Around 800,000 (yes that’s eight hundred thousand!) visitors from the UK alone travel to Dubai each year to enjoy what has been described as ‘paradise on Earth’. What most are ignorant of are the strict and often surprising laws in place in this paradise.

Dubai is a Muslim state and as such has a very different view of many things compared to the Western world, especially when it comes to personal relationships, sexuality and narcotics (including alcohol). If you visit Dubai without being aware of these laws you are liable to find yourself being hauled off to jail for seemingly innocuous ‘crimes’ before you are even aware you that did anything wrong.

Some of you have no doubt heard of the widely publicised case in which a British couple were jailed for ‘openly expressing affection’ on a public beach in Dubai, but there have been many other examples;

– 4 year jail sentence for possessing 2 grams of cannabis.
– Jail term for man ‘possessing’ poppy seeds after eating a sandwich at Heathrow on his way to Dubai.
– 4 year jail sentence for microscopic traces of cannabis on a person’s shoe.
– One month in jail for kissing a man on the cheek in a Dubai restaurant.
– A lesbian couple jailed for one month for kissing on a Beach.
– Couple jailed for one year for kissing and cuddling in the back of a taxi.

The list goes on… in fact in the year 2006 / 2007 over 200 Britons were arrested for similar ‘crimes’.

This shows that anyone planning a trip to Dubai should really do their homework before departing, for instance there are almost 400 substances which are banned in Dubai. Many of these substances are in everyday use in the West, such as Poppy Seeds (mentioned above), Codeine (a common painkiller), Melatonin (used to combat jetlag), and remember it is also illegal to drink alcohol in public.

There is growing frustration with what appears to be a level of hypocrisy in the state, with public consumption of alcohol banned, yet many hotels providing free alcohol. Homosexuality and public displays of affection banned but prostitution legal etc..

When in the holiday spirit (and after drinking in the hotel) it is very easy for Westeners to forget where they are and fall foul of these laws, even many of the 250,000 British expatriates occasionally get caught out so it is understandable that short term visitors are vulnerable. You should also be aware that if you do find yourself in trouble with the law in Dubai, the British embassy are unlikely to be able to help. The Foreign office urge vigilance and mindfulness when visiting Dubai, and offer snippets of advise, such as ensuring any medication is left in original packaging and to carry all prescription documentation with you as proof of validity. There are also restrictions on hand luggage which you should check out before you leave.

The differences in law between The UK and Dubai are not only something new to holidaymakers, but also provide challenges for those in the profession moving from the West to the UAE. Expatriate lawyer Ewan Sheriff is one such person, previously a highly successful lawyer in Scotland, Ewan and the rest of the Sheriff family moved to Dubai in 2010 looking for fresh challenges and a better life for the Sheriff household. Ewan has had to learn a new legal system from scratch, but has relished the task.

Author Bio: Ewan Sheriff is a highly experienced lawyer, previously practising in the UK but now resident in Dubai. You can find more information about Ewan here : Ewan Sheriff.

Category: Legal
Keywords: Ewan Sheriff,lawyer,law,Dubai