DUBAI // A tourist called his hotel’s reception desk claiming to be member of ISIL and told staff he had a bomb and would blow up the building, Dubai Criminal Court was told.
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 on October 4 to 30-year-old A A from Egypt.
“It was nearly 5.30pm when the man called and said he was from ISIS [ISIL], then demanded that we send someone to his room or else he would bomb the place,” said A A.
Police were called and arrested M A. He was charged with issuing threats to bomb a hotel and with consuming alcohol without a license.
“I do not remember what happened, I was very drunk and unaware of anything,” M A told the court. “When I became aware I found myself at Al Rashidiya police station.”
The case was adjourned until November 22.
salamir@thenational.ae
