The expat went from driving around in a Rolls Royce to being tortured by police who broke his fingers.
UK expat urges Brits ‘don’t move to Dubai’ after 3-year prison sentence
A UK expat has issued a warning after he moved to the United Arab Emirates for a dream life – begging Brits: “Don’t move to Dubai”. The expat went from driving around in a Rolls Royce to being tortured by police who broke his fingers.
63-year-old Albert Douglas spent years in a prison in Dubai, after arriving in the UAE in the late 1990s. He told the MailOnline: “Be careful and be aware of what happened to me – it could very, very easily happen to you.”
Mr Douglas spent three years locked up in the far-flung Middle East hotspot, which is a go-to for British influencers and expats looking to take advantage of the tax perks and lifestyle.
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He said: “If you get in trouble, and you’re a British citizen in the United Arab Emirates, forget the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.
It can’t help you. They’ll give you a lot of comfort in soft words, but that’s it. No more.” Mr Douglas, who’s son owned a flooring business, was commissioned to do multi-million-pound government-related projects.
But his son, aged 39, found it increasingly difficult to recoup cash for the work he was doing, and he soon became unable to pay back his creditors.
In the wake of this, Mr Douglas was arrested and ordered him to pay a £2.5million fine, as well as being slapped with a three-year prison sentence.
Radha Stirling, the founder of Detained in Dubai who supported the family throughout the case, told the Daily Mail: “As an expert witness, I have testified that success makes you more vulnerable in Dubai.
“Investors become targets in a system that allows baseless allegations to be used as a premise to strip entrepreneurs of their assets, wealth and their freedom.
“The lack of transparency, fair trials, and the prevalence of arbitrary detention, discrimination and human rights abuses are the reasons UK courts have continuously refused extradition requests, and why so many entrepreneurs have found themselves behind bars in what is promoted as a safe investment hub.”
She went on: “Due to the lack of judicial process and entrenched corruption within law enforcement, that is often all that is required. The UN has now cleared Albert and his son but it’s not enough.
“They are seeking real accountability.” The warning comes amid the ongoing crisis in the Middle East.
21 people have so far been arrested over their social media activity amid Iran’s strikes on the UAE.