ABU DHABI // Abdul Hadi Shah and Amin Sharifi are not behind bars, but they know their freedom could be short-lived.
Both were convicted of causing the accidental death of people in separate incidents and were ordered to pay their victims’ families Dh200,000 in blood money.
Surrendering their passports to the authorities allowed them to leave jail, but the threat of being locked up again if they cannot pay off the debt could send their lives spiralling out of control.
In 2013, Shah was held responsible after a colleague was killed on the job, even though he was 45 kilometres away at the time. The Pakistani had sent his workmate to fix a flat tyre on one of the company’s delivery trucks.
While filling the tyre with air, it exploded and a metal ring hit an exposed part of the man’s head killing him instantly. Investigators said although the victim had been wearing a helmet, Shah had not briefed him on the required safety measures.
He was ordered to pay Dh200,000 in blood money and his passport was seized until the amount is paid to the court.
“For three years I’ve been trying to gather the money. I have gone to every charity and begged for assistance from everyone.”
So far he has managed to raise Dh23,000. “I still need Dh177,000. How can I get that?”
Shah, whose employer did not fire him, said he lives in fear of being taken back to jail.
“I have a two-year-old daughter and I support my elderly parents in Pakistan. If I go to jail what will happen to them? How will they survive?” he said.
Although Shah’s case is not unusual, most similar incidents are resolved by an insurance company, said lawyer Hani Al Jasmi. “In 90 to 95 per cent [of cases] it is the insurance company that pays and rarely is it the individual.”
But this occurs only if the individual had not committed any offence and had followed safety regulations.
“If an employer has failed to offer his employees the proper safety gear and as a result an employee dies while performing his job, then the insurance company is not responsible for paying the blood money.”
The same applies for traffic accidents, Mr Al Jasmi said.
“If an individual was driving above the speed limit or intoxicated and as a result accidentally hit and killed a pedestrian, then they themselves and not their insurance will have to pay the blood money.”
Amin Sharifi accidentally ran over and killed a pedestrian who was crossing a road last year. He was not speeding but his car insurance had expired.
The Iranian, who was born and raised in Dubai, was arrested and jailed for two months.
“While I was in jail the prisoners advised me to stay in until I get a pardon, but I saw the toll it took on my mother. She got sicker each day and my father is 77. I was so worried that he would die of grief.”
Every year on occasions such as Ramadan, Eid and National Day, the Government pardons hundreds of prisoners and pays off blood money and debts allowing for their immediate release.
The 24-year-old could not wait and pleaded with the court for his release. It was granted on condition he pay Dh200,000 in blood money to the victim’s family. His passport was also held.
“I feel guilty that a man died at my hands but I don’t know what I did wrong,” Sharifi said.
“I wasn’t on drugs, I wasn’t speeding, I didn’t cross a red light. I didn’t break any laws, but it’s my fate I guess.
“I am responsible for another man’s death. I took him from his family – his children, if he has any kids, or a wife.”
Sharifi said he was unable to pay the blood money and needs his passport to find a job that will help him to raise the amount. He has so far has raised Dh33,000 from charity donations.
The threat of a return to prison is a constant for Sharifi and Shah.
“No one will hire us when they find out that we have a case against us, so how do we pay it off?” they said.
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Read more:
Alarm over requests for blood money in the UAE
Blood money ‘not enough’ compensation, say UAE lawyers
Dead teen’s mum finds justice but not peace
Diyya has its origins in Quran, explain UAE legal experts
salnuwais@thenational.ae
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
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Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
The low down
Producers: Uniglobe Entertainment & Vision Films
Director: Namrata Singh Gujral
Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Nargis Fakhri, Bo Derek, Candy Clark
Rating: 2/5
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Our family matters legal consultant
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Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
T10 Cricket League
Sharjah Cricket Stadium
December 14- 17
6pm, Opening ceremony, followed by:
Bengal Tigers v Kerala Kings
Maratha Arabians v Pakhtoons
Tickets available online at q-tickets.com/t10
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Profile
Company: Justmop.com
Date started: December 2015
Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan
Sector: Technology and home services
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai
Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month
Funding: The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups.
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
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 banned).
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.
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The Bio
Favourite vegetable: “I really like the taste of the beetroot, the potatoes and the eggplant we are producing.”
Holiday destination: “I like Paris very much, it’s a city very close to my heart.”
Book: “Das Kapital, by Karl Marx. I am not a communist, but there are a lot of lessons for the capitalist system, if you let it get out of control, and humanity.”
Musician: “I like very much Fairuz, the Lebanese singer, and the other is Umm Kulthum. Fairuz is for listening to in the morning, Umm Kulthum for the night.”
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
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6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
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The specs
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Power: 503hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 685Nm at 2,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
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On sale: now
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Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
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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.
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Scotland v Ireland:
Scotland (15-1): Stuart Hogg; Tommy Seymour, Huw Jones, Sam Johnson, Sean Maitland; Finn Russell, Greig Laidlaw (capt); Josh Strauss, James Ritchie, Ryan Wilson; Jonny Gray, Grant Gilchrist; Simon Berghan, Stuart McInally, Allan Dell
Replacements: Fraser Brown, Jamie Bhatti, D'arcy Rae, Ben Toolis, Rob Harley, Ali Price, Pete Horne, Blair Kinghorn
Coach: Gregor Townsend (SCO)
Ireland (15-1): Rob Kearney; Keith Earls, Chris Farrell, Bundee Aki, Jacob Stockdale; Jonathan Sexton, Conor Murray; Jack Conan, Sean O'Brien, Peter O'Mahony; James Ryan, Quinn Roux; Tadhg Furlong, Rory Best (capt), Cian Healy
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Coach: Joe Schmidt (NZL)
The bio
Academics: Phd in strategic management in University of Wales
Number one caps: His best-seller caps are in shades of grey, blue, black and yellow
Reading: Is immersed in books on colours to understand more about the usage of different shades
Sport: Started playing polo two years ago. Helps him relax, plus he enjoys the speed and focus
Cars: Loves exotic cars and currently drives a Bentley Bentayga
Holiday: Favourite travel destinations are London and St Tropez
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Director: Jordan Peele
Starring: Lupita Nyong'o, Winston Duke, Shahadi Wright Joseqph, Evan Alex and Elisabeth Moss
Rating: 4/5
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