Due to laws governing sex outside marriage, you and your partner may face jail and/or deportation if you become pregnant out of wedlock. Doctors may require proof of marriage for prenatal examinations. A single woman giving birth in the UAE may also have problems registering the child`s birth in the UAE and being arrested, detained or deported. To obtain a birth certificate from the UAE authorities, you must present a marriage certificate, and the authorities can compare the date of marriage with the estimated date of conception. The UAE Centre for Human Rights states that “until laws are reformed, victims of sexual violence in the UAE will continue to suffer,” referring to a July 2013 case in which a 24-year-old Norwegian woman, Marte Dalelv, reported an alleged rape to police and was sentenced to prison for “perjury, illegal [consensual extramarital] sex and alcohol consumption” and false accusations. after admitting to lying about the rape. [38] [39] [40] Similarly, laws on extramarital cohabitation and single parents have been much relaxed, as they are now legal and laws on rape and sexual assault have been made clearer and stricter. While there are several well-known laws to follow in Dubai and the surrounding Emirates, some of the UAE`s lesser-known restrictions are often overlooked. From Dubai to Abu Dhabi, these are some of the strangest ways to be arrested, fined, or even deported from the country. The legal system of the UAE is based on the civil law system with influences from Islamic, French, Roman and Egyptian laws. [1] Although the strict drug laws that were relaxed in 2022 regarding THC have generated a lot of excitement, drug trafficking can still carry the death penalty. More information on the UAE`s drug laws can be found here. Raising money for a charity that is close to your heart is a tricky business in the UAE.
Fundraising must first be approved by the Department of Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities (IACAD); Otherwise, publishing the fundraiser and appealing for donations with permission is against UAE charitable laws. This can result in jail time, fines ranging from 250,000 to 500,000 dirhams (£53,928 and £107,855) and even deportation. This also extends to your online activities; The use of swear words in WhatsApp messages or on social media or messaging platforms violates the UAE`s cyber laws. This includes sending emojis of the aforementioned indecent gestures. You can expect a fine of up to 250,000 dirhams (£53,928), jail time or deportation. Giving your finger, sticking out your tongue and even a slightly aggressive hand gesture are considered indecent. Despite the fact that most women in the UAE feel very safe when travelling alone, sexual harassment and assault do occur, albeit rarely. Read this article on what to do if you have been attacked. Under the UAE`s cybercrime laws, VPN users can face fines ranging from 500,000 to 2 million dirhams (£107,855 and £431,421) if they “otherwise use a fake IP address or third-party address to commit a crime or prevent its detection.” Whether you try to access a restricted or blocked website or download copyrighted material, you risk a hefty fine. Dubai and the rest of the UAE have a very different political structure than most countries in Europe and North America. Dubai`s religious (especially Muslim) and political system means that the laws are very different from those in other countries in the world.
The rules may seem strict for expats, but people usually understand that you may not know what is acceptable. While just a few years ago you could be arrested for kissing your spouse at the airport, and people were actually arrested for a simple kiss, laws and attitudes have since been relaxed a lot and have indeed been revised to allow non-marital relations. While it`s okay to walk hand in hand or arm in arm, the line is drawn with full exhibits of PDAs in public.