(Instagram Photo)
Abu Dhabi: Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema was spotted holidaying at one of the hotels in the emirate of Dubai.
The French professional footballer of Algerian descent arrived in the UAE early this week after spending a few days at Maldives with his friends.
French Football Federation President Noël Le Graët took a decision to rule out Benzema from the national team led by coach Didier Deschamps.
Le Graet defended his decision, which caused controversy, saying that Benzema was axed from France's Euro 2016 squad so as not to "disrupt the spirit" in the national team.
Benzema, 28, was suspended from the French squad last December following a criminal investigation into his attempt to blackmail his team-mate Valbuena in connection with a sex-tape.
His Spanish team will start preparations for the new season from July 17, scheduling training camps in the USA, Canada to take on teams including Chelsea, Paris St Germain and Bayern Munich ahead of its European Super cup versus Seville on August 9.