US embassy cable - 05ABUDHABI3002

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 003002 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR G, G/TIP, INL, DRL, PRM, NEA/RA AND NEA/ARPI 
STATE PLEASE PASS TO USTR 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM, ELAB, TC, Camel Jockeys 
SUBJECT: UAE CAMEL JOCKEY LAW ON THE BOOKS 
 
 
1. (U) UAE President Khalifa issued a federal law July 5 that 
prohibits persons below 18 years of age from taking part in 
camel races, and subjects traffickers to jail sentences 
and/or fines.  The new law received prominent coverage in 
both the Arabic and English press, which touted it as the 
first law of its kind in the region.  The Mission has 
scheduled meetings with UAEG, NGO, and source country 
embassies and consulates for G/TIP Reports Officer Feleke 
Assefa, who will be in Abu Dhabi and Dubai July 6-14 
assessing the UAE's progress in achieving the six steps in 
the Department's 60-day action plan. 
 
2. (U) The UAE's new law contains four articles, the 
unofficial translation of which follows: 
 
Article 1: All procedures that have been used to bring 
children under age 18 of either sex into the UAE to work in 
the camel racing industry will be cancelled. 
 
Article 2: Persons violating the law will be subject to a 
prison term of up to three years and/or a fine not less than 
50,000 Dirhams ($13,500).  The penalties will be doubled for 
repeat offenders.  (Note: Offenders could be subject to 
tougher penalties if such punishment is incorporated in any 
other law.) 
 
Article 3: The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs is 
empowered to implement the law in coordination with other 
concerned authorities. 
 
Article 4: The law will be published in the UAEG Official 
Gazette and enforced as of the date of its publication. 
 
3. (SBU) In a meeting with the Consul General in Dubai the 
morning of July 6, Dubai Immigration head Brigadier Saeed bin 
Beleilah offered his congratulations at the fact that the 
long-awaited law had finally been issued.  In the presence of 
the CG, he then phoned one of his immigration enforcement 
agents and instructed him to turn his attention to camel 
farms in the emirate of Dubai, and to "bring in" any underage 
workers he found there, "whether jockeys, or the boys who 
care for and feed the camels."  Asked what Dubai Immigration 
would do with any underage workers found, Bin Beleilah said 
they would be taken to the private shelter run by Sharla 
Mussabah, which now received funding from the government of 
Dubai.  He cautioned, however, that there was no guarantee 
that any jockey would be found ) many had already been moved 
to other emirates, a trend that would likely increase now 
that the decree criminalizing such labor had been issued. 
 
4. (U) The law was issued in line with federal legislation, 
including Law No. 1 of 1972 related to ministries' 
specializations, ministers' authorities and amended laws; Law 
No. 6 of 1973 on the entry and residence of foreign nationals 
and its amendments; Law No. 8 of 1980 related to the 
organization of labor relations and its amendments; Law No. 3 
of 1987 on the issue of the penal code; and Law No. 35 of 
1992 on the issue of punitive procedures laws. 
SISON