Guest who threatened to blow up Dubai hotel given suspended jail sentence

DUBAI// A hotel guest who drunkenly told staff he was a member of ISIS and threatened to blow up the building was given a three-month suspended jail sentence by Dubai Criminal Court.

On October 4 this year M A, 47, from Saudi Arabia, called the receptionist at the InterContinental Hotel in Festival City and claimed he had explosives and would detonate them from his room.

Prosecutors said M A was drunk when he made the call to 30-year-old A A from Egypt.

“It was nearly 5.30pm when the man called and said he was from ISIS, then demanded that we send someone to his room or else he would bomb the place,” testified A A.

Police were called and arrested M A who was charged with issuing threats to bomb a hotel and with consuming alcohol without a license.

In court earlier this month, he confessed to drinking alcohol but denied issuing threats. “I do not remember what happened, I was very drunk and unaware of anything. When I became aware I found myself at Al Rashidiya police station,” said M A.

The court convicted M A of both charges and sentenced him to three months in jail, suspended. He was also fined Dh2,000 for drinking alcohol.

He will be deported.