Teenager jailed in Dubai for s£x with another tourist returns home after royal pardon from Dubai's ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum

A British teenager jailed in Dubai for having sex with a fellow UK tourist he met on holiday there has been released from prison after seven months. Campaign group Detained in Dubai revealed that Marcus Fakana, 19, received a royal pardon from Dubai's ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Mr Fakana, from Tottenham, north London, returned to the UK last Thursday, July 3, following his jail time in the United Arab Emirates. Marcus was arrested and imprisoned in 2024, over a consensual holiday relationship with another British tourist who was just a few months younger than himself. The girl was one month away from turning 18, but s£x with anyone under the age of 18 is an offence in the Gulf state. They met when both of their families were staying at a luxury hotel. The girl's mother reported Marcus, who was aged 18 at the time, to the UAE authorities after seeing messages between the two when she had returned to the UK. His case drew widespread attention and outrage, hig...