‘How to avoid arrest in Dubai’: Brits offer advice to trouble-prone tourists

‘How to avoid arrest in Dubai’: Brits offer advice to trouble-prone tourists

‘Don’t-do’ guide issued by embassy contains handy tips, such as not kissing in public and staying off the drugs.

May 4, 2010 5:06 by Ben Flanagan

A ‘don’t-do’ guide has been issued by the British Embassy in Dubai in an attempt to educate trouble-prone tourists about the laws, customs and standards of behavior in the emirate.

The advice, which can be viewed on the embassy’s website follows a string of arrests of Brits living in or visiting the UAE. A length list advises against kissing or holding in hands in public, as well as swearing and using drugs. It spells out the alcohol laws – which state that drinking is only allowed in licensed restaurants, pubs and clubs – and makes clear that sexual relationships outside marriage are illegal.

The guide is accompanied by a stark warning: “If you want to face possible arrest and imprisonment, ignore the advice.”

Two Britons – Charlotte Adams and Ayman Najafi – were jailed in March for kissing in a restaurant in Dubai. And Michelle Palmer and Vince Acors were arrested in 2008 in the infamous ‘sex on the beach’ case.