So, an apartment in the Burj Khalifa costs AED40k a year LESS than the market rate of my flat now - that's equivalent to RM35k. A year ago, the situation in Abu Dhabi was even worse - my flat was renting out for AED160k per year. Thankfully prices have fallen and I will need to find a new place to live very soon...
Burj Khalifa rents tumble 40%
Apartments in the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building and arguably Dubai's most prestigious address, are now available for rent at prices 40 per cent less than when the building opened 10 months ago.
A studio apartment can be had for as little as Dh80,000, with a one-bedroom unit renting for Dh100,000 annually, said Laura Adams, sales and leasing manager for Better Homes, one of the property brokerages marketing the property.
A number of units were recently handed over by Burj Khalifa's developer, Emaar Properties, which put pressure on rental rates by increasing the supply of available apartments.
Only eight per cent of the building's 900 apartments are occupied, she said.
Also a factor is that Dubai's property slump has caused nearby buildings to slash rates dramatically, and some of them compare favourably to the Burj Khalifa in terms of amenities.
The Address, also owned by Emaar, charges rates similar to those at the Burj Khalifa, but the apartments are fully-serviced, with seven restaurants on the premises, and many of the units featuring balconies with views of the Burj Khalifa.
The service charges of Dh53 per square foot at the Burj Khalifa are also considered higher than nearby residential buildings. For an average sized one-bedroom, the service charges would be more than Dh5,000 per month.
During much of the Burj Khalifa's construction, Dubai was in the midst of an off-plan property boom and apartments sold for more than Dh10,000 per square foot at the market peak.
Most units now for sale are listed at around Dh3,000 per square foot, Ms Adams said...
Showing posts with label Life in General. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Life in General. Show all posts
Saturday, January 15, 2011
The Patriot
That's a picture of Sheikh Zayed, father of the nation, I took this while waiting in line for gas..Enough said...
Happy New Year!
I just got back to Abu Dhabi a week ago, after a wonderful time home with family and friends, to be greeted with the above sight. Driving into work in the fog after a 7 hour flight and 5 hours sleep and after a month's driving on the opposite side of the road was truly surreal. I could not see beyond 50m, and in the picture, my office building which could typically be seen in the background past the stop signs has completely vanished. Thankfully the fog lasted only 3 days, and it's back to sunny days with temperatures between 15 to 25 which is awesome..
It was great to be home, and I was reminded of all the things I loved about Malaysia and more. Being away for 1 year was tough and I feel like I had a new set of eyes when I was home. I saw how much greenery we had, how much street life there was, felt the buzz of the city and smelt the rain everyday..all things that I have missed being here in the desert.
I've also started horse riding lessons, and had my first lesson yesterday. I love the feel of the horse, and how good it feels to be outdoors..if only we had this weather all year round, Abu Dhabi would be a much better place to live!
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Cheetah brings panic to streets of Sharjah
Does this happen anywhere else in the world???
SHARJAH // A cheetah sparked panic in Sharjah yesterday afternoon when it was spotted wandering through the city’s streets at prayer time.
Worshippers saw the creature near the Radisson Blu hotel in the Al Mujjarrah area, pacing near a mosque.
A local shop owner Abu Baker Karim said onlookers were unable to identify it straight away but knew it was dangerous.
He said: “As soon as I saw it I knew it was dangerous and had to run away. People were saying it was a tiger, others said it was a leopard and others said it was a cheetah."
Sharjah Police cordoned off the area, but, according to resident Mohammed Khan, who watched from the window of his nearby apartment, officers ended up playing a game of “hide and seek” with the big cat while they tried to capture it.
“We could tell it was not an easy arrest,” he said. “For about 20 minutes they were taking positions surrounding it, and it twice jumped out the circle.”
According to Lt Col Ahmad bin Darwish, of Anjad Police, it was not clear where the cheetah came from or who owned it.
Ahmed, another local resident, said the cheetah, which was handed over to the Arabian Wildlife Centre, was first spotted swimming behind the mosque.
SHARJAH // A cheetah sparked panic in Sharjah yesterday afternoon when it was spotted wandering through the city’s streets at prayer time.
Worshippers saw the creature near the Radisson Blu hotel in the Al Mujjarrah area, pacing near a mosque.
A local shop owner Abu Baker Karim said onlookers were unable to identify it straight away but knew it was dangerous.
He said: “As soon as I saw it I knew it was dangerous and had to run away. People were saying it was a tiger, others said it was a leopard and others said it was a cheetah."
Sharjah Police cordoned off the area, but, according to resident Mohammed Khan, who watched from the window of his nearby apartment, officers ended up playing a game of “hide and seek” with the big cat while they tried to capture it.
“We could tell it was not an easy arrest,” he said. “For about 20 minutes they were taking positions surrounding it, and it twice jumped out the circle.”
According to Lt Col Ahmad bin Darwish, of Anjad Police, it was not clear where the cheetah came from or who owned it.
Ahmed, another local resident, said the cheetah, which was handed over to the Arabian Wildlife Centre, was first spotted swimming behind the mosque.
Moroccan Hammam
I went to my first Moroccan Hammam today. I was planning to go to one when I get back from Malaysia next year, but an impromptu suggestion from my friend was too tempting. This was a 'basic' place - where a hammam cost AED40 as opposed to my upcoming hammam session that I paid AED150 for, which was a 50% discount over the original AED300 price.
I was a little apprehensive at first, having heard lots of funny stories about big huge women who scrub you at parts you didn't know you had. My friend was very comforting, saying that all I needed was not to be shy given that we would all have to be naked in a steam and scrub room together!
We got there, undressed and we were whisked into the steam room. There we had to put moroccan soap all over ourselves, and wait for 1/2 hour while the steam opens the pores. Then we were put into 2 separate rooms, and my therapist put on a scrub mitten and scrubbed like there was no tomorrow. I was shocked at how much dead skin there was, especially as I do my own scrub at home once a week. It was quite gross actually, but after 1/2 hour of a real good scrub, I felt like a newborn! I have never felt this clean in my life, and while I wouldn't call the experience 'pleasant', it was interesting and I would definitely do it again, especially for AED40 (that's like RM35!)
I was a little apprehensive at first, having heard lots of funny stories about big huge women who scrub you at parts you didn't know you had. My friend was very comforting, saying that all I needed was not to be shy given that we would all have to be naked in a steam and scrub room together!
We got there, undressed and we were whisked into the steam room. There we had to put moroccan soap all over ourselves, and wait for 1/2 hour while the steam opens the pores. Then we were put into 2 separate rooms, and my therapist put on a scrub mitten and scrubbed like there was no tomorrow. I was shocked at how much dead skin there was, especially as I do my own scrub at home once a week. It was quite gross actually, but after 1/2 hour of a real good scrub, I felt like a newborn! I have never felt this clean in my life, and while I wouldn't call the experience 'pleasant', it was interesting and I would definitely do it again, especially for AED40 (that's like RM35!)
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Happy UAE Day!
The UAE is 39 years old this weekend and boy, people are right into the celebrations. Cars are decorated, people are out celebrating, and flags are flying everywhere (even at the top of this mountain in the middle of nowhere on the way to oman!)
We also had a 4 day weekend to commemorate it. I only wish they would tell us in advance, so that i can plan stuff! Everyone was expecting a holiday on Thursday till Saturday and then another day off the following Tuesday for the Islamic New Year. Instead, we were told on Tuesday that we would get Thurs till Sun off, because the Government decided to bring the Tuesday holiday forward to Sunday so that we all get 4 days off. If I knew of this earlier, I would have flown out of the country and done something!
However, it's turned out to be a nice holiday, went diving in Oman and spent the night and next day in Dubai catching up with friends and doing some Christmas shopping. Also got treated to one of the yummiest Indian places in Dubai - the world famous Ravi's! Absolutely mouth watering Indian food! Some pics here...
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Dark side of Dubai
I've been having a number of very interesting conversations with some new friends recently, particularly about how crazy this country is - how lots of things happen under the table and really, there should be no expectations of 'justice' or 'reasonableness' one would expect of a more developed and westernised country. This is an interesting article published some time ago but it definitely is an eye opener to the world that we all live in..
The dark side of Dubai
Dubai was meant to be a Middle-Eastern Shangri-La, a glittering monument to Arab enterprise and western capitalism. But as hard times arrive in the city state that rose from the desert sands, an uglier story is emerging. Johann Hari reports...
The wide, smiling face of Sheikh Mohammed – the absolute ruler of Dubai – beams down on his creation. His image is displayed on every other building, sandwiched between the more familiar corporate rictuses of Ronald McDonald and Colonel Sanders. This man has sold Dubai to the world as the city of One Thousand and One Arabian Lights, a Shangri-La in the Middle East insulated from the dust-storms blasting across the region. He dominates the Manhattan-manqué skyline, beaming out from row after row of glass pyramids and hotels smelted into the shape of piles of golden coins. And there he stands on the tallest building in the world – a skinny spike, jabbing farther into the sky than any other human construction in history.
But something has flickered in Sheikh Mohammed's smile. The ubiquitous cranes have paused on the skyline, as if stuck in time. There are countless buildings half-finished, seemingly abandoned. In the swankiest new constructions – like the vast Atlantis hotel, a giant pink castle built in 1,000 days for $1.5bn on its own artificial island – where rainwater is leaking from the ceilings and the tiles are falling off the roof. This Neverland was built on the Never-Never – and now the cracks are beginning to show. Suddenly it looks less like Manhattan in the sun than Iceland in the desert.
Read more here...
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/johann-hari/the-dark-side-of-dubai-1664368.html
The dark side of Dubai
Dubai was meant to be a Middle-Eastern Shangri-La, a glittering monument to Arab enterprise and western capitalism. But as hard times arrive in the city state that rose from the desert sands, an uglier story is emerging. Johann Hari reports...
The wide, smiling face of Sheikh Mohammed – the absolute ruler of Dubai – beams down on his creation. His image is displayed on every other building, sandwiched between the more familiar corporate rictuses of Ronald McDonald and Colonel Sanders. This man has sold Dubai to the world as the city of One Thousand and One Arabian Lights, a Shangri-La in the Middle East insulated from the dust-storms blasting across the region. He dominates the Manhattan-manqué skyline, beaming out from row after row of glass pyramids and hotels smelted into the shape of piles of golden coins. And there he stands on the tallest building in the world – a skinny spike, jabbing farther into the sky than any other human construction in history.
But something has flickered in Sheikh Mohammed's smile. The ubiquitous cranes have paused on the skyline, as if stuck in time. There are countless buildings half-finished, seemingly abandoned. In the swankiest new constructions – like the vast Atlantis hotel, a giant pink castle built in 1,000 days for $1.5bn on its own artificial island – where rainwater is leaking from the ceilings and the tiles are falling off the roof. This Neverland was built on the Never-Never – and now the cracks are beginning to show. Suddenly it looks less like Manhattan in the sun than Iceland in the desert.
Read more here...
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/johann-hari/the-dark-side-of-dubai-1664368.html
Grand Mufti of Dubai calls for curb on mixed marriages
Nice one...I shall not take any insult given I am a product of a mixed marriage albeit not Emirati!
The Grand Mufti of Dubai has called for restrictions on Emiratis marrying outside their nationality.
“In Islam, choosing your life partner is a personal freedom,” he said, speaking at a Ramadan majlis on Sunday night. “But personal freedoms can be restricted for the benefit of the public interest.”
Mixed marriages are more likely to end in divorce and their children are more likely to commit crimes, some experts at the majilis said.
“There should be very specific circumstances for when such marriages are allowed,” Dr al Haddad said. “Such as when a man is too old and cannot find an Emirati to marry him, or when he wants to take a third of fourth wife for certain reasons and no Emirati woman agrees to do so.”
Social experts have attributed the escalating trend to the large dowries demanded by Emirati women – as much as Dh800,000 – and to high wedding ceremony expenses that have reached Dh1 million.
The Grand Mufti of Dubai has called for restrictions on Emiratis marrying outside their nationality.
“In Islam, choosing your life partner is a personal freedom,” he said, speaking at a Ramadan majlis on Sunday night. “But personal freedoms can be restricted for the benefit of the public interest.”
Mixed marriages are more likely to end in divorce and their children are more likely to commit crimes, some experts at the majilis said.
“There should be very specific circumstances for when such marriages are allowed,” Dr al Haddad said. “Such as when a man is too old and cannot find an Emirati to marry him, or when he wants to take a third of fourth wife for certain reasons and no Emirati woman agrees to do so.”
Social experts have attributed the escalating trend to the large dowries demanded by Emirati women – as much as Dh800,000 – and to high wedding ceremony expenses that have reached Dh1 million.
Ramadan in Abu Dhabi
It's nearing the end of Ramadan and this post is kinda late, but better late than never!
This is my first Ramadan in UAE, save for my visit to Dubai 2 years ago for interviews, and it's definitely a very different experience to Malaysia. In Malaysia, nothing really changes, except offices shut 1/2 hour earlier, and there are tons of stalls open in the evenings where people buy food.
Over here, hours are dramatically shorter, most offices are only open from 9am to 3pm, including mine. Unfortunately my team doesn't follow these hours, so no good there :( All or most restaurants are shut during the day, and only open in the evening, so you can't go into a mall to have a meal. The only place to eat is in a hotel where the restaurants would be covered by a huge curtain shielding the food from public view.
You can't eat or drink or smoke in public. In the gyms they even move the water coolers to a separate room so you can only drink in the room. There isn't anything to do during the day as most shops are also closed in the afternoon and only open at 7pm but they all open late till 1am. I was at a mall one weeknight after watching a movie and eating dinner, and the mall was packed at 11pm, including little kids running everywhere. We were probably the only non Muslim person around though! I have heard that most people who are fasting just stay up all night until suhour and then they sleep at 5am and if they have to go to work they wake up again at 8am.
It's quite interesting to me, coming from Malaysia where even people who are fasting would be serving food in a restaurant while they are fasting. Here, there is no tolerance for people who are not fasting to eat, drink or smoke. What I find sad is that while this is supposed to be the Holy Month, where people help the poor etc, this is also the month where the most food is wasted. I went to an Iftar (open fast banquet) and the food buffet was incredible. And they have it at every single hotel in the city...that's kinda ironic for me. But there are tons of good charitable causes going on too, like free food boxes for the poor given out everyday at the mosque and at hotels.
All in all, its been interesting, i'm glad when it is over and when things go back to normal!
This is my first Ramadan in UAE, save for my visit to Dubai 2 years ago for interviews, and it's definitely a very different experience to Malaysia. In Malaysia, nothing really changes, except offices shut 1/2 hour earlier, and there are tons of stalls open in the evenings where people buy food.
Over here, hours are dramatically shorter, most offices are only open from 9am to 3pm, including mine. Unfortunately my team doesn't follow these hours, so no good there :( All or most restaurants are shut during the day, and only open in the evening, so you can't go into a mall to have a meal. The only place to eat is in a hotel where the restaurants would be covered by a huge curtain shielding the food from public view.
You can't eat or drink or smoke in public. In the gyms they even move the water coolers to a separate room so you can only drink in the room. There isn't anything to do during the day as most shops are also closed in the afternoon and only open at 7pm but they all open late till 1am. I was at a mall one weeknight after watching a movie and eating dinner, and the mall was packed at 11pm, including little kids running everywhere. We were probably the only non Muslim person around though! I have heard that most people who are fasting just stay up all night until suhour and then they sleep at 5am and if they have to go to work they wake up again at 8am.
It's quite interesting to me, coming from Malaysia where even people who are fasting would be serving food in a restaurant while they are fasting. Here, there is no tolerance for people who are not fasting to eat, drink or smoke. What I find sad is that while this is supposed to be the Holy Month, where people help the poor etc, this is also the month where the most food is wasted. I went to an Iftar (open fast banquet) and the food buffet was incredible. And they have it at every single hotel in the city...that's kinda ironic for me. But there are tons of good charitable causes going on too, like free food boxes for the poor given out everyday at the mosque and at hotels.
All in all, its been interesting, i'm glad when it is over and when things go back to normal!
Monday, August 23, 2010
DVDs for sale
A few weeks ago, I had someone ring my door bell at 9pm on a weekday night. I open the door and there was this Chinese lady holding a big bag.
She goes : "You want dvd??"
Me: "Erm, no need, thank you"
Chinese Lady: "Very cheap, only 10dirham, all very clear. You don't watch dvd?"
I just stood there thinking, how bizarre!! I didn't buy any as my mum just brought my shipment from Malaysia!
She goes : "You want dvd??"
Me: "Erm, no need, thank you"
Chinese Lady: "Very cheap, only 10dirham, all very clear. You don't watch dvd?"
I just stood there thinking, how bizarre!! I didn't buy any as my mum just brought my shipment from Malaysia!
Drama Drama..
I went diving in Daymaniyat Islands in Oman 2 weekends ago with a friend who visited from Hong Kong and a friend from here. The islands are about 100kms north of Muscat and apparently the best spot to dive in Oman. The diving was awesome, though the trip was drama filled from the start!
One of my friends is a newbie diver and she was requested to pay extra for a dive master, which I felt was good as she would have someone to take care of her. Unfortunately the dive master also had 8 other divers to take care of, so I had to take care of my friend as he also wasn't the most responsible dive master I've met. He even forgot to bring 2 tanks, and 2 divers shared air while diving (which is a BIG NO NO!!). However the dives were good, and we saw so many turtles and they were the most friendly turtles I've ever met!
On the second day, the boat captain dropped the boat key into the water before taking off. He also had the spare key tied to the main key, so we all thought there goes our diving trip! Who in the world keeps the spare and master key together? Fortunately after 1 hour of digging through the sand and sea, they found the key and we departed! When we came back to shore, my friends and I washed our equipment, got packing and headed home for our 4 hour drive home.
When I came home at 11.30pm, the compound was dark - after 3 days being away (think no air conditioning in my apartment in 45 degree heat!), there was no power!! The security guard said maybe it would come back in an hour, so we decided to head out to get groceries at 12am. When we got home, there was still no electricity but by that time, we were just so exhausted that I just slept on the tile floors where it was much cooler. The power came back on at 5am, and I had to wake up again at 7 to head to work. I also then realised that I left my wetsuit in the resort! Superb ending to an eventful trip - thankfully the resort was fantastic and got some divers who live in Dubai to bring back the wetsuit, and I've managed to already get it back!
My poor friend who was visiting definitely had a good taste of the Middle East!
Monday, August 9, 2010
Monday, August 2, 2010
Bye Bye Crackberry
Maybe now IT will support iphones instead of giving me a crackberry!
BlackBerry services suspended in October
The UAE announced the world’s first suspensions of BlackBerry services yesterday as telecoms officials in Saudi Arabia also piled pressure on the devices’ maker to allow access to messages sent with them.
The UAE’s telephone and internet regulator, the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA), said that services for the nation’s 500,000 BlackBerry users would be suspended from October 11. Saudi Arabia’s telecom watchdog was reported to have ordered telecom firms operating in the kingdom to stop BlackBerry messenger services later this month. Saudi Telecom has about 400,000 BlackBerry users.
The moves follow signs of an agreement reached last week between the Indian government and the device’s manufacturer, Research in Motion (RIM), following similar threats by India to suspend services.
BlackBerrys send encrypted messages via RIM’s servers in the UK and Canada – meaning there is no way for authorities outside those countries to access them. This has led to concerns that the system can be exploited by terrorists to threaten national security.
The TRA said it had attempted to negotiate with RIM over various ways to obtain access to encrypted data since 2007.
According to the TRA statement, encrypted messages sent on BlackBerry phones are beyond the reach of UAE law enforcement. These services could “allow users to act without any legal accountability, causing judicial, social and national security concerns”.
BlackBerry services suspended in October
The UAE announced the world’s first suspensions of BlackBerry services yesterday as telecoms officials in Saudi Arabia also piled pressure on the devices’ maker to allow access to messages sent with them.
The UAE’s telephone and internet regulator, the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA), said that services for the nation’s 500,000 BlackBerry users would be suspended from October 11. Saudi Arabia’s telecom watchdog was reported to have ordered telecom firms operating in the kingdom to stop BlackBerry messenger services later this month. Saudi Telecom has about 400,000 BlackBerry users.
The moves follow signs of an agreement reached last week between the Indian government and the device’s manufacturer, Research in Motion (RIM), following similar threats by India to suspend services.
BlackBerrys send encrypted messages via RIM’s servers in the UK and Canada – meaning there is no way for authorities outside those countries to access them. This has led to concerns that the system can be exploited by terrorists to threaten national security.
The TRA said it had attempted to negotiate with RIM over various ways to obtain access to encrypted data since 2007.
According to the TRA statement, encrypted messages sent on BlackBerry phones are beyond the reach of UAE law enforcement. These services could “allow users to act without any legal accountability, causing judicial, social and national security concerns”.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Love Indian food..
One thing I have loved about Abu Dhabi is the diversity, quality and price of Indian food. Most expats don't try these tiny restaurants in the city, they prefer to eat at malls, and hotel restaurants, which are overpriced and are of very, very average quality.
I would easily pay AED60-80 for a meal at a cafe in a mall (that's about AUD20-30) and at least AED100-300 (AUD30-100) for a meal at a hotel restaurant.
The meal above is an Indian vegetarian meal in a popular restaurant in the city. Total cost - AED10 (or AUD3.50). And the quality is remarkable, the guy even asked me if I wanted to top up the gravy. Most of these restaurants even deliver for free, and some friends and I had a full meal last night for AED60, delivered straight to the flat. Some people have no idea what they're missing out on.
I don't get this...
This is the line to fill up my car with petrol. This is the USUAL line, no matter what time of the day it is. In fact, I think the only time that I did not have to wait 10 minutes to fill my car up was at 1pm on a Friday (aka prayer time). They really need to build more petrol stations.
UAE is also one of the few places I have been where you don't have to get out of the car to fill up your tank. You sit in air conditioned comfort while waiting for your turn, an attendant comes, you turn your engine off (well most people don't), and he fills it up. I have even seen people asking the attendant to run into the kiosk to buy them drinks / snacks while they wait in the car. I wonder what happens when the locals here have to drive overseas, and whether they manage to run these things by themselves if they had to.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Woman who alleged rape jailed
I was so upset to read about this. This was the same story I had on my blog a couple of weeks back about an 18 year old girl who retracted her rape claim after claiming 5 men raped her. She has been jailed for a year for consensual sex, and I guess the saddest thing is that she did not have any family or lawyers with her in court. According to Syariah Law, to prove rape, the accused has to confess to it, or the act has to be witnessed by 4 grown men...
ABU DHABI // A teenager who alleged she was gang-raped by five men but later recanted her claim has been sentenced to a year in prison for consensual sex.
The five she had initially accused were acquitted of rape by the Abu Dhabi Criminal Court yesterday, but were found guilty of less serious charges.
The Emirati teenager LH, 18, was found to have consented to intercourse with YM, a 19-year-old military police officer who was also sentenced to a year in jail after the rape charge against him was changed to one of consensual sex by the judge.
Two other defendants, both referred to as HA, were sentenced to three months in prison each for being alone in the company of a woman.
The fifth and sixth defendants were fined Dh5,000 each for violations of public decency.
The latter verdicts represented rare court rulings in which Sharia law was directly imposed. Police rarely arrest people based on such charges alone; more often they are secondary charges typically connected to sex offences.
LH has been in custody since filing the complaint. She was never appointed a lawyer during the trial, and none of her family members appeared in court during the proceedings.
According to the forensics report submitted to the court LH reported the incident on April 23.
enetic material recovered from the scene led the judge to convict YM of consensual sex, while acquitting HA.
The forensics report found that LH was not a virgin and that there was no genital bruising. It found 12 bruises ranging from 1cm to 7cm long on her upper lip, hands, thighs, knee and behind her left ear.
“Some of the bruises are new, two to three days old, and some of them are old, seven to 15 days old,” the report said. The report attributed the bruises to body pressure or being hit with something solid.
During the trial, prosecutors claimed that LH had gone for a drive on May 2 with her male Emirati friend, HA, in Baniyas, where they had intercourse. Prosecutors said the fact she agreed to go with him alone in the car partly showed her consent to sex.
They said that, HA, 19, then called five of his friends – four Emiratis and one Iraqi – and invited them to join him in raping her in the backseat of his Nissan Altima. Charges against one defendant were later dropped.
On May 25, LH retracted her accusation of rape.
Despite this, only the Public Prosecution had the authority to drop the rape charges – which they did not.
Within two days of the incident, LH had been tested by the forensics unit at the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department. Evidence of assault was cited by the public prosecution in charging the men with rape. LH told the court that bruises on her body came from a beating administered by her brother because he suspected she had relationships with men.
Each of the six has 15 days to appeal the verdict.
ABU DHABI // A teenager who alleged she was gang-raped by five men but later recanted her claim has been sentenced to a year in prison for consensual sex.
The five she had initially accused were acquitted of rape by the Abu Dhabi Criminal Court yesterday, but were found guilty of less serious charges.
The Emirati teenager LH, 18, was found to have consented to intercourse with YM, a 19-year-old military police officer who was also sentenced to a year in jail after the rape charge against him was changed to one of consensual sex by the judge.
Two other defendants, both referred to as HA, were sentenced to three months in prison each for being alone in the company of a woman.
The fifth and sixth defendants were fined Dh5,000 each for violations of public decency.
The latter verdicts represented rare court rulings in which Sharia law was directly imposed. Police rarely arrest people based on such charges alone; more often they are secondary charges typically connected to sex offences.
LH has been in custody since filing the complaint. She was never appointed a lawyer during the trial, and none of her family members appeared in court during the proceedings.
According to the forensics report submitted to the court LH reported the incident on April 23.
enetic material recovered from the scene led the judge to convict YM of consensual sex, while acquitting HA.
The forensics report found that LH was not a virgin and that there was no genital bruising. It found 12 bruises ranging from 1cm to 7cm long on her upper lip, hands, thighs, knee and behind her left ear.
“Some of the bruises are new, two to three days old, and some of them are old, seven to 15 days old,” the report said. The report attributed the bruises to body pressure or being hit with something solid.
During the trial, prosecutors claimed that LH had gone for a drive on May 2 with her male Emirati friend, HA, in Baniyas, where they had intercourse. Prosecutors said the fact she agreed to go with him alone in the car partly showed her consent to sex.
They said that, HA, 19, then called five of his friends – four Emiratis and one Iraqi – and invited them to join him in raping her in the backseat of his Nissan Altima. Charges against one defendant were later dropped.
On May 25, LH retracted her accusation of rape.
Despite this, only the Public Prosecution had the authority to drop the rape charges – which they did not.
Within two days of the incident, LH had been tested by the forensics unit at the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department. Evidence of assault was cited by the public prosecution in charging the men with rape. LH told the court that bruises on her body came from a beating administered by her brother because he suspected she had relationships with men.
Each of the six has 15 days to appeal the verdict.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Crazy Traffic Jam
I got stuck in the worst traffic jam that Abu Dhabi has ever seen 2 nights ago. What normally takes me 15 minutes turned into 1.5 hours, and literally it took me 1 hour 20 minutes to cover 2km. I really wanted to dump my car and walk home but there was no way to park. Apparently the reason was that a crane broke down in the city, causing 2 streets to close. That was the official reason. The other contributing factor that wasn't obviously reported was that they closed off 1 major exit out of the city for a VIP event. Nice one, let the whole city come to a grinding halt to let some VIPs through.
I read today that a lady nearly delivered in her car as she could not get to the hospital on time. Thankfully an ambulance got to her 1/2 hour before her delivery to bring her to the closest hospital..story here
http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100603/NATIONAL/706029831&SearchID=73392676144537
I read today that a lady nearly delivered in her car as she could not get to the hospital on time. Thankfully an ambulance got to her 1/2 hour before her delivery to bring her to the closest hospital..story here
http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100603/NATIONAL/706029831&SearchID=73392676144537
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