A United Arab Emirates (UAE) court sentenced British student Matthew Hedges to life in jail on Wednesday after convicting him of spying, a family spokesperson said.

"We can confirm that he was sentenced to life in prison," the spokesperson told AFP.

"The hearing lasted less than five minutes, and his lawyer was not present."

Hedges, a 31-year-old PhD student, was researching the UAE's foreign and internal security policies after the Arab Spring revolutions of 2011 when he was detained at Dubai airport on May 5.

The court ordered all his research documents and computers be confiscated and that he pay legal fees, reported Gulf News. The ruling can be appealed before the Federal Supreme Court.

Three weeks ago, Hedges was bailed out but on Wednesday, he showed up at the court, said the publication, adding he will be arrested and jailed pending filing for appeal before the Federal Supreme Court within 30 days