Obaida’s Killer To Be Executed – Dubai Court Maintains Death Sentence

The convicted killer of 8-year-old boy Obaida Al Araqbawi will be executed after he lost his final appeal at the Dubai Cassation Court. 

49-year-old Nidal Abdullah was convicted of sexually assaulting and murdering the young boy, and Dubai’s highest court has upheld the decision. 

Obaida was kidnapped on May 20, and his body was found two days later on Academic City Road in Al Warqa. 

The Jordanian man was sentenced to death in August after admitting to murdering Obaida

He also admitted to being drunk at the time of the crime, and will be required to pay AED21,000 to the family in blood money. 

The case has been closely followed by UAE residents, with lawyers refusing to represent the man, and questions of his sanity being overruled by the courts. 

The case will now be referred to the UAE President HH Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Ruler or Vice-President and Prime Minister, HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai to approve the execution and set the date. 

He will be executed by firing squad as per UAE law.