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Originally Posted by csdf
(Post 23535601)
You're trying to apply western logic to Middle Eastern thinking. In the West, something is either illegal, or it isn't. Here, something is illegal if somebody decides that is, and it isn't if they decide that it isn't.
Secondly the UAE has rule of law and a court system. People cannot simply decide that something is illegal. Sure, the President of the US can violate the law when he feels he has a good reason to, but I'd say the leaders of the UAE have a better track record in that respect. |
Originally Posted by csdf
(Post 23535601)
You're trying to apply western logic to Middle Eastern thinking. In the West, something is either illegal, or it isn't. Here, something is illegal if somebody decides that is, and it isn't if they decide that it isn't.
In the US and UK too, there is police and prosecutorial discretion, whereby not everything that is illegal gets acted upon all of the time by law enforcement and/or prosecutors. And in the "West" too, who gets nailed and not by the law varies based on who you are. ;) |
Originally Posted by csdf
(Post 23535601)
You're trying to apply western logic to Middle Eastern thinking. In the West, something is either illegal, or it isn't. Here, something is illegal if somebody decides that is, and it isn't if they decide that it isn't. Also, you're trying to find written references to laws...this isn't the right part of the world to expect things to be clearly spelled out in black and white. On a monthly basis those of us who live here come up against a new law, or interpretation of the law, that is not written down anywhere and we've long since given up trying to find out where it's written down...
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Originally Posted by stimpy
(Post 23535704)
Sorry, but none of that is true. This is Flyertalk and those of us who have been here a number of years know each other. I know mecabq has many years of experience in the middle east and deeply understands the culture. And as I posted above, I've been traveling to Dubai regularly (and elsewhere in the region) since 1997. We are not at all applying western logic. We are stating the reality of both the political scene and the scene on the ground, and how the enforcement arm of the government behaves. Travelers to Dubai would be better served by talking to experts rather than reading random sensationalist websites.
Originally Posted by GUWonder
(Post 23536254)
In the US and UK too, there is police and prosecutorial discretion, whereby not everything that is illegal gets acted upon all of the time by law enforcement and/or prosecutors. And in the "West" too, who gets nailed and not by the law varies based on who you are. ;)
We should note that in the UAE (and the rest of the GCC) there is no such thing as separation between executive, legislative, and judicial functions. These are absolute monarchies -- which by definition don't entail the rule of law. Therefore, we can only judge by the reality on the ground, which holds that a foreigner does not, absent his commission of some real crime, need a license to drink. |
The Dubai executive council published a code of conduct. As long as the person is not behaving as if drunk or outside a licensed venue, drinking alcohol is not indicated as being prohibited. A license seems to be legally required if buying alcohol from a retail store or wholesaler but is more ambiguous about buying it for on-site consumption at a venue with a drink service license.
So no license needed to drink, but maybe a license to buy. |
Originally Posted by GUWonder
(Post 23538332)
A license seems to be legally required if buying alcohol from a retail store or wholesaler but is more ambiguous about buying it for on-site consumption at a venue with a drink service license.
So no license needed to drink, but maybe a license to buy. To get firmly back on topic: A friend of a friend walked into the Hilton in Abu Dhabi late at night with a "friend" on each arm. He was stopped by hotel security, "Sorry, sir, you are only allowed one guest in your room". |
Originally Posted by stimpy
(Post 23535704)
Travelers to Dubai would be better served by talking to experts rather than reading random sensationalist websites.
Here's another sensationalist website: The National (the main English language newspaper). http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-n...s-apply-to-all http://www.thenational.ae/uae/uae-al...about-tourists |
Originally Posted by csdf
(Post 23545120)
Or maybe, perhaps, people who actually live here.
Here's another sensationalist website: The National (the main English language newspaper). http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-n...s-apply-to-all http://www.thenational.ae/uae/uae-al...about-tourists |
You're absolutely right: I don't have a clue. My opinions are naïve views based on uncritical reading of sensationalist websites.
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Please. Not just women, men too :p
Mostly from Syria, Egypt. The Lebenese command higher prices. |
A funny observation is this:
working girls/escorts/etc. are asking for 200-300 euros per hour at average in most Europe. When they travel to Dubai, it becomes 2000-3500 AEDs for just being there!!! wow talke about a vibrant profitable market!! |
Originally Posted by lunardream
(Post 23562683)
A funny observation is this:
working girls/escorts/etc. are asking for 200-300 euros per hour at average in most Europe. When they travel to Dubai, it becomes 2000-3500 AEDs for just being there!!! wow talke about a vibrant profitable market!! The standard fare for an attractive escort in London is GBP 150 (EUR 190) per hour. Attractive girls in Dubai are available for AED 700 (GBP 115, EUR 150) and in Abu Dhabi for AED 600 (GBP 100, EUR 130). Information about all the above is easy to find on the Internet (but remember to disable safe search in Google!). Of course there are always courtesans (including one who lives in my building!) available for much much more and who fly around the world at the last minute in first class. Then there are ladies with problems who are typically available for much less. |
Originally Posted by Mauibaby2008
(Post 23512730)
One night my friend and I decided to go out for a night in Dubai. We were just walking the streets by some clubs and we saw a group of ten or more African women that were clearly trying to sell themselves to us (this was near a Hilton)-
I am positive they were prostitutes, so I ask, how is this possible considering how strict the UAE can be on unmarried tourists sharing hotel rooms?? What penalties do these women face- as the risk-reward doesn't seem worth it |
Originally Posted by mecabq
(Post 23533471)
+1 A lot of people post things like, unmarried non-Muslim couples are not allowed to share a hotel room, taken from internet forums like the one quoted above that are not official. I have asked someone to post an actual law, to no avail. It may exist, but we should remember that there really isn't much of a rule of law there, anyway, so I agree with your interpretation.
Same with the point about needing an alcohol license. This may be an actual regulation, but do you really think that every hotel in Dubai would risk losing its license by not checking for customers' alcohol permits? The fact that they don't seem to worry about this leads me to conclude that, de facto, there is no such regulation. Prostitution is less of a gray area, but, as others have noted, they obviously tolerate it in a somewhat delicate balancing act. |
I see we have the usual 'I know more than you do' argument going on...
Regarding the title of this thread, I am quite prepared to draw some pictures for the OP if that helps them understand 'how they do it'...:p |
Originally Posted by InTokyo
(Post 23624343)
mecabq you obviously have no experience in this region of the world. Maybe you should plan a trip to a Gulf state and put your "conclusions" to the test!
I hate to gate in a spitting contest about who has more experience, so a better question is, which conclusion are you referring to that you think I have wrong? |
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