Please be diligent (and vigilant) on your stopovers in Dubai or Abu Dhabi.Why clients should beware of sex, drink and medicine in UAE
Written by Peter Needham
A British woman, allegedly kidnapped and gang raped by three men in Dubai, has been prosecuted for drinking without a licence and fined about $AUD250.
Britain’s Independent newspaper says the case is the latest example of the United Arab Emirates’ archaic legal system in action. It cites several similarly disturbing incidents.
Human Rights Watch says the UAE does not do enough to protect victims of sexual assault – and visitors can be caught up as well as residents. Victims reporting crimes often end up being charged themselves.
Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) warns Australian travellers visiting the UAE to “be aware that local laws and penalties, including ones that appear harsh by Australian standards, do apply to you.
“De facto relationships, homosexual relationships and acts, adultery and prostitution are illegal and subject to severe punishment. Sex outside of marriage is illegal and may lead to imprisonment. It is also against the law in the UAE to live together or share the same hotel room with someone of the opposite sex to whom you are not married or closely related. These laws apply to residents as well as visitors.
“The UAE has a zero tolerance policy towards illegal drugs,” DFAT warns. “Penalties can include the death sentence or life imprisonment. Medications available over the counter or by prescription in Australia may be illegal in the UAE.”
Additionally, DFAT advises Aussies to “exercise a high degree of caution in the UAE because of the threat of terrorist attack”.
In the latest case highlighted by the Independent, three men allegedly lured the young woman into a car as she returned from a night out with friends. The woman says she was taken to an apartment where the men repeatedly raped her, dragging her back as she tried to escape.
When the woman admitted she drank three glasses of wine with friends before the incident. she was charged for that offence and fined 1000 dirhams (over $AUD250).
Other cases involving foreigners in the UAE, cited by the Independent, have included:
The latest publicity over the alleged rape comes just a week after the executive director of a leading travel insurance provider for travel agents in Australia, SureSave, warned travellers about extremely stringent drug laws in place in the UAE.
- Ayman Najafi, 24, and Charlotte Lewis, 25, were each sentenced to a month in prison in 2010 after being accused of kissing on the lips in a restaurant. They claimed it was just a peck on the cheek as a greeting.
- Businessman Steven Sherriff, 43, was jailed for six months for pinching a woman’s bottom in a bar. He denied the incident took place and successfully appealed, but his legal costs topped $AUD100,000, which the paper says ruined him financially.
- Rebecca Blake, 29, and Conor McRedmond, 27, were jailed for three months and fined over $AUD1500 after allegedly having drunken sex in the back of a taxi. They denied it and DNA tests later confirmed they were innocent.
They covered “a wide range of common medicines, including codeine-based painkillers, valium and ritalin”, Michael McAuliffe said. These are common enough in Australia but all are illegal in the UAE.
“Should they be found on a traveller, there can be serious consequences,” McAuliffe warned.
“Even the most minuscule traces of any controlled substance on an individual’s person, or in some cases, in their bloodstream, can potentially land them in prison. In one high profile case, a British woman was found to have codeine in her body and was held in a Dubai jail for eight weeks before being sent home. Travellers need to be aware.”
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a federation of seven emirates (states), each with its own ruler. The constituent emirates are Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah, and Umm al-Quwain. Alcohol is generally served only in hotel restaurants and bars in the UAE (but not in the state of Sharjah). Nightclubs and golf clubs are permitted to sell alcohol. Drinking without a liquor licence is technically illegal in Dubai, though bars and hotels never ask to see the document.
Global Travel Media
Cheers