Prisoners in Dubai could soon reduce their sentences by up to 20 years by becoming bookworms, a police official has said.
Captain Mohammed Abdullah Al Obaidli, director of the learning and training section at Dubai Central Prison, said the move will be studied by the Ministry of Interior with a plan to implement it from next year.
“Dubai Police is considering a novel way to help prisoners shorten their sentences,” he said.
“Reading books will develop their personalities and education abilities.”
Read more: Reading is key to the future of the Arab world
As part of the initiative, the central jail’s library will be transformed into an e-library in the next year to encourage prisoners to read and to also take part in the UAE-led Arab Reading Challenge.
Police said prisoners will be tasked with reading books and then staff will discuss the books with them to ensure they have read them. Memorising passages from the Quran, for example, could reduce an inmate’s jail term by up to 20 years.
“The prison’s library will be switched into an e-library next year, and prisoners will receive iPad devices to download the books they wish to read,” Captain Al Obaidli said.
Captain Al Obaidli said that the reading initiative is one of a number that aim to rehabilitate prisoners to become functioning members of society on their release.
“Four important activities are being offered to prisoners, including sport, educational and religious workshops,” he said. “A total of 19,850 inmates benefited from educational activities and hundreds of prisoners are taking part in handicraft workshops.”
The handicraft workshops have been such a success, they have seen four prisoners managing to build four motorbikes and three off-road bikes.
The biog
Favourite food: Tabbouleh, greek salad and sushi
Favourite TV show: That 70s Show
Favourite animal: Ferrets, they are smart, sensitive, playful and loving
Favourite holiday destination: Seychelles, my resolution for 2020 is to visit as many spiritual retreats and animal shelters across the world as I can
Name of first pet: Eddy, a Persian cat that showed up at our home
Favourite dog breed: I love them all - if I had to pick Yorkshire terrier for small dogs and St Bernard's for big
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
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Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
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Match info
Uefa Champions League Group C
Liverpool v Napoli, midnight
The specs: 2019 GMC Yukon Denali
Price, base: Dh306,500
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Power: 420hp @ 5,600rpm
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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
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The team
Photographer: Mateusz Stefanowski at Art Factory
Videographer: Jear Valasquez
Fashion director: Sarah Maisey
Make-up: Gulum Erzincan at Art Factory
Model: Randa at Art Factory Videographer’s assistant: Zanong Magat
Photographer’s assistant: Sophia Shlykova
With thanks to Jubail Mangrove Park, Jubail Island, Abu Dhabi