Jailed for 10 years
A former employee of global law firm Dentons has been banned from the legal profession after being convicted of drug smuggling in the United Arab Emirates.
Riyad Awada, who previously worked as a government liaison officer at Dentons’ UAE offices, was arrested on 6 August 2024 at Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport after arriving on a flight from Lebanon.
According to a notice published by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, Awada initially denied knowing what was inside his bags but later admitted the drugs in his possession were for personal use.
Awada was later convicted of importing cocaine and amphetamines into the country without authorisation. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison and fined 120,000 dirhams (around £24,000). His appeals to both the Abu Dhabi Court of Appeal and the Court of Cassation were dismissed.
“Even though the conviction was unconnected to legal practice, it was found that Mr Awada’s serious misconduct meant it was undesirable for him to be involved in a legal practice in future without the SRA’s prior approval,” the regulator said.
