UAE: Dh100,000 fine, 6-month jail term for organised begging

Any person who runs organised begging operations with a group of two or more people shall be sentenced to jail for a minimum term of six months and face a minimum fine of Dh100,000.

The UAE Public Prosecution on Thursday explained the penalties for running organised begging operations through posts on its social media accounts.

Any person recruiting people from outside the country for organised begging shall receive the same punishment, the post said.

Article 477 of the Federal Decree-Law No. 31 of 2021 on Promulgating Penal Code (Law of Crimes and Penalties) states that anyone involved in organised begging operations shall be imprisoned for up to three months and fined Dh5,000, or one of the two penalties.

The Public Prosecution further explained that it is considered an aggravating circumstance if the perpetrator of the organised begging crime is a guardian, custodian, or charged with fostering or caring for the beggar, or has direct authority over him.