Indian police have made an arrest while searching for a man who pretended to be an employee of a prominent UAE family and stayed at a luxury hotel in the capital Delhi for four months before fleeing without paying the $28,000 bill.
Authorities said the man they arrested, Mohammed Sharif, 41, previously worked with a wealthy family in the UAE for nearly 10 years and was attracted by the luxurious lifestyle, developing a taste for designer shoes, cars and clothes.
Mr Sharif, who holds an MBA in finance and business management, frequently travelled with the family, but in 2020 he had to return to his hometown of Puttur in southern Karnataka, where he felt out of place, they said.
He decided to stay at a five-star hotel to “feel better”, police believe.
An investigating officer said the man they arrested told them how impressed he was with the family's lifestyle, especially the grand homes.
"He wanted to recreate that life in India,” he said.
“He also showed us his shoes and claimed they cost rupees 100,000 ($1,200). He claimed he bought his T-shirts for 10,000 rupees ($120).”
Authorities launched a manhunt last week following a complaint by the Leela Palace hotel that a guest fled without paying his hotel bill and stole silverware and pearls during his four-month stay.
The hotel said he produced a business card, a UAE resident card and other documents and routinely chatted with the hotel staff about his life in the UAE to corroborate his story.
However, authorities at the time said the UAE resident card appeared to be fake and said they didn't initially believe he had any connection to the Emirates.
They said the man stayed at the hotel until November, racking up a bill for more than 3.5 million rupees (US$43,000).
While he paid 1.1 million rupees, he wrote a cheque for a further two million rupees, dated November 20, before vanishing. It bounced two days later due to insufficient funds.
Police said they traced a sim card to Karnataka’s Dakshina Kannada district, with the help of technical surveillance.
During the investigation, it was found that another guest had previously stayed at a five-star hotel in Mumbai for more than six months, racking up a bill of 9 million rupees.
Police said he is suspected of wanting to find investors for fake schemes to make more money.
“He was allegedly planning to flee without paying the bill but was caught by hotel staff and had to pay 6 million rupees. He has assets but is currently unemployed,” police said.
Mr Sharif has been charged with fraud, theft and impersonation.
Moral education needed in a 'rapidly changing world'
Moral education lessons for young people is needed in a rapidly changing world, the head of the programme said.
Alanood Al Kaabi, head of programmes at the Education Affairs Office of the Crown Price Court - Abu Dhabi, said: "The Crown Price Court is fully behind this initiative and have already seen the curriculum succeed in empowering young people and providing them with the necessary tools to succeed in building the future of the nation at all levels.
"Moral education touches on every aspect and subject that children engage in.
"It is not just limited to science or maths but it is involved in all subjects and it is helping children to adapt to integral moral practises.
"The moral education programme has been designed to develop children holistically in a world being rapidly transformed by technology and globalisation."
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10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
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Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
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Sept 15: Bangladesh v Sri Lanka (Dubai)
Sept 16: Pakistan v Qualifier (Dubai)
Sept 17: Sri Lanka v Afghanistan (Abu Dhabi)
Sept 18: India v Qualifier (Dubai)
Sept 19: India v Pakistan (Dubai)
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Sept 21: Group A Winner v Group B Runner-up (Dubai)
Sept 21: Group B Winner v Group A Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)
Sept 23: Group A Winner v Group A Runner-up (Dubai)
Sept 23: Group B Winner v Group B Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)
Sept 25: Group A Winner v Group B Winner (Dubai)
Sept 26: Group A Runner-up v Group B Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)
Sept 28: Final (Dubai)
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Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
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Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
