Abu Dhabi appeal court jails eight for life over arms supplies to Sudanese Army

Centre · 2The Abu Dhabi Federal Court of Appeal sentenced eight men to life imprisonment on Thursday 29 October 2026 over an illicit weapons and ammunition trafficking and money laundering network linked to the Sudanese conflict, according to the state news agency WAM. 1 2 Centre · 2Those given life sentences are Rashid Omar Abdul Qadir Ali; Salah Abdullah Mohammed Mohammed Saleh, known as Salah Gosh; Ahmed Abdullah, known as Abdullah Khalafallah; Ahmed Rabie' Sayed Ahmed; Mohammed Fath Al Beik; Yasser Abdulrahman Al Atta; Othman Al Zubair; and Maher Abdul Jalil. 1 2 Centre · 1The court also ordered the seized ammunition, mobile phones and communications devices confiscated, and the deportation of those convicted from the UAE after they serve their sentences. 1

Centre · 2On the money laundering charge, seven defendants, including Rashid Omar, Salah Gosh, Abdullah Khalafallah and Maher Abdul Jalil, as well as Othman Babiker, Khalid Yousuf Mukhtar and Ahmed Khalafallah Abdullah, received three years in prison each. Gulf News adds that those fined were ordered to pay Dh1 million each. 1 2 Centre · 2Six companies were fined Dh1 million each for money laundering and had their licences cancelled: Rashed Omar Brokerage Company, Portex Trade Limited, Apollara Electronics Trading Company, Yellow Sand Trading Company, Wardat Al Masarra Trading Company and Sudamina – Free Zone. Funds under attachment and laundering proceeds were to be confiscated. 1 2 Centre · 2Mubarak Ali Al Sheikh and Mus'ab Awad Al Karim Hassan were acquitted. 1 2

Centre · 2The court found the defendants traded in weapons, ammunition and military equipment without a licence. Gulf News says they brought Goryunov-type ammunition into the UAE to be flown to Port Sudan, with the aircraft's cargo misrepresented as medical equipment and supplies. Payment was made in the UAE by bank transfer and in cash. 1 2 Centre · 2The judgment described each defendant's role. Rashid Omar played a central role through his company and received about Dh8 million in cash from Maher Abdul Jalil for one deal. Yasser Al Atta, assistant to the Sudanese Army's commander-in-chief, requested the purchases. Othman Al Zubair, the army's financial official for armament, paid the sums to Jalil. Jalil acted as intermediary and financial arm. 1 2 Centre · 2Khalid Yousuf Mukhtar, former director of Salah Gosh's office at the Sudanese Intelligence Service, received Gosh's commission. Ahmed Rabie' acted as an intermediary with Sudanese military leaders. Al Beik, a former adviser to the Sudanese finance minister, helped Rashid Omar's company win approval as a supplier although it did not work in arms. Ahmed Khalafallah received Dh1.85 million from the first deal without a licence. 1 2

Centre · 2The court concluded the convicted men took part in an integrated scheme using forged documents, companies and bank accounts in the UAE. It said the deals were conducted for the benefit of one of the parties to the Sudanese conflict, and that using UAE territory and its financial system for them is liable to harm the country's relations with the international community and endanger its interests. 1 2 Centre · 1Gulf News reports that UAE Attorney-General Dr Hamad Saif Al Shamsi had referred the defendants to trial after investigations and technical and financial evidence uncovered an organised network. 1 Centre · 2The two reports differ slightly on money figures. Gulf News gives the confiscation from seized funds as Dh1.545 million and says Al Beik received Dh146,000 for his role. The National gives about Dh1.5 million ($408,441) and describes the Dh146,000 as an additional fine on Al Beik. 1 2