Social Fund. Spouses and children are required to contribute €25,000; unmarried children between 18 and 25 and dependent parents must contribute €50,000 each.
The second step is to make an investment in property of at least €350,000 or enter a property rental contract for at least €16,000 per annum for five years. The third step is to invest at least €150,000 in bonds or shares approved by the Maltese government to be kept for at least five years.
Candidates must commit to a minimum physical presence in Malta before citizenship is granted. While you get residency in two months, you can apply for citizenship after a year.
Egypt
A one-year residency permit can be bought if you purchase property in Egypt worth $100,000. A three-year residency is available for those who invest $200,000 in property, and five years for those who purchase property worth $400,000.
Source: Citizenship Invest and Aqua Properties
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- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
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Name: Kumulus Water
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The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
