British man arrested in Abu Dhabi airport for “insulting the UAE”

Abu Dhabi police have arrested a British man of Indian origin for reportedly “insulting the UAE” and also verbally abusing security officers at the airport, it was reported on Sunday.

The passenger, travelling from London Heathrow airport last week, reportedly missed his connecting flight to India from Abu Dhabi International Airport after his first flight was delayed.

Frustrated, the man “began to verbally abuse employees and declined to make room for other passengers, insisting on catching his plane” after the boarding gate closed, officials said.

Two security personnel reportedly tried to pacify the man, however, officials said he allegedly insulted them with offensive language and “behaved arrogantly” by waving his British passport.

The man has denied all the charges, claiming he did not recognise the airport security staff.

But police officials said the security personnel identified themselves and were also wearing name badges in both Arabic and English.

The passenger reportedly stated that he was “lamenting his bad luck” rather than insulting the security staff or the UAE.

The UAE has very strict rules when it comes to derogatory remarks made against the country and its residents.

Regulations governing the use of language on social media are also quite stringent.

Earlier this month, an Australian woman was deported from Abu Dhabi after being accused of insulting a car owner on a Facebook post.