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Illustration by Joaquín Kunkel

UAE Updates

A look into what’s been going on in the UAE this week.

Nov 25, 2018

37-year-old Woman in Al Ain Accused of Killing ex-lover and Cooking Him Claims that He Attacked First
On Nov. 21, Khaleej Times reported that a 37-year-old Moroccan seamstress allegedly stabbed her significant other to death, proceeding to saw his corpse into three pieces and cook him to hide the evidence of the crime. The woman has been living in the UAE for the past 10 years and allegedly met the 29-year-old victim and tailor near her home in Oud Tawba nearly seven years ago. Her crime was only discovered very recently when the victim’s brother discovered a human tooth embedded in the woman’s blender, prompting him to report her to the authorities.
According to a report from Emarat Al Youm — an Arabic newspaper published in Dubai — both the woman and her lover were scheduled to meet for lunch on the afternoon of Nov. 3 last year. Upon his arrival, the tailor invited the woman on a trip to Jebel Hafeet, however she refused and asked for the tailor’s help in moving her furniture as she was in the process of transitioning to another flat, her lawyer reports.
Shortly after, both parties ended up in a heated argument, which resulted in the tailor insulting and then slapping the woman across the face. The woman is thought to have grabbed a knife and stabbed the tailor in the chest, killing him. The woman admitted to mincing and cooking her ex-lover flesh into a traditional Arabic dish called machboos, which she then served to a group of construction workers nearby her residence and dispersed the leftovers to the stray dogs in the area. Police have found human remains at the scene of the crime; enough to charge her with murder during her hearing at the Abu Dhabi Criminal Court.
The Weeknd Fans Storm du Arena and Tear Down Gates When Denied Entry
On Nov. 23, The Weeknd performed at du Arena in Abu Dhabi as a featured artist during the annual Formula 1 After-Race Concerts. Scheduled to perform at 9 p.m., the artist took to the stage 20 minutes late, while angry fans stormed through the cordoned security gates outside the forum, tearing down flagpoles and knocking over metal fences when denied entry. The security team’s attempts to calm the impatient mob were not enough to stop the crowd of hundreds from climbing the fence, shaking the gates and chanting for them to open.
Most of those left stranded outside had paid for tickets and expressed their grievances with the Yasalam organization, some even demanding refunds.
"They did not let me and my sister in. We came all the way from the UK for these concerts. Organizers have to pay us back," said Neena, a tourist from the UK, to Khaleej Times.
Despite du Arena’s maximum capacity of over 35,000 people, it is believed that tickets to the concert were sold beyond capacity, which could have prompted security to cordon off the venue when they did.
Dylan Palladino is News Editor. Email him at feedback@thegazelle.org.
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