Fujairah News Over the Summer 2011

Been away from Fujairah over the summer?

New to Fujairah and are wondering what’s been going on?

Here are some of the headlines and links to those events and issues in Fujairah, UAE that made the news from approximately mid-June to mid-August 2011.

Items are listed in rough chronological order under each category and the list is not intended to be exhaustive.

Some quick observations:

• A lot has happened in Fujairah in recent weeks—new buildings, businesses and policies.
• The biggest category relates to crime and punishment.
• Drug use appears on the rise or has captured the attention of the police.

Royal News

• Sheikh Hamad inspects construction projects in Fujairah. Link.
• Fujairah Ruler sends condolences to King of Bahrain. Link.
• Fujairah Crown Prince sponsors Port and Beach Cleaning along Fujairah Coast. Link.
• Further on Sheikh Mohammed’s passion for diving and commitment to keeping the coast clean. Link.
• Crown Prince meets with UAE President. Link.
• Oman’s Sultan welcomed by Fujairah dignitaries. Link.
• Fujairah Ruler greets King of Morocco on anniversary of his accession. Link.
• Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Visits Fujairah Hospital. Link. Video Link.
• Fujairah Ruler receives Ramadan well wishers. Link.
• Ruler and Crown Prince attend Sheikh Maktoum’s graduation at Sandhurst. Link.

Accidents, Fires, Injuries, Rescues, Fatalities

• Two killed, four injured on Fujairah Roads. Link.
• Fujairah building on fire (17 June 2011). YouTube video links One.
• Fire burns Al Hail factory. Link.
• Man searching for wild honey fell from mountain and died. Link.
• Four rescued after being lost at sea off Fujairah. Link.
• Missing Fujairah fishermen keep calm and cook curry. Link.
• Driver dies as car hits truck in Fujairah. Link.

Business, Development & Economy

• New Damas store, Les Exclusive Boutique in main street. Link.
• Chemoil expects Fujairah oil storage expansion complete by Q3 2012. Link.
• IPIC’s oil refinery in Fujairah is significant says OAPEC as the refinery is planned to have a capacity of up to 200,000 barrels per day. Link.
• Emarat completes terminal for storing and distributing petrol products. Link.
• SouqExtra! opens in Merbah. Link.
• OW Bunker Middle East relocates to Dubai due to rapid bunkering growth at Fujairah. Link.
• UAE investing in Northern Emirates. Link.
• Fuel shortage impacts on Fujairah fuel market. Link.
• Growing UAE exports to China flow out of Abu Dhabi to Fujairah oil pipeline. Link.
• Rent prices stable in Fujairah. Link.

Sport

• Women’s football includes players from Fujairah. Link.

• Development of tennis with Fujairah Tennis and Country Club linking with Tennis Emirates in recruitment and training of young players.
• Sport fishing in Fujairah. Video. Link.
• Great turnout for Fujairah badminton tournament. Link.
• Ironman to commence triathlon across UAE from Fujairah. Link.
• Boxing potential in UAE. Link.
• Maktoum Champs underway in Fujairah. Link.
• Ruler and Crown Prince receive boxers at the palace. Link.

Hotels

• Special UAE hotel promotions at Fujairah hotels. Link.
• Two new hotels and more hospitality jobs in Fujairah. Link.
• Radisson Blue Resort under new management and brand. Link.
• JAL baffled by decision to give away Fujairah contracts. Link.

Crime and Punishment

• Three imprisoned and fined for drug use. Concern over use of drugs by young people as young as eleven. Link.
• 15 years jail for attempted murder. Link.
• Thieves get a year behind bars before being deported. Link.
• Exorcists cause death of their patient and get 2 year spell in prison. Link.
• Murder victim’s kin seeks Dh800,000 to drop case. Link.
• 23 arrested for taking narcotics. Link.
• Smartcard to prevent abuse of prescriptions for narcotics. Link.
• 11 Fujairah firms fined for flouting midday rule. Link.
• Rising drug use in Fujairah. Link.
• 3 salons fined, hair dye seized. Link.
• Father of murdered youth seeks justice. Link.
• Money exchange employee takes Dh10,000 from his company. Link.
• Four years for drugs. Link.
• Hotel waiter jailed for bomb hoax. Link.
• Drink/drug driving lands 14 months in jail. Link.

Shipping and Cruises

• New ship, Serenade of the Seas to visit Fujairah 2012. Link.
• Fujairah on 7 day Arabian Adventure cruise (2012) by the ship MSC Lirica. Link.
• The visit of the Costa Favolosa with 3,800 tourists to Fujairah. Link.

Marine Life

• Preserving Fujairah’s reefs are boosting fish stocks. Link.
• Coral reef planted off Khor Fakkan. Link.

Honored

• Fujairah’s Dr Christophe Tourenq wins award for contribution to environmental awareness and was a key player in Wadi Wurayah being designated a protected area. Link.
• 84 people plus Fujairah Crown Prince honored for excelling in medical services. Link.
• Crown Prince honours graduates at IAT and Abu Dhabi’s CP for setting up IAT across UAE. Link.

New Policies

• New guide released on labour laws in UAE. Link.
• Stricter regulations regarding waste landfills. Link.
• Boats without tracking devices face stiff penalties. Link.

Scenery, Tourism

• Great photo article on the delight’s of Snoopy Island. Link.
• Visiting the Fujairah Museum. Link.
• Surge of GCC visitors to UAE. Link.
• Fishing, diving, bull butting and spa in Fujairah. Link.
• Video: Swimming at Wadi Wurayah. Link.
• Bull Butting in Fujairah. Link.
• Escape the heat with an underwater adventure. Link.
• Weekend break options include Fujairah. Link.

Education, Training and Research

• Fujairah science student scores 99.9% and other top students. Link.
• Some words from top students. Link. Further report.
• An Australian Hospitality Training company is setting up a training business in Fujairah that will train hospitality professionals and grant a worldwide qualification. Link
• Inter-Cultural Intelligence is important to Fujairah Women’s College (HCT). Link.
• Research project developed by Fujairah school. Link.

Religion

• 15 new mosques for Fujairah in 2011. Link.
• Video interview of RAK and Fujairah residents about Ramadans in the summer in the days before refrigerators and AC. Link.
• Ramadan in August 1978. Link.

Ramadan

• Bus Timings to Fujairah during Ramadan. Link.
• Fujairah Ruler pardons 42 prisoners. Link.
• 220,000 to benefit from Ramadan charity projects in Fujairah. Link.
• Food safety ramped up in Ramadan. Link.
• Etisalat staff to work two shifts during Ramadan. Link.
• Cheap rice a gift from UAE President. Link.
• UAE leaders exchange Ramadan greetings. Link.
• Fujairah lecture ‘Don’t limit prayer only to Ramadan.” Link.
• Ramadan hours in Freezones. Link.
• Ramadan food market a big hit. Link.
• Fasting should be longer for mountain dwellers. Link.

Lifestyle and Culture

• Surviving the summer heat in the desert in the days before air conditioners. Link.
• Village near Masafi runs out of water. Link.
• Earthquake activity in the UAE and the bid to build safer buildings and communities. Link.
• Business School Director loves diving in Fujairah waters. Link.
• The deserted village of Wamm. Link.
• Indonesian expat network in Fujairah. Link.
• UAE’s leading oud player comes from Fujairah. Link.
• Fujairah to feature in UAE wildlife TV series. Link.
• Fujairah student contributes to painting digital picture of fort. Link.

Weather

• Fujairah reaches 46 C degrees. Link. And 47 C. Link.
• Floods in Fujairah. Link. Also in Kalba. Link.
• Rain falls in Fujairah early in Ramadan. Link.
• Heat and Humidity continues. Link.

Health, Hospitals

• Inauguration of Fujairah Hospital’s new Centre for Cardiac Catheterization and Thalassemia Centre. Link.
• Ban on midday work in summer heat. Link.
• Fujairah hospitals inspected to meet accreditation standards. Link.
• GMC hospital receives two year accreditation. Link.
• Fujairah food poisoning campaign. Link.
• UAE PM visits Fujairah Hospital. Link.
• Service of medics lauded by UAE PM. Link.
• Advanced Trauma Life Support for Doctors (ATLS) Provider Course to be held in Fujairah. Link.
• UAE health services in decline. Link.

Conferences and Festivals

• Crown Prince opens Fujairah’s National Summer Programme. Link.
• Summer heritage camp visits Sharjah Museum. Link.

Population

• Emirati population in Fujairah (2010): 64,860 of which 32,486 are male and 32, 374 are female. UAE’s total native population in mid 2010: 947.997 which represents 11.4% of total population (8.264 million). Link.

Photos

• Fujairah fort. Link.
• Old Fujairah stamps for sale. Link.
• One week in Fujairah. Link.
• The bulls are coming. Link.
• Scenes of Bithna Fort. Link.
• UAE photos (including one of Fujairah) in the New Yorker. Link.
• Fujairah from space in 3D. Link.

Environment, Flora and Fauna

• Celebrating Wadi Wurayah. Link.
• Unsafe crusher closed down. Link.
• Three more quarries closed down. Link.
• Fujairah recorders involved in annual bird census. Link.
• Bird habitats threatened. Link.
• Largest solar panel plant in UAE based in Fujairah has no market in own country. Link.
• Regulation soon to monitor ground water use in Fujairah. Link.
• Fujairah factory is only place in UAE where plastics can be reprocessed but supply is insufficient despite too much plastic in landfill. Link.

Transport, Roads, Rail, Ports, Airlines

• Road refurbishment in Al Hail industrial zone. Link.
• Trains selected for UAE rail that will serve Fujairah. Link.
• Can the Gulf support its ports including Fujairah port? BBC Video. Link.
• Does the UAE need another airline? Link.
• Eastern Express hopes to fly between Fujairah and Abu Dhabi. Link.

Politics

• Fujairah electoral rolls published for Federal National Council. Link.
• Awareness programme for Electoral College members. Link.
• Fujairah women and the national polls. Link.
• Registration commences for UAE elections. Link.

Shopping, Food, Retail, Business

• Fish prices shoot up in Fujairah. Link.
• Lulu Express opens in Fujairah. Link.
• MD of Fujairah National Group speaks of ongoing projects and future development of the emirate of Fujairah. Link.
• Fujairah mango, date and lemon farmers participate in Liwa Date Festival. Link.
• Growing mangoes and lemons in Fujairah. Link.
• Fresh fish treats and especially blue lobster from Fujairah. Link.
• High power and water revenue from Fujairah 2 Plant. Link.

Geoff Pound

Lots more Fujairah news and views on the Fujairah in Focus Facebook Page.

Image: Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad, the Crown Prince of Fujairah, sponsored a clean up event along the coast at Mirbah.

Fujairah Municipality Fosters Community Service Among Students

The Fujairah Municipality participated recently in a project to foster community service in the emirate.

It was undertaken under the umbrella of the Takatof Voluntary Social Program of the Emirates Foundation for Philanthropy.

Takatof has for years fostered the spirit of volunteerism among all age groups of society.

The Department of Public Health worked in collaboration with the Sakamkam School for Basic education in which the students were able to show their appreciation to labourers that serve the community.

The project, which has been running throughout the 2010-2011 academic year, has been entitled, “Your Welfare is Your Self-seeking.”

The project involved the distribution of more than 50 meals to labourers in Fujairah. The presentations were made at the Fujairah Corniche.

The students participating ranged from 8 to 10 and the purpose of the exercise was to instill within them a spirit of appreciation.

The students were reminded that such a gesture was in line with the Prophet Mohammed (Peace be upon him) who encouraged workers to persevere and tend to the service of society.

Representatives of the school thanked the men for the contribution that they make to the community life of Fujairah. In turn, the students were thanked for their service, by representatives of the Fujairah Municipality.

Engineer Mohammed Saif Afkham, the General Manager of the Fujairah Municipality, said that collaborating with the school in this project was important for highlighting the service role of the municipality.

The municipality will continue to work on a range of projects to extend the service dimension and offer appreciation to the many people who serve the society in Fujairah.

Geoff Pound

This article is also posted on the Fujairah in Focus Facebook Page.

Images: Photos courtesy of the Fujairah Municipality.

Fresh Dates Appearing in Fujairah and Kalba Souqs and Shops

The first dates for the year are appearing in Fujairah and Kalba souqs and supermarkets.

They are near enough to full size, some are still green and unripe (kimri) while others are changing colour and are crunchy to eat (khalal).

At these early stages of development they have a distinctive taste but they are regarded as a delicacy by locals and a foretaste of good things to come.

Dates are a good source of Vitamin C and they give a good energy boost in this unusually hot weather.

Geoff Pound

This article is also posted on the Fujairah in Focus—Facebook Page.

Images: These photos were taken at the Kalba fruit and vegetable souq this week. Date vendors were offering a free taste and serving customers as they entered the front doors of the souq.

Mangroves and Sidr Trees in Fujairah and Kalba

A person doing research on the food that the local people of Fujairah and Kalba ate hundreds and thousands of years ago has asked some questions.

I wonder if you can help?

1. Have you ever seen mangrove trees (qurm in Arabic) with fruit in this area and do local people still eat them? The Fujairah and Kalba fruit markets don’t appear to stock mangrove fruit in their souks but maybe this is regarded as a wild or traditional fruit.

2. If you have seen mangrove fruit, when does the fruit ripen in Fujairah and Kalba?

3. Have you ever seen sidr trees around Fujairah and Kalba? This tree has an ancient tradition and the fruit and honey that comes from it is much sought after, especially in Yemen.

4. If so, when does the sidr fruit ripen in Fujairah and Kalba?

(See pictures of the sidr fruit or berries at this link)

Honey

5. Does honey come from the mangrove blossom in Fujairah and Kalba and if so, when?

6. Does honey come from the sidr blossom in Fujairah and Kalba and if so, at what times of the year?

If you know one or more answers to the questions, do send me an email. The researcher would be grateful to hear what you have to say.

Geoff Pound

geoffpound(at)gmail.com

This article is also posted on the Fujairah in Focus—Facebook Page.

Images: Mangrove fruit (courtesy of Wikipedia).

Dividing the Day into Two in Fujairah and Multiplying the Fun

If you’re a mad dog or an Englishman going out in the midday sun in Fujairah with the intention of doing some shopping, you may well be out of luck.

While some shops and Colleges keep their doors open from 9 to 5 or thereabouts, many government offices close finally for the day at 2pm or they close at 2 and open again at 4.40 and go until 7 or 7.30pm.

Every business is different in terms of their opening hours.

The Al Khaleej Bookshop in the Fujairah posts their opening hours on the shop window (pictured).

Why Divide the Day?

In bigger UAE cities like Dubai where commuting takes forever, many shoppers and workers resist the idea of dividing the day, going home and returning for the second half.

In Fujairah, a city that is growing and where the streets are slowing, it still is quite feasible to keep to the Emirati tradition of a day with two halves.

On a day like today when it is 45+ degrees at 1pm, it’s only the ‘Mad Dogs and Englishmen’ who enjoy walking around the hot pavements of the city.

While dividing the day into two has been a long tradition in hot countries like the Emirates, the Englishman, Winston Churchill, was a great exponent of this art. He reckoned he got more done by cutting the day into two and he worked late into the night.

Emirati Mathematics

Attending a conference the other day in a Fujairah hotel we broke for a sumptuous lunch. Nearing the end of it someone asked if a rest period was on the programme after lunch. Our hopes were dashed when we were told by one of the organizers that we had only 5 minutes before the next session.

I said, “What a pity. I like the practice of the Emirati siesta when you can have a hearty meal and a sleep.”

To which one of the Emirati delegates replied, “Not just a hearty meal but hearty sex too!”

Dividing the day to subtract the stress and multiply the fun and the family.

Emirati mathematics at its best.

Geoff Pound

This article is also posted on the Fujairah in Focus—Facebook Page.

Single People ‘Living Together’ and Being Together in the UAE

The much-publicised legal case of Brisbane woman, Alicia Gali, is raising important questions about whose responsibility it is to inform tourists and those coming to work in the Emirates.

Alicia Gali is suing the Australian Government and her former employer, Fujairah resort, Le Méridien, for failing to adequately inform her about the very different laws in the UAE that led to her twelve month imprisonment in 2008-2009.

These legal processes will probably take months to arrive at a verdict but Gali’s case and others like it are stimulating articles in UAE newspapers about the distinctive features of the UAE Penal Code.

The Gulf News has a helpful article in today’s edition (9 June 2011) about some of these laws in the UAE which relate to issues like these:

• Living together as an unmarried couple
• Sharing a house with an unrelated person of the opposite sex
• Mixed flatting
• The application of Sharia Law to those who aren’t Muslims
• Consensual sex between unmarried people
• Being in a car with an unrelated person of the opposite sex

Link

Living Together in the UAE? Think Twice, Gulf News, 9 June 2011.

Related

Alicia Gali Rape Case Puts Fujairah Back in the Australian News, FIF, 7 June 2011.

Geoff Pound

This article is also posted on the Fujairah in Focus—Facebook Page.

Image: Courtesy of Gulf News.

Historic Petro-Chemical Fire-Fighting Exercise in Fujairah

Most fire fighting exercises are simulated events without fire but today’s fight against a burning oil tank was a first for Fujairah and the UAE.

Risk & Competence

Major Ali Juma Al Rashdi, Manager of Operations at the Civil Defence, said that today’s demonstration was about generating awareness in Fujairah about the risks of the growing petro-chemical industry in the emirate but more importantly it was to show that the fire brigades and emergency services were capable and equal to the task.

Combining Forces

Mr. Nabeel Ali, Chief Fire and Safety Compliance Officer for the ENOC Corporation said that while this was a Civil Defence drill there were many other groups giving support. Each of the Fujairah-based oil companies had three to five of their fire safety officers participating in this morning’s exercise.

On the Beach

The exercise took place on the raised sandy platform south of Fujairah’s Umbrella Beach and within sight of the Beach Motel and the Port of Fujairah.

A 7.5 metre high tank with a 5 metre diameter was filled with 80,000 litres of heavy oil and another 30,000 litres were poured outside the tank within a raised band. While the practice tank was not the size of the oil bunkers emerging beyond the port, this fire gave a good idea of how well local fire fighters and Civil Defence personnel could apply their skills to extinguishing the flames.

The Gallery

A ‘Who’s Who’ from the Fujairah Police, the Civil Defence, the Fujairah Municipality and the city’s oil industry rolled up to a tent adjacent to the oil tank. In the shade, sitting in armchairs while sipping fruit juice they prepared to watch the firefighters do battle in the scorching heat.

Shortly after the arrival of His Highness, Sheikh Saleh Bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, Chairman, Department of Industry and Economy, the tank was ignited.

Spectacular and Toxic

Immediately the dark, toxic clouds bellowed up from the tank and blew towards the port. The soaring flames were aggressive and spectacular. Minutes after ignition, the sirens of the fire engines could be heard and in no time the regular appliances, as well as some engines with telescopic fire booms, were on the site.

'If You Can’t Stand the Heat'

One of the challenges of the exercise was to measure the intensity of the heat at various distances from the raging fire and to evaluate the capacity of the firefighters to withstand this heat and over what period of time. Wearing the fire protection suits in 44 degree heat is a stress for the body let alone doing vigorous exercise around the blazing fire.

The UAE fire brigades are most familiar with civil fires but they have little real experience of industrial fires, hence the value of a fire drill with an oil fire.

Evaluating Success

Mr. Nabeel Ali said that measuring the ability of the firefighters to put out the fire would be obvious during the estimated 30 minute exercise but a thorough evaluation by the key players in the next few days will be helpful for learning how the exercise went and determining how systems can be improved.

Mafi Mushkila

The firefighters used foam to put the fire out in 15 to 20 minutes and they did this with apparent ease. Mr. Nabeel Ali said, “Mafi Mushkila (No problems). I am pleased that the team did such a competent job.”

Mabrook!

Mabrook! Congratulations to the entire team for undertaking an historic first training drill and executing it in extreme heat.

Take a Look

Some photos from the firefighting exercise are posted in this photo album.

Geoff Pound

This article is also posted on the Fujairah in Focus—Facebook Page.

'Drove my Chevy to the Levee, but the Levee was'…Flooded in Fujairah

A meeting was held this week (7 June 2011) at the Fujairah Municipality to discuss the potential impact of flooded levees on the surrounding area.

The engineers of the Ministry of Environment and Water, members of the Environment—Department of Environmental Protection at the Fujairah Municipality, expert consultants and those involved in disaster management discussed possibilities in the event of a major flood or the collapse of a dam in the emirate of Fujairah.

They thought about the movement, the speed and the height of a wall of water and its impact on different sites around Fujairah. They hoped that their outcomes might resource decision makers in urban planning and prepare disaster management teams to establish adequate contingency plans to face the risk of flooding.

The impact of climate change in the UAE was central to this discussion at the Fujairah Municipality.

Geoff Pound

This article is also posted on the Fujairah in Focus—Facebook Page.

Images: The experts and representatives of different groups who attended this strategic meeting.

They included Fujairah Municipality HE Salem Marh Director of the Department of Works and Agriculture, Engineer Ali Qasim, Director of Natural Resources, First Lieutenant Rashid Obaid Zouaydi of Police Fujairah, Mr. Salim Mohammed Al Naqbi, Mr. Mohammed Helal Zahmi of the National Commission for Disaster Management, Mr. Salem and Mr. Osama Awad from the Ministry of Environment and Water, Mohamed Osman and M. Ahmed Rashid Ali Abu Bakr Muhammad of the Ministry of Environment and Water in the Eastern Region and a number of departmental directors and heads of departments from the Municipality of Fujairah.

Fujairah Football Club Has New Car Park, Shops and Elephants

For months the Fujairah Football Club has been undergoing renovations both within the main grandstand building and in the car park within the establishment.

About a dozen shops have been created using both the land that fronts onto the road as well as the land down the southern side.

This looks like it will be a good money spinner for the club once the shops have been let and are doing business.

The road outside the football club has gone through a major overhaul with an elaborate speed hump, reddish paving stones all around, new date palms and other trees.

An extensive car park has been created, paved and painted on the south side of the club next to the hotel.

Near the road in this new car park a fountain has been established with a dozen elephants, some of which will dedicate their trunks to spouting forth the water.

Many people have remarked on the elephants wondering what they have to do with Arabia and thinking whether a display of camels might have been more appropriate to the local culture.

This fountain should be a sight to see once the water is flowing and the electricity is connected to light up the frollicking elephants at night.

Geoff Pound

This article is also posted on the Fujairah in Focus—Facebook Page.

Images: New shops at the front of the Fujairah Football Club and elephants galore!

Alicia Gali Rape Case Puts Fujairah Back in the Australian News

The next stage in the legal proceedings today by Alicia Gali has put ‘Fujairah’ front and centre in the Australian news.

The Brisbane woman, who worked as a salon manager at Fujairah’s Le Méridien Resort, was jailed for adultery in June 2008 after she reported to the UAE police that she had been drugged and raped by three or four male co-workers at Le Méridien.

Gali v Le Méridien

Ms Gali and her legal team have already been given the go-ahead to pursue legal action against the resort for failure of the company to protect her against assault and the legal consequences of reporting a rape case to the UAE police.

Gali v Commonwealth of Australia

Today’s step (7 June 2011) involved another pre-court procedure in which Gali’s team filed a claim in the Brisbane Supreme Court. Leave was sought to sue the Australian Government for an oversight by an Australian consular official to adequately inform Gali of the local laws that apply in the UAE. According to reports, the consular official told Gali about the drug laws but not the assault laws in the UAE.

Gali’s lawyer, Michelle James, was successful today in being granted leave to sue the Australian Government over Gali’s ordeal. Afterwards Ms James told a media conference in Brisbane that the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) had failed in its obligations to Ms Gali which directly led to her being jailed.

“She should have been told, as a bare minimum, of the local laws that apply in the UAE,” Ms James said.

“In the UAE rape is not a crime unless it is witnessed by four adult male Muslim witnesses. Alicia wasn't told this. She certainly wasn't told that if she reported the brutal rape to the police that she ran the risk of being jailed for 12 months.”

The lawyer said DFAT information read by Ms Gali before she left for Dubai provided no warning of the consequences of reporting a sexual assault.

Government Responsibility

It will be interesting to see how this case plays out and what the court determines regarding the alleged failure of the Australian Government to inform Ms Gali of UAE laws.

How responsible is a government for briefing its citizens who travel to different countries? Is the familiarization with the laws of a land as much the responsibility of the person as the making of the decision to travel?

The Australian department currently provides information and ‘travel advice’ on almost 240 countries and the statements on the UAE appear both comprehensive and up-to-date (This information may have been different in 2008).

If in the detailed information provided on the UAE about terrorist threats, local travel laws, extreme temperatures, passports, drugs, rape, homosexuality, preaching, rude gestures and Ramadan rules, there is an omission to state that reporting a complaint of rape could lead to a charge of adultery and imprisonment, is the government guilty of giving deficient information and failing to adequately inform one of its citizens?

Will the Australian Government be spared from a 'Guilty' verdict because it includes in its travel advice such statements as these?

“When you are in the UAE be aware that local laws and penalties, including ones that appear harsh by Australian standards, do apply to you.”

“You should familiarise yourself with local laws before you travel.”

The Case Continues

All these questions about the culpability of the government, the employer and the individual will eventually be thrashed out in the courts of law. Hopefully the resolution will enable Ms Gali to heal and move on with her life.

The highlighting of this case by the Australia and international media will undoubtedly lead to further allegations of harsh treatment by the UAE justice system toward people who have been raped. The discussion and the verdict about who is responsible for preparing people to visit different countries will hopefully benefit travelers and consulates around the world.

Links

‘She Wasn’t Warned’, Brisbane Times, 7 June 2011 and parallel reports in Melbourne Age, Sydney Morning Herald, The Australian, ABC.

Geoff Pound

This article is also posted on the Fujairah in Focus—Facebook Page.

Image: Alicia Gali (Photo courtesy of The Sunday Mail, Queensland)