Middle East - Discrimination at Dubai Hotel. What should I do? Who is right?

Hello Friends,
I booked a stop over hotel in Dubai for 2 persons and paid through an online booking site. However now Im learning that females are barred from entering hotel rooms! But it is to be noted that this policy was NOT reflected anywhere during the time of the booking. Had I known about this I would have booked at some other female friendly hotel. This is absolutely not fair and blatant gender discrimination and why should I be on the hook when they did not mentioned this prior to the booking, and also let me made reservation for 2 persons?!?!

Writing a complaint to the booking site doesnt seem to resolve this situation either. Please help and tell me what should I do? Who is right?

Thank you!

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Dear Mr XX

Thank you for your email.

Please note, In the UAE and Dubai, it is against Sharia law to live together, with someone you are not married to especially if you are a Muslim. The same rule applies to sharing a hotel room. It is their country law and not our policies.



However, we have send the request to the hotel to check on this and we need the hotel's confirmation that the booking can be cancelled without any charges as well.

We will revert back to you soonest as hotel reply us.

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Dear Sir/Madam
Im writing to you in regards to my booking with your site. I booked a one night stay at *********** Hotel for myself and a friend and have made you the payment through my credit card.
However Im now learning that the Hotel does not permit female guests into the rooms despite of the fact that my booking was clearly made for 2 people and this policy of NO FEMALES were NOT mentioned anywhere in their terms or conditions. You are more than welcome to clarify this policy directly from the hotel if you wish.
Therefore I would kindly like you to request me in the full amount, so that I may rebook again through you to a different hotel.

Please be advised that I reside in Canada, and my card issuer is registered in Canada, and under Canadian law it is AGAINST THE LAW to discriminate somebody based on their sex (female).

(Canada Charter of Rights)15. (1) Every individual is equal before and under the law and has the right to the equal protection and equal benefit of the law without discrimination and, in particular, without discrimination based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age or mental or physical disability.

Im giving you the opportunity to do the right thing and CANCEL my booking, however if you wish to uncooperate, it will leave me with no choice but to block these discriminatory charges through my Credit card company.
Thank you!

What does this have to do with EK? Was it a hotel booked thru them on a companion fare where only one room may be booked?

Strange, my experience as a single male traveler to Dubai a few weeks ago was one met with an unsolicited offer from the 3 1/2* hotel: I could bring a female guest to stay over for a charge of 150AED.

A firm reminder to stick to the topic. No personal comments are allowed, if you have something to post on topic, feel free to do so, otherwise move on, there is plenty to read on FT or for that matter on other parts of the internet.

Posts in violation of FT TOS will be deleted.

Regards Oliver2002
Senior Mod

Sheesh. This is bogus -- any hotel will let a man and a woman check in together as long as they both provide ID. (Well, there are certain local hotels, not international chains, that cater to Gulf Arabs, but I doubt that even they would bar you.)

The booking site gave you information -- if that is the first e-mail that you cite -- that is complete bunk. To the extent that sharia law applies in the UAE, it only applies to Muslims. If you got your information from somewhere else, I'd like to hear where.

You have nothing to worry about. In the unlikely event that the front desk challenges you, just say she's your wife. They would never know the difference.

Notwithstanding the above, I find your attempt to cite Canadian law pretty offensive and arrogant, however. If you visit another country, you abide by their laws -- are you really thinking that just because you're paying with a Canadian issued credit card, Canadian law applies? If "medical marijuana" is legal in California, does that mean that if you check into a hotel in Dubai paid with a California-issued credit card, you can be allowed to bring your marijuana even if it's against the law in the UAE? If prostitution is legal in Germany, can you stay in a hotel room in the U.S.A., paid with your German credit card, and legally engage in prostitution? The fact is (although it won't affect you in your case -- and even if they did bar unmarried guests of the opposite sex, that would not constitute discrimination against women), it's not unlawful to discriminate in public accommodation in some countries, including the UAE. If you travel outside Canada, you will have to get used to it.

Sheesh. This is bogus -- any hotel will let a man and a woman check in together as long as they both provide ID.

That's because they ignore the law.

The booking site gave you information -- if that is the first e-mail that you cite -- that is complete bunk. To the extent that sharia law applies in the UAE, it only applies to Muslims. If you got your information from somewhere else, I'd like to hear where.

I'm afraid the information is accurate, insofar as sharing a hotel room (or even a car) with someone of the opposite sex you are not married to is illegal, Muslim or not. Like most such things in Dubai, it's really not in any way a problem... until it is. The Tahseen Al Ma'asiya is not really enforced in Dubai... unless it is.

It will be, with near-certainty, fine for an unmarried couple to check into a hotel together in Dubai. Indeed, my now-wife and I did so many times. (I'd be much more nervous in Sharjah.) However, as with most things Dubai, it's worth understanding exactly what the position is.

As intimated above, there's a big difference between what the law might say and what happens in practice.

My girlfriend has visited me several times in Dubai for weekend breaks and I've never had a problem with hotels. I know several ex-pat couples who are 'living in sin'. They don't draw attention to themselves and don't give cause for anyone to make a complaint.

In many cultures women don't change their name after marriage, and nobody is expecting you to carry your marriage certificate with you !

This is a useful reminder to do some basic research before visiting somewhere for the first time. IMHO this article gives a realistic and balanced view of the current situation: http://www.dubaifaqs.com/living-together-in-dubai.php.

I did read somewhere that one interpretation of the liquor laws would require holidaymakers to get a licence to be able to drink in their hotel :eek:

I'm afraid the information is accurate, insofar as sharing a hotel room (or even a car) with someone of the opposite sex you are not married to is illegal, Muslim or not.

I don't think that this is true, especially about the car. Of course there is really no rule of law in Dubai anyway, but can you point to a law (either nationally or in the emirate) that says that unmarried people of the opposite sex cannot share a car?

As a comparison, I checked with my legal counsel in Qatar, and he confirmed that there is no law against unmarried non-Muslims cohabiting. Of course that's not the UAE, but given that Qatar is more conservative, and has shariah strictly referenced in the "constitution" of the country, it's a data point.

Thank you everyone for your reply.

A couple of clarifications that I need to address to clear out any doubt so that you have a better insight to this situation.

1. I completely agree about respecting native laws. Im in no shape or form contesting their laws. The sole intention of mine was pertaining to the booking site since they are refusing to cancel my booking. I have NO problem with a certain hotel policy or their laws, my only grievousness is that they are refusing to cancel my booking so that I may try another hotel.

For those who don't believe me this is a hotel in Bur Dubai and I have confirmed twice over the phone with their receptionist that are adamant that they would not let female guests into the room. Despite the fact that this is a fully functional hotel and did not indicate such policies in arrears to my booking.
Please be advised that both of us are READY to provide all identification including passport copies so that we could stay, however the hotel remains adamant to enforce this NO FEMALE GUEST policy.

Im just trying to seek help in resolving this issue so that I can get this cancelled and book another hotel. As you can appreciate Im no rich by any means and its undue hardship on me to purchase another hotel, neither do I have option to stay alone due to this binding.

I don't think that this is true, especially about the car. Of course there is really no rule of law in Dubai anyway, but can you point to a law (either nationally or in the emirate) that says that unmarried people of the opposite sex cannot share a car?

I already did: Tahseen Al Ma'asiya.

On the hotel room side, see also http://www.uae-embassy.ae/Embassies/uk/faq%27s/585#a21

As a comparison, I checked with my legal counsel in Qatar, and he confirmed that there is no law against unmarried non-Muslims cohabiting. Of course that's not the UAE, but given that Qatar is more conservative, and has shariah strictly referenced in the "constitution" of the country, it's a data point.

Qatar is not the UAE, no. I also believe this is wrong, too, from what my Doha-based friends tell me, but IANAL.

I did read somewhere that one interpretation of the liquor laws would require holidaymakers to get a licence to be able to drink in their hotel :eek:

Tourists indeed have been arrested in the past for not having one. Of course, it is not actually possible for a non-resident to get one.

If you're willing to have intercourse (unmarried) while three Muslims watch, then you would be in trouble...
You're more likely to have the sort of problem described in the lower price Dubai hotels.

What interests me is how the hotel came to be interested in the social status of the guests.

Dubai has to have the most pragmatic approach to tourism and the ways of tourists in the GCC: to pick on an unmarried couple in this way suggests their status was drawn to the attention of the hotel in a way that could not be ignored.

Are we discussing a couple travelling together, or a more complex situation?

Do all Canadian laws apply in Dubai, or just this one?

:rolleyes:

What interests me is how the hotel came to be interested in the social status of the guests.

Dubai has to have the most pragmatic approach to tourism and the ways of tourists in the GCC: to pick on an unmarried couple in this way suggests their status was drawn to the attention of the hotel in a way that could not be ignored.


My interpretation is the OP read something or heard a rumour and called the hotel to enquire. I was totally unaware the first couple of times I visited Dubai and was totally brazen as a consequence :eek:


Are we discussing a couple travelling together, or a more complex situation?

Given the OP's first post (in another thread), you could well be correct ! :)

Given the OP's first post (in another thread), you could well be correct ! :)

:eek:

I think the OP may not have an issue after all :rolleyes:

Given the OP's first post (in another thread), you could well be correct ! :)

Thanks for that link - it brightened up a rather gloomy Sunday morning :D

Someone I know of was stopped while entering the Hilton in Abu Dhabi:
"sorry Sir, you can only have one female guest in your room at a time". :)

Generally although technically illegal, many hotels in Dubai will not make an issue of it. The problem only comes up if there is occasion to call in the authorities - e. g. A family row. Then you might be in some trouble. Note that Sharjah recently started cracking down on in unmarried cohabitants, going door to door and sometimes setting up road stops, so if you are planning a short trip across to sharjah then it might become a more salient problem

This can never happened,can I tell that in Emirates flight they didnt served me alcohol because I looked like a Muslim ?

I have Monday off.. :D

Anyway, good story indeed.

It is an unfortunate event, but It is the law of the country.. they are under no obligation to mention it anywhere in the booking..

It is always good to know the laws of the country you are visiting..

I doubt they will give you a refund. The booking website doesn't have any obligation to list it on their website because it's not the hotel's policy - it's the law in that country. Also good luck trying to dispute the charge via your credit card. You cannot ask for a refund because the service provider refuses to allow you to break the law.

From your other threads, it is clear you are quite new to international traveling, just take the hit and chalk it up to inexperience. This is basic research you should have done about the destination prior to booking. Part of traveling is to understand and respect other cultures so you've learned your first lesson. Trying to get a refund in Dubai by citing the Canadian charter of rights will probably be a funny story to tell your kids some day.

As for ways to get around the ban, you can often get past this problem by getting two separate rooms (one for the girl and one for the guy). Then just have the girl come over to your room. Yes, this will require you to book two rooms, but at least you can use the room you already booked. As this is the law in the country, I doubt another hotel will provide you a written promise to allow your female friend to stay with you. If you rebook a room at another hotel, you might be unlucky and find yourself being forced to pay a ridiculous rack rate for an extra room at check-in at another hotel (this happened to a friend of mine once in Vietnam).

What about gay couples? Can two men share a double (or queen) bed in hotels in Dubai?

I booked a one night stay at *********** Hotel for myself and a friend and have made you the payment through my credit card.

Which hotel, Chattersking? You haven't revealed any identifying information about yourself so you have no privacy concerns about naming the hotel that has this policy.

Well, count me (and it sounds like others here) skeptical about the OP's story. I visited Dubai earlier this year, and though I was solo, I did not get the sense that any of the hotels would raise any concern about who is sharing a room with whom. It's understood and accepted in Dubai that lots of behavior that Islam prohibits will occur inside the hotels (including alcohol consumption).

Now, if you inexplicably announce to the hotel staff that the person you are with is not your spouse but is your boyfriend/girlfriend, then perhaps you will have a problem. Similarly, if you are gay, you would put the staff in an awkward position if you announce or demonstrate that the person you are with is your lover.

In Dubai or any other Muslim nation, you should be discrete about matters of sexuality. This applies even to straight, married couples. Hotel staffs in Dubai don't want to hear about what anyone is doing in the rooms (that's surely true at hotels, generally, but especially so in Dubai). It's essentially don't-ask-don't-tell if you're sharing a room with a lover who is not your opposite-sex spouse. Show discretion, and no one will ask or care what the status is of the person in your room with you.

What about gay couples? Can two men share a double (or queen) bed in hotels in Dubai?

Never had a problem with it. Staff will usually go out of their way to insist you "would be more comfortable with two beds" but esp if you have a suite/upgrade saying "I'd rather have the space - he can sleep on the couch!" solves it. Worst case, have a rollaway sent up.

Canadian law stops at... Wait for it... The Canadian border.

L O L

What about gay couples? Can two men share a double (or queen) bed in hotels in Dubai?

Cannot comment on the gay aspects, but my male college friends and I (also male) have shared rooms on DXB trips and never had any issues.

Cannot comment on the gay aspects, but my male college friends and I (also male) have shared rooms on DXB trips and never had any issues.

Question was about sharing beds, not rooms :D