UAE urges citizens not to wear national dress while abroad after Emirati businessman was falsely arrested in the US

After a businessman visiting the United States was arrested and mistakenly identified as a terrorist, the United Arab Emirates has urged its citizens to avoid wearing their traditional white robe and headscarf attire when travelling abroad.

The UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation told citizens on a tweet on Saturday not to dress in the kandura or abaya attire when travelling outside the country. It did not refer to the recent incident on Wednesday, in which an Emirati man wearing the traditional costume was detained at gunpoint in the US.

The man was in Ohio, US, last week when relatives of a female clerk at a local hotel called police to report “suspicious man with disposable phones – two of them – in a full head dress.” The Avon police department said it had received two calls from the family of the clerk, asking the police to send officers at the hotel.

A woman who called 911, the US hotline for emergencies, claimed that he was calling on behalf of her sister, a desk clerk at the hotel. She said her sister called her and said there was a man “in full headdress with multiple disposable phones pledging his allegiance to ISIS,” according to the news release (via CNN).

Another call from the clerk’s father was made. The father said his daughter was “terrified” and hiding “in the back.”

Police officers came to the hotel and arrested Ahmed Al Menhali. A video of his brutal arrest, filmed by the police’s body cam, has been published by WEWS news, showing Al Menhali being wrestled to the ground by the officers who pointed their guns at him. They did not find any weapons on him, just a mobile phone, which an officer threw to the bushes.

The Emirate was released off the handcuffs after the police searched his wallet. He passed out as the officers were trying to verify his identity. He was taken by ambulance to the hospital then.

Al Menhali, 41, told The National that the police were brutal with him. He had several injuries from the arrest when the officers forced him on his back. The married father of three has been in Ohio since April following a heart surgery in UAE.

“I always wear my traditional clothes during all my travels and never encountered such a thing,” he said.

He added that he was trying to book a room at the Fairfield Inn and Suites when he was arrested on Wednesday. While the hotel staff were nice to him, the receptionist disappeared with his papers for a prolonged period of time without any reason. It later became apparent that the receptionist had asked her relatives to call the emergency number to warn them of him.

When the police spoke to the hotel clerk, they learnt there had been a miscommunication. Al Menhali had not made any statements related to the ISIL.

The UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation summoned Ethan Goldrich, deputy US ambassador, on Sunday to protest the “abusive treatment” Al Menhali had been subjected to. Goldrich apologised, calling the incident unacceptable.

Avon Mayor Bryan K. Jensen explained that the arrest was standard of the police department’s protocol response. He offered his and the Avon Police Deparment’s apology to Al Menhali for the “regrettable incident.”

“This was a very unfortunate incident and does not reflect our community. Avon is proud to welcome visitors from the United Arab Emirates and other countries, who regularly come to Northern Ohio for tourism, business, medical care or education,” he said in a statement. The mayor added that they are reviewing the incident to determine if the person who reported Al Menhali should face charges.

While he is grateful for the apology, Al Menhali said it’s not enough. He is calling for those responsible for the call to be held accountable.