Dhs5,000 fine, jail for begging in the streets of UAE

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

The UAE Public Prosecution (PP), on Friday, explained through a video published on its social media accounts the penalty for begging. The UAE PP explained that pursuant to Article 475 of the federal Decree-Law No. 31 of 2021 in passing the Crimes and Penalties Law, whoever commits the crime of begging by soliciting a material benefit or a benefit in-kind of any form or by any means, shall be sentenced to a duration of not more than 3 months and fined a monetary penalty of not less than Dhs5,000.

This shall constitute a circumstance calling for a more stringent punishment, if the crime of begging is committed in the following cases: If the beggar is not physically disabled, or if he/she has an apparent source of living, or if the beggar had fabricated being injured with wounds or permanent disabilities, or if he/she pretends to be doing a service for others, or if he/she uses any other means of deceit in order to influence others to make them feel pity for him/her.

This comes as part of the UAE Public Prosecution’s continuous efforts to promote the legal awareness among members of the community and to enhance their knowledge about the latest legislation in the country.