The longtime friends had dreamed of traveling to the UK in pursuit of better opportunities.
Two Arab men are facing trial in a Dubai criminal court after allegedly trying to leave the UAE using forged British passports, a plan that was foiled just moments before their scheduled flight.
According to prosecution records, the defendants—longtime friends—had shared a dream of traveling to the United Kingdom in search of better opportunities. They had initially entered the UAE legally via Dubai International Airport using their genuine passports but later attempted to depart the country with counterfeit travel documents.
Investigations revealed that the scheme originated in their home country, where the two men were introduced to a third suspect who allegedly promised to provide them with British passports for $20,000 each. The agreement specified that payment would be made only after the passports were successfully delivered.
Prosecutors stated that the third suspect asked the men to provide personal photographs, assuring them that the forged passports would be handed over inside the transit area of Dubai International Airport.
According to the case file, the two men later met the third suspect in the airport’s transit zone, where he allegedly provided them with two forged British passports bearing fabricated exit stamps designed to make it appear as though the documents had already cleared departure procedures.
Believing the passports would allow them to board without detection, the defendants proceeded to the boarding gate and presented the documents to an aviation security officer.
However, the security officer quickly noticed irregularities during inspection. Further checks confirmed the passports were forged, leading airport authorities to immediately detain the suspects.
The two men were arrested at the airport, while the third suspect was also taken into custody for allegedly supplying the fake passports.
Prosecutors have charged the defendants with forgery and using forged official documents—offences that carry severe penalties under UAE law.
The case underscores how what began as a shared plan to migrate abroad quickly escalated into a criminal matter, ending before the flight ever left the runway.
The Dubai criminal court is continuing to hear the case.
