A former government liaison officer with international firm Dentons has been barred from the profession after being imprisoned in the United Arab Emirates for drug smuggling.
According to a Solicitors Regulation Authority notice published this week, Riyad Awada, a non-solicitor based in the UAE offices of Dentons, was arrested following a flight from Lebanon. He was found with a quantity of drugs and initially denied knowledge of the contents of his bags, but later admitted the substances found were for his personal use.
In October 2024, Awada was convicted of importing cocaine and amphetamine in unauthorised circumstances. He was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisoned and fined 120,000 dirhams (around £24,000). Appeals to the Court of Appeal and Court of Cassation in Abu Dhabi were both dismissed.
His conviction was unrelated to legal practice, the SRA said. It imposed a section 43 order, preventing Awada from working for any firm regulated in England and Wales without securing the regulator’s permission. He was also ordered to pay £600 costs.
