Suit against Dubai ruler dismissed

Published July 31, 2007

MIAMI, July 30: A US judge on Monday dismissed a lawsuit alleging that the ruler of Dubai enslaved thousands of children and forced them to work as camel jockeys, saying the suit fell outside the jurisdiction of the Miami court where it was filed.

Judge Cecilia Altanoga ruled in favour of the defence, which argued that Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashed al-Maktoum and his brother, Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashed al-Maktoum, did not have sufficient contacts in Florida to justify filing the suit there.

“We've said from the beginning that this case doesn’t belong in US Courts and we’re gratified by Judge Altonaga’s careful legal analysis and ruling,”said Habib Al-Mulla, a spokeswoman for the Dubai ruler.—AFP