Abraaj founder sentenced to 3 years in prison by UAE court: report

Published August 9, 2019
Arif Naqvi — the chief executive and founder of the collapsed Dubai-based private equity firm Abraaj Capital Ltd. — Reuters/File
Arif Naqvi — the chief executive and founder of the collapsed Dubai-based private equity firm Abraaj Capital Ltd. — Reuters/File

The chief executive and founder of the collapsed Dubai-based private equity firm Abraaj Capital Ltd, Arif Naqvi, was sentenced in absentia to three years in prison by a court in the United Arab Emirates, reported Bloomberg on Thursday.

Naqvi was handed the prison sentence in a case involving low-cost carrier Air Arabia PJSC, the publication quoted people familiar with the matter as saying.

The sentence comes days after the financial regulator of Dubai said it had imposed a record fine of nearly $315 million on two affiliates of the collapsed Abraaj group for unauthorised activities and misusing investors’ funds.

According to the Bloomberg report, Naqvi’s legal representative declined to comment on the development, while Air Arabia representatives weren’t available to comment.

In April, Naqvi was arrested in the United Kingdom on US charges that he defrauded investors, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. In May, he was granted conditional bail of $20m after a London judge dismissed prosecutors’ bid to keep him in custody while he fought extradition to the US.

During his bail, the 58-year-old was ordered to surrender his travel documents, wear an electronic tag and stay in his London home. His bail conditions effectively amounted to house arrest, a report quoted the judge as saying at the time.

Follow Dawn Business on X, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook for insights on business, finance and tech from Pakistan and across the world.

Opinion

Editorial

Missing in action
17 Mar, 2026

Missing in action

NOT exactly known for playing a proactive role in protecting the interests of Muslim nations and populations...
Risk to stability
Updated 17 Mar, 2026

Risk to stability

THE risks to Pakistan’s fragile economic recovery from the US-Israel war on Iran cannot be dismissed. Yet the...
Enrolment push
17 Mar, 2026

Enrolment push

THE federal government has embarked upon the welcome initiative to enrol 25,000 out-of-school children in Islamabad...
Holding the line
16 Mar, 2026

Holding the line

PAKISTAN’S long battle against polio has recently produced encouraging signs. Data from the national eradication...
Power self-reliance
Updated 16 Mar, 2026

Power self-reliance

PAKISTAN’S transition to domestic sources of electricity is a welcome development for a country that has long been...
Looking for safety
16 Mar, 2026

Looking for safety

AS the Middle East conflict enters its third week, the war’s most enduring victims are not those who wage it....