A British woman who was jailed for having consensual sex with an Emirati man will be deported from the UAE, Gulf News reported on Wednesday.
The unidentified woman was on a visit to Dubai in 2016, when she accompanied her friend to a luxury hotel in the city.
After an altercation with hotel staff and a security guard, the Emirati man refused to "present the woman's identification papers when asked to do so before going up to the room."
This is when the guard decided to call the police.
"Following several attempts to make the couple open the hotel room door, police obtained the prosecutors’ permission to raid the room and when they opened the door, the couple were found nude in bed together," Gulf News wrote.
Soon after, the couple was detained and interrogated by police.
During the interrogation, both admitted to consuming alcohol, but vehemently denied having sex.
The duo stressed that they were "just friends" who had met during their time at college.
Married to avoid jail
Throughout their trial, the defendants strongly denied that they had sex.
However, a forensic examination report and DNA tests confirmed they had.
A Dubai Misdemeanors Court later charged both the Briton and Emirati of having sex outside of marriage and consuming liquor.
They were each handed a one-year jail sentence and a Dh3,000 ($816) fine for drinking.
The duo later appealed their judgement and sought a more "lenient punishment before the Appeal Court."
Trying to find a way out, the couple, who were unable to marry in the UAE, traveled to another country and got married in a civil ceremony.
After they presented their marriage certificate to the Appeal Court, both their sentences were overturned and brought down to three months in jail.
However, the Appellate Court upheld an earlier deportation order against the British woman.
The fines against both defendants were also upheld.
A long legal battle
Later on, the couple appealed their verdicts yet again, this time at the UAE's highest court.
"The Cassation Court dismissed their appeals and upheld the three-month suspended jail term. Dubai’s highest court also upheld the deportation order against the British defendant, who will have to surrender herself soon to be deported," Gulf News wrote.
Similar deportations in recent months
This isn't the first time someone faces illicit sex charges in the UAE.
In recent months, several similar cases have been reported.
These include the >case of another British woman who was charged with having consensual sex with a Pakistani man. She is now appealing a one-year jail sentence.
Earlier this year, a Japanese couple was detained and interrogated after they were caught having sex on >a Dubai beach.
A Dubai court later handed the duo a one-month suspended imprisonment and an immediate >deportation order.