DUBAI: The ruler of the United Arab Emirates approved a new counter-terrorism law that strengthens existing laws against money laundering, while also expanding penalties to include the death penalty, life imprisonment and fines of up to $27 million, state media reported on Wednesday.

The law, according to the state-backed The National newspaper, calls for establishing Saudi-style counseling and rehabilitation centres for people found “to be terrorism prone.” Impersonating a public figure could lead to life imprisonment, the paper said.

The official Emirates News Agency reported that Abu Dhabi ruler and UAE President Sheik Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan endorsed the law, but provided no further details.

A draft of the law was approved in July by the country’s Federal National Council, which acts largely as an advisory body.

The draft law was not released to the wider public to discuss, though parts of the law have been publicized in local media.

Dubai-based Gulf News also obtained a copy, which identified potential death-penalty cases as attempts to attack any royal family members or members of the Cabinet’s Supreme Council, and acts that lead to the death of a person such as recruiting people to join or joining a terrorist organisation and attacking security forces.

The newspaper said the law defines a terrorist offense as “any action or inaction made a crime by this law and every action or inaction made a crime by any other law if they are carried out for a terrorist cause.

Published in Dawn, August 21st, 2014