Are laws about sex outside marriage less rigorously enforced in Dubai for people on layovers?
Last night, I saw on the news that Qantas was switching its main hub from Singapore to Dubai. (Qantas has since switched back to Singapore)
Smart Traveller notes about the United Arab Emirates:
Homosexual acts and sex outside of marriage: Homosexual acts and all kinds of sex outside of marriage are illegal and may lead to severe punishment, including imprisonment and fines. Foreigners have been imprisoned for having sex with people to whom they are not legally married. De facto relationships and civil unions are not recognised in the UAE and any sexual acts within these relationships are considered to be sex outside of marriage. 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. If checking into a hotel as a couple, you may be asked by management to prove that you are legally married. These laws apply equally to UAE residents as well as visitors.
Should I assume that when Smart Traveller says that the laws apply equally to visitors, that includes even people who are just on layovers? Or are the laws less rigorously enforced for people on layovers?
Background: I'm not planning on engaging in homosexuality, adultery or fornication in Dubai, but I'd rather not financially support airline routes that would expose fellow passengers to the risk of jail.
Best Answer
If you're on a layover and not entering the country, that is, not going through immigration, you can expect that the law will not be equally enforced.
As soon as you go through immigration, expect it does, though even in practice you will find that this particular law, in the UAE, is not too strictly enforced, either for visitors or residents. But, it can be. If you're going to stay a few nights in a hotel and have loud sex with your girlfriend, you could just find yourself deported. (Note, that I don't have hard proof for this, but all cases I remember of foreigners being charged, in any way, in the UAE, for unlawful sexual behaviour somehow really didn't try to be subtle.)
Pictures about "Are laws about sex outside marriage less rigorously enforced in Dubai for people on layovers?"
Is sex outside marriage crime in UAE?
A reminder to everyone to please be aware of the law that sex outside marriage is illegal in the UAE.What is illegal in Dubai?
16 Things You Should Avoid Doing When You're In Dubai- Cross-dressing can land you in jail with heavy fines levied. ...
- It is illegal for unmarried couples to stay together in a hotel. ...
- Drinking in public is not allowed and neither is being drunk in public.
Can you cohabit in Dubai?
In the UAE and Dubai, it is against Sharia law to live together, in the western sense, with someone you are not married to. You can only live together with a member of the opposite sex if you are married to them, or they are a family member.Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Jonathan Borba, Jonathan Borba, The Lazy Artist Gallery, The Lazy Artist Gallery