ABU DHABI // A Brazilian businessman has developed an iPhone application providing mobile access to more than 200 UAE laws.
The application, called UAE Laws, was approved by Apple and released this week.
"The purpose of this is to be a quick reference to the main laws of the country," said Max Malta, who built a similar device to help navigate the legal system in his home country. Mr Malta said the application would probably be used by lawyers and policemen, but was developed "for all citizens".
He said the information, which was obtained from the website www.elaws.gov.ae, will be regularly updated. Initially, the application is available only in English, but Mr Malta said he may produce an Arabic version soon. The application costs Dh185 (US$49.99).
Asif Iftekhar, the founder of the website uaemobiles.com, said the value of the application would depend on factors such as how easy it was to search for particular laws or get answers to questions.
"If somebody's streamlined the information so, for example, if you wanted to find out about property law in Dubai and it can answer you, then it's useful," he said.
"But otherwise the information is available on the web."
dbardsley@thenational.ae
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
