Briton In UAE Accused Of Causing Death Of Arab Pensioner In Lift

A female British tourist has been detained and ordered not to leave the UAE after a fellow lift passenger died of a heart attack.

The 32-year old British visitor to the UAE was in a hotel lift in Sharjah with a 60-year old Arab woman and brushed against her whilst leaving the lift. Just a few moments later, the older woman collapsed and died. Subsequently, the deceased‘s family made a formal complaint to local police, blaming the British woman for their relative’s death. The tourist was apprehended for questioning by the police, and told them her body touch was unintentional.

Police investigators checked CCTV recordings and agreed they showed a slight touch in the shoulder area, whilst an autopsy revealed the elderly lady had died of a heart attack. The incident occurred as the British visitor was about to end her holiday and leave the country, but was detained by police for questioning and told she must now stay until their enquiries are completed. Details have now been sent to the public prosecutor for further action.

Meanwhile in Dubai, expats looking to invest, network with many companies or borrow large amounts of money are being warned of yet another scam targeting foreigners. Fraudsters are impersonating representatives of Dubai’s International Financial Centre and come equipped with convincingly faked documents proving their identity. They offer debt insurance, access to financing, a stock trading portfolio and networking with companies worldwide. The scam is in the advance fee of around $4,600 which, as with the scammers themselves, it never seen again.

For expats due to arrive in the UAE, one must-have is ‘Discovering the United Arab Emirates’, a new book by an expat author telling all there is to know about this mysterious desert region. Francesca Affleck, herself once a newbie in Dubai, has researched every aspect of life in the emirates, including its geology, history, culture and customs. It complements the now mandatory UAR course in social studies, and is illustrated in order to bring the text to life. Francesca is now planning an update for 2020 as well as translations into Arabic and other languages.