Two years’ jail, Dh10m fine for putting antiquities to risk
The Federal National Council (FNC) yesterday passed a draft federal law to protect monuments and artefacts and stop the looting or trade of unique treasures across all emirates. The new legislation was initially reviewed by the House before being returned to make changes.
The draft law, which needs to be endorsed into law by President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, says that, once discovered, antiquities must be reported to the authorities concerned or the nearest police station within 24 hours. Owners of antiquities have to register them within two years from the date the bill takes effect.
The bill also states that a buffer zone must be set up around archaeological sites.
Under the draft law, fines of up to Dh10 million and a prison term of at least two years will be handed down to anyone found guilty of destroying, damaging or distorting antiquities.
Offences such as building, planting or changing the characteristics of an archaeological site, making archaeological excavations without a permit, smuggling antiquities into or out of the country, or replicating a national or foreign antiquity to scam others will be punishable with the same penalties.
Those who violate licensing conditions for digs, or take, transfer or use archaeological ruins or stones without a licence face jail time or fines ranging between Dh100,000 and Dh300,000 or both. Stealing antiquities will attract a prison term and a fine of at least Dh200,000, but not more than Dh500,000.
The bill suggests that rewards be given to residents who discover or report antiquities.
The UAE’s national e-registry for antiquities, the first of its kind in the region, was launched in 2015. It serves as a national database that incorporates 3,100 pieces of diverse antiquities from all emirates and basic information on each artefact in terms of size, weight, measure, original material, place and date of discovery, discoverer of the artefact, its condition and image of the artefact.