With reference to the editorial The UAE is looking out for it’s workforce (September 6): This is huge. Leaders of the UAE are at the forefront of innovative ways of keeping frameworks global yet central to the UAE.
Muhammad Jamal, Abu Dhabi
This was an interesting read. The new policy for employees is a laudable step and will surely benefit millions of people employed in the UAE. Private sector personnel will be able to accumulate a sizeable sum at the end of their service to a company. A significant step, it shows the leadership's keen interest in taking care of the country's diverse workforce. People who have put in a number of years' service could take a compounded amount back to their home country, which could go such a long way in helping families, funding education, health and quality of life. There are people from more than 190 countries in the UAE who will be happy to remit sizeable amounts back to their home countries. At the time of retirement, they will be financially empowered and hopefully not have to worry about money in their senior years. Kudos to the UAE for taking this step.
K Ragavan, Bengaluru, India
A slight turn in Ronaldo's fortunes
With reference to Steve Luckings's report Ballon d'Or nominees: Messi, Haaland and Salah make shortlist but no Ronaldo (Sept 7): He's been getting the nomination for 20 years and has won it five times. This is just a reminder that you can’t always be tops.
Maureen Franco, London
Rohingya shouldn't have to endure such cruelty
With reference to Anjana Sankar's report The Undesirables (August 25): This was an in-depth, descriptive report and it revealed some gruesome truths about human beings in the 21st century.
It's tragic that a million Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh are still stateless. The human race has advanced in so many areas such as science and technology, but what about advancing humanity? How can we allow our fellow humans to live in such conditions? And how is it that several global organisations haven't been able stop the violation of human rights and find a way to give Rohingya refugees a dignified life.
The pictures in the article tell us the extent of cruelty that people have gone through, perhaps are still going through, and enlighten readers about the tough lives of ordinary people who need a home.
Ramachandran Nair, Muscat, Oman
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
Intercontinental Cup
Namibia v UAE Saturday Sep 16-Tuesday Sep 19
Table 1 Ireland, 89 points; 2 Afghanistan, 81; 3 Netherlands, 52; 4 Papua New Guinea, 40; 5 Hong Kong, 39; 6 Scotland, 37; 7 UAE, 27; 8 Namibia, 27
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Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE