Travel Advice: How To Avoid Arrest In Dubai

[X-PASTER]

Travel Advice: How To Avoid Arrest In Dubai

Most visitors face no problems - but travellers should be aware of local laws​

It may have a thriving, mainstream tourist industry, but Britons are more likely to be arrested in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) than in any other country in the world.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office said 1.1m Britons visited the UAE last year - and 294 of them ended up being arrested or detained by police.

The country's laws reflect its Muslim tradition, and Westerners who do not take steps to familiarise themselves with restrictions may quite easily find themselves falling foul of strict regulations.

Entering the country
:: The UAE has a zero-tolerance drugs policy and anyone caught carrying illegal substances can expect a stiff penalty, even if it is just a trace amount.

:: Some prescription drugs, such as commonly-used anti-depressants, are included on the UAE's controlled list and visitors are advised to check the status of their medicines before bringing them into the country.

:: Raw poppy seeds are included on the UAE's banned list, and Fair Trials International highlights the case of a man held at customs after poppy seeds from a roll he ate in the airport became trapped in his clothing.

:: Pork products and pornographic books and material are also banned.

Revealing clothing is tolerated on the beach and by the pool, but not elsewhere​

In the country:
:: Swearing or making rude gestures is considered to be an obscene act and offenders can be arrested by police.

:: Public displays of affection, including kissing and holding hands, could lead to arrest if deemed to be offensive.

:: Sex outside marriage is banned and unmarried couples who live together or even share a hotel room are committing an offence, although this is unlikely to be a problem in Dubai. Adultery is illegal.

:: Homosexual behaviour and cross-dressing is forbidden.

:: In situations other than on the beach or by the swimming pool, a woman's clothing may be considered indecent if it is tight, transparent, above the knee or shows her stomach, shoulders or back. A man should not wear shorts or show his chest. Underwear should not be visible.

:: Visitors can only drink alcohol in licensed hotels or clubs, and drinking alcohol or being drunk in public is an offence. In the emirate of Sharjah, any alcohol consumption is illegal.

:: Driving after consuming any amount of alcohol is against the law.

:: Photography of certain government and military buildings is banned, and visitors should always ask before taking pictures of people.

:: Failing to pay a bill or bouncing a cheque can lead to a fine and even imprisonment.

:: During the fasting month of Ramadan, visitors should not eat, drink or smoke in public places. Live and loud music is also banned.



Source: FCO travel advice for UAE

 

[Injinia]

Yes. And I think Brits and all Westerners for that matter need to abide by the laws of whatever country they are visiting.

As the days go it's like we are going back to the middle ages, as far as some practices are concerned, e.g. the manner of dressing especially among the female of the race.

And this business of public display of affection.

Just as they do not approve (in some countries) Muslim women wearing burkas and veils, so should they also expect to conform to the practices of foreign countries they visit! (Although I do admit expecting them to veil themselves would be a bit extreme)

 

[Sikonge]

British pair faces jail time in Dubai over kiss

DUBAI
Sun Mar 14, 2010 11:11am EDT
DUBAI (Reuters) - A British pair caught kissing in public in Dubai face up to a month in jail in the Gulf Arab emirate for indecency after an Emirati mother complained her child had seen their indiscretion.
World
The pair, a British man living in Dubai and a female friend, were arrested in November on accusations of kissing and touching each other intimately in public and consuming alcohol, their lawyer said. They were ordered jailed for a month.
The case is the third time in under two years in which Britons have hit the headlines by falling foul of decency laws in Dubai, a flashy Muslim emirate popular with sun-seeking Western tourists and expatriates.
A lawyer for the pair, who launched an appeal on Sunday, said there had been no inappropriate kissing and the two were just friends. A verdict in the appeal is expected on April 4.
"There was no lip kissing. It was just a normal greeting that is not considered offensive," lawyer Khalaf al-Hosani told the court, adding the complainant's testimony was contradictory.
The British man's mother in London said her son, Ayman Najafi, had vowed to clear his name.
"My Ayman is a good boy, he's very wise and mature. I can't believe it," his mother Maida Najafi was quoted as saying in The Independent. "He knows the rules over there. He would never do that. He wouldn't even do it over here."
The pair, free on bail, were also fined 1,000 dirhams ($272) for illegal consumption of alcohol, the lawyer said. They were to be deported after the completion of their jail sentence.
Dubai's foreign population has expanded rapidly in recent years as expatriates flocked to the Gulf Arab trade and tourism hub for its tax-free earnings and year-round sunshine.
The changes have challenged the Emirati population, which is now vastly outnumbered by foreigners, raising concern that their emirate's rapid pace of growth is a threat to their social and religious identity in what remains a deeply conservative region.
In a high-profile case in 2008, a British couple narrowly escaped jail after a court found them guilty of engaging in drunken sexual activity out of wedlock, and for doing so in public on a beach in the emirate.
They were sentenced to three months in prison followed by deportation, but had their jail terms overturned on appeal.
In a separate case this year, a British couple who shared a hotel room managed to escape trial in Dubai for having sex out of wedlock by producing a marriage certificate.
A British embassy spokesman said it could confirm that a British national was arrested in November and the mission had provided consular assistance, but gave no further details.
($1=3.672 dirhams)
(Writing by Cynthia Johnston; Additional reporting by Tamara Walid; Editing by Charles Dick)

Question: Is British they are going to Bomb Dubai to protect their way of life?