The former chief executive of Nakheel today won a more than $3 million pay claim from The Palm islands developer.
Mr O'Donnell had claimed about US$3.7 million (Dh13.5m) in severance pay and other benefits from the developer of Dubai's palm islands.
Judge Anthony Evans made the award at the Dubai World Tribunal held at the DIFC Courts.
The Dh400,000-a-month Australian property executive left Nakheel last June after five years at the helm of the company. But he claimed he was still due millions of dollars in bonus payments and other entitlements in a high profile case filed with the Dubai World Tribunal.
After the hearing, Mr O'Donnell said: "I am very pleased to have had the matter resolved and my claim upheld.
"Whilst I have been entirely vindicated by the Dubai World Tribunal, I am naturally disappointed that, despite my best efforts at compromise the matter was not able to be resolved amicably without the need to take costly legal proceedings that vented Nakheel's internal business in a public forum.
"I believe Dubai will continue to prosper as the region's financial and business hub and under the guidance of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum it will continue to be a major growth driver for the region."
"I look forward to an ongoing relationship with Dubai and the region in general."
A Nakheel spokesman said: "We respect today's court ruling. However, we firmly believe we have a strong case and if we had the right to appeal we would have done so."
Nakheel had earlier argued that the Dubai World Tribunal did not have jurisdiction to hear the dispute which should have been settled by the Ministry of Labour.
The tribunal was established to settle cases with the conglomerate as it underwent a $24.9 billion debt restructuring. Nakheel had been part of Dubai World, but was separated from the company last August.
Mr O'Donnell also paid tribute to the DIFC Courts saying: “The DIFC Courts are now firmly established as an integral part of the dispute resolution system of Dubai which will further reinforce Dubai as a principal commercial centre of the Middle East.”
Safety 'top priority' for rival hyperloop company
The chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Andres de Leon, said his company's hyperloop technology is “ready” and safe.
He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.
“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.
“Only once the system has been certified and approved will it move people,” he said.
HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon.
With no delivery date yet announced, Mr de Leon said timelines had to be considered carefully, as government approval, permits, and regulations could create necessary delays.
Is it worth it? We put cheesecake frap to the test.
The verdict from the nutritionists is damning. But does a cheesecake frappuccino taste good enough to merit the indulgence?
My advice is to only go there if you have unusually sweet tooth. I like my puddings, but this was a bit much even for me. The first hit is a winner, but it's downhill, slowly, from there. Each sip is a little less satisfying than the last, and maybe it was just all that sugar, but it isn't long before the rush is replaced by a creeping remorse. And half of the thing is still left.
The caramel version is far superior to the blueberry, too. If someone put a full caramel cheesecake through a liquidiser and scooped out the contents, it would probably taste something like this. Blueberry, on the other hand, has more of an artificial taste. It's like someone has tried to invent this drink in a lab, and while early results were promising, they're still in the testing phase. It isn't terrible, but something isn't quite right either.
So if you want an experience, go for a small, and opt for the caramel. But if you want a cheesecake, it's probably more satisfying, and not quite as unhealthy, to just order the real thing.
A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
