In the UAE, going over the speed limit is a really bad idea, which a British national found out at his own peril. We look at the story of how Farah Hashi, from Newport, Wales managed to rack up £36,000 or AED 175,000 in fines soon after arriving in Dubai as a tourist. We also look at some of the other things that could land residents and tourists into trouble in the UAE.
When Hashi was visiting Dubai as a tourist, he hired a Lamborghini and then proceeded to speed down Sheikh Zayed Road, triggering every speed camera in the area. He racked up a staggering 175,000 dirhams (£36,000) worth of fines when he broke the speed limit 32 times. It was an amount he could not pay.
Hashi was told he could leave the country after he managed to raise about £30,000 to settle his dues; when his seized passport was returned to him. However, when he reached the airport he was arrested. He spent two days in jail, then under house arrest before being allowed to go home finally.
It is something that people do casually and unthinkingly, but in the UAE it could get you into trouble as one British man found out. Jamil Ahmed Mukadam, from Leicester was involved in a road altercation and flipped his finger at the other driver. He was arrested and his passport confiscated. In the UAE, arguing in public, swearing, rude gestures are all punishable by law.
According to the UAE laws, sex between unmarried individuals is not permitted. Even the sharing of a hotel room by two unmarried, unrelated people of the opposite sex is not allowed. It therefore follows that public displays of affection such as hugging and kissing are also very much frowned upon and may land one into trouble as well. Holding hands is OK, but just about.
The country has strict defamation laws which could get a person arrested for something as harmless seeming as a spoof video. Shezanne Cassim and seven others were convicted in December for defaming the UAE image abroad under a 2012 cybercrimes law. He was sentenced to one year in prison.
This is rather a broad term. Being drunk in public is a huge no-no. Even dancing in public or playing very loud music is frowned on because these can be deemed indecent or provocative.
If you're a photography enthusiast, you may want to be careful about what and whom you photograph, particularly if there are women in the frame. Speaking to women randomly in public is also frowned upon. Any action that may be construed as offensive to religious belief could attract fine or imprisonment.
Even prescription medication can get one into trouble; particularly those with psychotropic ingredients. Carrying a doctor's note or getting prior permission from the authorities may be a good idea.
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