An Israeli woman has been sentenced to death by an Emirati court after police found half a kilogram of cocaine in her home.

Fidaa Kiwan, a photographer from Haifa, moved to Dubai in March 2021 and was arrested shortly after her arrival.

According to Ynet, she claimed that the drugs that the police found in her residence were not hers and is planning to appeal the death sentence with the help of her local lawyer.

Although the UAE has several offenses on the books that allow judges to hand out the death penalty, capital punishment is rarely performed in the Gulf state, with the last known executions taking place in 2014 for individuals convicted of murder.

The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that they're aware of the case and "are handling it through the consular service and our representatives in the Emirates."

Kiwan's case is not the first time that an Israeli has fallen foul of the UAE's strict drug laws. In October 2021, a 31-year-old Israeli man from Lod was arrested in connection with a plan to smuggle half a ton of cocaine into Dubai and onto Israel.

Since the UAE and Israel normalised relations, Israeli citizens have been free to travel to the Emirates for business and leisure trips, leading to an increase in both business ties between the countries as well as the Jewish communities in large cities like Abu Dhabi and Dubai.