Members of the royal family of Dubai left thousands of dollars in tips for employees at the Lexington, Ky., airport.

Now, airport officials are trying to figure out how to return the money, because its intended recipients would be breaking the law if they accepted it, The Lexington Herald-Leader reported.

After a recent visit to Kentucky, Sheik Mohammad bin Rashid al Maktoum, the crown prince of Dubai, and his brother, Sheik Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum, left 10 envelopes. The three that have been opened contained a total of $8,000.

The Maktoums are frequent users of the airport because they own horse farms in the area. A spokeswoman for a Kentucky Islamic group said Muslims prize generosity, especially during the holy month of Ramadan.

Bernie Lively, the head of the airport board, says there is no evidence that anyone working there broke the law or performed extra services in hopes of a payoff. He said he believes the Maktoums were just being nice.
// Copyright 2007 by United Press International


Publication date: 21 September 2007   

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