Dubai: What could have been a memorable experience turned into a nightmare for a tourist accused of using his cousin’s Emirates ID to take a tour of the Burj Khalifa.
A Dubai court fined the 29-year-old Pakistani man Dh50,000, and sentenced him to one year in jail followed by deportation.
A ticket to At The Top, a viewing deck on Level 148 of the world’s tallest tower, costs Dh200 (about $53) for prime viewing hours, and Dh120 (about $33) for non-prime hours.
Having decided to visit the Burj Khalifa with friends, the holidaymaker landed in trouble after a guard in the tower accused him of producing his cousin’s Emirates ID rather than his own ID.
Using someone else’s ID is an act punishable under UAE law.
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On seeing the ID, the security guard called the police and informed them that a visitor had used someone else’s Emirates ID to gain entry into the world’s tallest tower.
The tourist was immediately taken into custody.
When asked in court why he had his cousin’s ID with him, the accused said he had it in his wallet.
“I did not mean to use my cousin’s personal identification papers … I [only] had it in my wallet. When asked by the guard to show my papers, I opened my wallet and [the cousin’s ID] fell to the ground. The guard thought I had planned to use it to enter Burj Khalifa,” the defendant told the court.
The ruling remains subject to appeal.
