DUBAI // An Egyptian masseur was sentenced to 10 years in prison yesterday for the murder of one of his clients, a Saudi man. The defendant, MA, 31, claimed the killing was in self-defence as the Saudi man, HM, tried to force himself on him sexually. "The court was not convinced it was self-defence, it was clearly intentional murder," said the Presiding Judge, Fahmi Mounir, after giving the verdict.
Judge Mansour al Awadi, who also heard the case, said: "We saw this was the suitable penalty for the nature of the crime. He could have received life in prison. The appeal court can always overturn our ruling." Prosecutors charged MA with premeditated murder, a crime that would entail either a death sentence or life in prison, but the court only found him guilty of intentional murder. The court also ordered that he be deported after serving his sentence.
The defendant admitted hitting his victim on the back of the head with a metal bar, but told the court he did not intend to kill him. Hamdi al Shiwi, a defence lawyer, told the court two weeks ago: "My client's actions were not intended to kill but only to stop the victim from sodomising him, as HM was intent on doing." Mr al Shiwi said his client was a poor country boy unfamiliar with the ways of the world and thought by working as a masseur he would make good money to send to his family.
MA met his victim a month before the attack, advertising his services as a masseur in a local newspaper. MA said HM came to his apartment twice for a massage. On the day of the murder, April 12 last year, they met at a local market where HM asked MA to come to his apartment in Freej Murar and give him a massage. The defendant agreed and once in the flat HM immediately took off his clothes for the massage. MA said he also partially stripped but kept his underwear on.
During the massage HM asked for sex but MA said he refused and went to dress to leave. The masseur said HM followed him and insisted on having sex. At that point MA took out a metal bar from under the massage bed and hit HM over the head several times. MA said the victim fell to the floor and did not move. MA then wrapped the murder weapon in a small carpet and took the victim's wallet, credit cards and mobile phones and went home to Sharjah. The defendant disposed of the murder weapon and the wallet but used one of the credit cards at an electronics store in Sharjah where he was caught on tape by a security camera. He was later arrested outside a shopping mall in Sharjah.
hbathish@thenational.ae
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Distance covered: 160km
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
Mobile phone packages comparison
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
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The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
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As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
match info
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French business
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Family: a 90-year-old mother, wife and two daughters
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A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
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Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
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Company%20Profile
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
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Rating: 5/5
SPAIN SQUAD
Goalkeepers Simon (Athletic Bilbao), De Gea (Manchester United), Sanchez (Brighton)
Defenders Gaya (Valencia), Alba (Barcelona), P Torres (Villarreal), Laporte (Manchester City), Garcia (Manchester City), D Llorente (Leeds), Azpilicueta (Chelsea)
Midfielders Busquets (Barcelona), Rodri (Manchester City), Pedri (Barcelona), Thiago (Liverpool), Koke (Atletico Madrid), Ruiz (Napoli), M Llorente (Atletico Madrid)
Forwards: Olmo (RB Leipzig), Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad), Morata (Juventus), Moreno (Villarreal), F Torres (Manchester City), Traore (Wolves), Sarabia (PSG)
Founders: Ines Mena, Claudia Ribas, Simona Agolini, Nourhan Hassan and Therese Hundt
Date started: January 2017, app launched November 2017
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Private/Retail/Leisure
Number of Employees: 18 employees, including full-time and flexible workers
Funding stage and size: Seed round completed Q4 2019 - $1m raised
Funders: Oman Technology Fund, 500 Startups, Vision Ventures, Seedstars, Mindshift Capital, Delta Partners Ventures, with support from the OQAL Angel Investor Network and UAE Business Angels
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Dhadak 2
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Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
PROFILE OF HALAN
Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport and logistics
Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
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Transgender report
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Race card
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