October 18, 2024 by webadmin
Up until very recently, Dubai had some strict laws on premarital cohabitation, which included sharing a hotel room. While not necessarily enforced, these rules applied to foreigners too, meaning that anyone, local or foreign, could face punishment for sharing a house or hotel room while unmarried. Fortunately, as things are in 2024, this is no longer the case as Dubai altered its laws to allow for unmarried cohabitation.
Some additional good news includes new laws that decriminalise alcohol! In addition, there are new regulations surrounding alcohol licences and taxes that makes purchasing drinks much easier and more affordable.
In this blog we’ll cover both premarital cohabitation and alcohol regulations so you are best informed for your next, or first exciting Dubai trip! We’ll also remind you of some other important cultural norms to keep at the forefront of your mind during your stay.
Yes, You Can Share a Hotel Room Without a Marriage Certificate
The law that allows premarital cohabitation was passed in 2020, so since that point, it has been legal in all spaces from homes to hotel rooms. As we are in 2024, 2020 may feel far away, but in terms of information available on the internet, there is a surprising lag in awareness that you may come across. Lots of websites appear to be in conflict on whether you can actually legally stay in the same hotel room as your partner of the opposite sex; this is not because the law is unclear, but simply because many sites have yet to update their content in accordance with the new law.
At Luxury Sweets we do our utmost to provide you with the most accurate information, but if you are still a little unsure on the actual legality of things, The Kaleej times has written a
thorough article mentioning the actual court file numbers, and The Guardian is another trusted source with an
article discussing cohabitation and the decriminalisation of alcohol. So, to be perfectly clear, there are absolutely no legal repercussions you can face for the act of sharing a hotel room with a member of the opposite sex.
Now, you might have stayed in a hotel with an escort with zero problems or questions in the past, so the fact that such a thing was illegal may come as a surprise to you. The simple explanation is that not all hotels were strict enforcers of this law, especially not western and international establishments. As Dubai relies heavily on having a healthy tourism industry, it makes sense that a lot of hotels simply chose not to enforce such a rule as it would drastically cut profits.
The law and cultural acceptance are two different things and while you may not face legal trouble for sharing a room with your escort, it is still advised to act as though you are married or have known each other for a long time. Using “partner” instead of “girlfriend” during interactions with staff will help make your relationship seem more established. Remember that sex work is still frowned upon in Dubai, so you want your relationship to seem authentic anyway. Don’t stress about it though, your escort will be an expert in fostering such a genuine connection you won’t have to do any acting. Especially if you go out with our lovely girl
Joana who radiates romantic chemistry.
Just a quick reminder that you will still be required to hand your passport or other photo ID over to the hotel reception so they can make a copy. This is standard procedure that has nothing to do with this new law, so expect to follow it.
PDA is Still Not Culturally Acceptable
While local unmarried couples and visitors are now free to share the same housing and hotel rooms, public displays of affection or PDA are still strictly frowned upon and not acceptable during your stay. But don’t worry, even when you feel tempted or instinctively reach out to grab the delicate hand of your lady, as an experienced local, your escort will close off the contact and maintain appropriate public action to keep you both in line with cultural expectations and laws.
Additional Cultural Norms to Follow
Dubai is an Islamic country with strict norms and regulations on how you hold yourself publicly. So in addition to abstaining from PDA, you should never swear in public or act rowdy; this includes playing loud music which is not acceptable. Be sure to dress conservatively - a good rule of thumb is to wear clothing that extends past your knees and cover your shoulders, until you make it to the beach where you can fling off your shirt and wear board shorts.
Be mindful when taking photographs. Capturing government and military buildings and aircraft is not permitted, and you must seek permission from any people you want to take photos of.
This may seem like a lot, but it’s mostly common sense to act courteously when visiting other places. For the more specific local laws, always feel free to rely on the expertise of your escort to guide you in what’s permitted.
Now About That Alcohol Decriminalisation…
Just like the new premarital cohabitation law, a significant law decriminalising alcohol was also implemented in 2020. According to this law, alcohol is no longer deemed a criminal offence. This means that alcohol is much more freely available to purchase and consume in more areas of the country where it was previously strictly banned.
While consuming alcohol is no longer a criminal offence, there are still important laws surrounding it to remember. The legal drinking age is 21, so you will not be able to purchase alcohol unless you are 21 and above. In addition, alcohol can only be purchased at licenced establishments and consumed at those locations, or within the privacy of your home or hotel room. Being drunk in public is still legally punishable, and is also disrespectful of the culture you are visiting anyway.
As we look into the future, we bring some even better news: recently in 2023 the
30% sales tax on alcohol was removed, making drinks significantly cheaper, and in addition the licence required to purchase alcohol for private consumption is now free. In the past you had to pay for a licence to be able to obtain alcohol from stores, which had a hefty price, but now it’s completely free. While it may sound annoying to have to go through this step when it’s free anyway, the process is fortunately quite easy. All you need to do is bring your passport to a African + Eastern or MMI Liquor Store and show your tourist visa empty stamp, or apply online at websites like
licensedxb.com.
Go Out and Have an Amazing Trip!
We hope this article has been informative of some significant (and positive!) changes to Dubai laws that are relevant for your travels. Regardless of whether you’ve visited before, or are going to Dubai for the first time, you can rest assured knowing you can legally share a hotel room with a partner of the opposite sex and excitedly, can more freely and cheaply acquire alcohol. So go out and enjoy a fantastic time in Dubai, and if you haven’t already arranged a lovely escort to spend that time with, make sure to visit our
Dubai escorts page, which is full of stunning ladies for your pleasure.
and then