15 Things Not To Do In Dubai To Avoid Trouble

Before planning your trip to Dubai, you do a lot of research to find out when you should travel, what attractions you can visit, things to do and things not to do in Dubai, and plenty of other stuff that you need to figure out before you plan your trip and finally book the Dubai Tour Package. 

When you travel to some other place or another country, there are always specific rules and regulations that one is supposed to follow. Some of these rules may be very strict, a little easier to follow, and some even sound ridiculous, but it is not up to us to decide whether it’s good or bad; we just have to follow them.

No matter wherever you are, you have to follow the laws of the land whether you like it or not. Some laws are written and known to everyone, and if you violate them, you will get in trouble, whereas other laws are unsaid, and if you break them, you may not precisely get in trouble, but some things are frowned upon, so its better to take care of a few things. 

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Things Not To Do In Dubai

1. Do Not Dance In Public

How often do you dance? Let me phrase it another way, how often do you dance in public? 

Quite often, correct? 

Every day we see people making reels and dancing their hearts out in public just to promote their videos or reels on Instagram or Youtube. These people don’t care about the public watching them or judging them, and we usually enjoy it because who wouldn’t want free entertainment? 

Well, this isn’t the case in Dubai. So before planning your trip, you should know about the things you cannot do in Dubai, which include dancing in public. So it is strictly forbidden to dance in public places in Dubai, and if found guilty, you may have to pay a hefty fine. 

If you want to dance, you can dance in clubs or indoors, but you should not do it in public at any cost. 

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2. Do Not Drink In Public

In India, we see drunk people lying and walking on the road, they are so drunk that even walking straight is a task for them. We see these people all the time, and we are not at all bothered as long as no one is getting hurt. 

However, when you are in Dubai, you cannot do that. Drinking in public places is forbidden by the law. Thus staying drunk or drinking in public in Dubai can lead to a penalty or even jail. 

Even though you can drink alcohol in pubs, and it is available in Dubai. Some people believe that just because you cannot drink in public, it means that it is not available in Dubai. You can buy alcohol in Dubai. Just be careful enough not to open the bottle in public places. 

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3. No Cross-Dressing In Dubai

Dubai is one of the most modern cosmopolitan cities in the United Arab Emirates. Still, there are certain things that the law of Dubai cannot stand, and if you go against the rules, you will surely get in some serious trouble, and you don’t want that right? 

The thing is that Dubai does not believe in homosexuality and ensures that nobody is imitating the other gender. Today everyone has caught up on the trend where they think that they are not who they should be.

Some boys may dress up like a woman or a girl as a man, and some have even gone on the limp and started saying things that they identify as Brocolli, or that they should have been born blind. 

Such things are not at all entertaining, and if people try to crossdress, then they will be arrested for that. Cross-dressing falls strictly on the list of ‘Dubai What Not To Do?’

In the year 2008, around 40 tourists were arrested in Dubai for cross-dressing and defying the laws of Dubai. Thus, one should avoid it at any cost. 

4. Do Not Stay Together In Hotels If You Are Unmarried

Adding another element to the Dubai Things Not To Do list is that you cannot stay in a hotel room together if you are an unmarried couple. 

Dubai hotels do not allow unmarried couples to stay in the same room because they don’t support it. 

In India and several other countries, this is not even a matter of concern, but Dubai has some very strict rules regarding this and would not allow you to live with your partner if you haven’t tied the knot. 

However, there are some hotels that allow unmarried couples to stay in the same room and don’t ask for a relationship between the couple. So be very careful, and check the hotel policies before you book it. 

Next time, when you are travelling with your girlfriend or your boyfriend, you have to be very careful, for who knows what can go wrong. Besides, you don’t want to get in any kind of trouble when you are in a foreign country, right? You never know on what basis they can charge you with fines or penalties or maybe even deport you. It’s better to be safe than sorry. 

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5. Don’t Speak Bad For The Royal Family

When you are in a particular country, especially a country that has one particular religion in the majority, then it’s natural to have an opinion regarding the laws and the culture of the place. 

However, you cannot discuss it openly in public. The city does not allow you to openly ridicule the laws or the culture of the place. 

It is very common to discuss politics in public, Indian dads do it all the time in public, and that too very loudly, but this isn’t the case in Dubai. Your opinion should be within you and not be out in public, no matter how wrong you think it is. 

You are going to be in Dubai for a few days why not just get along and have a nice time instead of digging in the dirt? 

6. No Prohibited Items

When travelling to Dubai, you have to make sure that the items you are carrying are not prohibited in Dubai. 

There are a few things that Dubai doesn’t allow, and such things should not be with you. Suppose you are reading a book in public. It should not be erotica or have adult content, and no fashion magazines that have nudity. 

You must absolutely not carry bacon, or any item that has pork, for it will land you in some serious trouble, and I am sure you do not want that. 

Check your bag before you step out of the house and ensure that no prohibited item is inside it. 

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7. No Rude Hand Gestures

How often do you express your anger at people who are driving carelessly or shout at them for being stupid? 

I am pretty sure that happens almost every day. You can see one person or the other yelling at someone because they met with an accident or were almost about to bump into each other. 

It may be pretty common in our country to open up someone’s head for being a rash driver, but this isn’t the case in Dubai. 

In Dubai, you can rent a sports car for a day, and people who like driving always rent a sports car. It is very common to show a finger to another driver out of rage in your country, but you cannot do it in Dubai. 

If you get mad at someone and are extremely angry, you are not supposed to fight like what we see in our country. Doing so would land you in jail or get you into some serious trouble, and it is one of the things not to do in Dubai. 

8. No Eating In Public During Ramadan

We all know about the holy month of Ramadan and how Muslims fast during the day for the entire month. So it is forbidden to eat in public during Ramadan until dusk. You cannot eat, drink, or smoke in public places. 

On regular days there is no problem with eating or drinking anything at any time, but this particular rule is limited to the holy month of Ramadan. 

However, you can eat at restaurants and cafes where they have screens which cover the place to respect the fasting people. Pregnant women and children can eat, but it’s best to eat in some place private so it doesn’t look disrespectful to the people who are fasting. 

9. Do Not Carry Your Medicines

Now this may come as a surprise because you probably hear this for the first time, but it’s true. It falls under the list of Things Not To Do In Dubai and is a little hard to believe. 

Some medicines and illicit drugs are banned in Dubai, so it has a strict policy where you cannot carry some particular medication. Yes, not even your anti-anxiety drug or even that medicine on which your life depends. 

So it’s advisable that before planning your trip, check the UAE’s website and see what medicines are allowed and what is prohibited. Even the medications that are allowed and you will be carrying them with you, it’s best to carry your prescription as well. You never know what can happen with just a single medicine. 

Airports are on high alert, if you are found carrying any illegal drugs, you are not only going to be fined, but you can also go to jail, or even worse, you can be deported. Sounds scary, right? 

Well, that is why you should be very careful with it. 

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10. Do Not Take Photographs Without Consent

Another thing that is added to the list of Things Not To Do In Dubai is not to take pictures of people without consent. 

Dubai is full of scenic beauty, and you will be compelled to take pictures of everything it is possible that random people might photobomb your masterpiece of a picture. However, as common as it is, it is still prohibited to take pictures of people without consent. 

Unlike in India, random people are clicked on their phones, and people take pictures and videos of anything they find funny, and then it becomes viral. Sounds like a lot of fun, but if you do this in Dubai, you will land yourself in some serious trouble. 

So before taking pictures, ensure that the background doesn’t include another soul, or you take their consent before clicking. 

11. You Cannot Cuss In Public

As common as it is in India to cuss people in every sentence, not out of anger but because it’s habit to use such words to complete the sentence, it is not something you can do everywhere. 

You have to keep your words in check. If you think you can say anything to anyone and get away with it then you could not be more wrong. You have to be extremely careful with what you say in public in Dubai. 

Speaking ill about Islam or Muslims or using cuss words is one of the things not to do in Dubai. Trust me, it’s not a joke, and not everything is as easy as it is in India. You cannot just cuss and get away with it, after all, it’s Dubai, the laws here are very strict and everyone has to abide by those laws. 

12. Do Not Dress Inappropriately

Dubai has a strict policy of wearing modest clothes that does not show a lot of your skin, and are not skin-tight. It is advised to wear modest clothes that cover your arms and knees. 

Wearing loose clothes is advisable so that it’s comfortable and protects against the hot and dry weather. 

The concept is to not attract unwanted attention and maintain the modesty of the city. However you can wear swimsuits near the beach area, but you should not wear them in public places or outside your resort. 

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13. You Cannot Do PDA 

Public Display of Affection(PDA) has become quite common these days. It could be the impact of Netflix or the movies but more people have started hugging, kissing, and doing other stuff that are a part of the Public Display of Affection. 

While some places are absolutely okay with PDAs, Dubai, on the other hand, forbids people to show any form of physical affection in public places. 

So if you are going with your partners, make sure you don’t hold their hands, hug them, or do anything you are not supposed to in Public. PDA is on top of the Things Not To Do In Dubai list.

14. No Use Of Left Hand

While in Dubai, you should make sure that you do not use your left hand to greet anyone, eat, to pass food, etc. 

The logic behind this is that before the advent of toilet paper, people used their hands to clean up, which was considered dirty, even if you washed it. The mindset hasn’t changed yet, thus, the use of the right hand is regarded as the correct way to greet, eat and do everything. 

So when you are in Dubai, keep this in mind.

15. Do Not Miss Out On Famous Attractions

One of the things not to do in Dubai is to not even think about missing the famous attractions, including the very popular skyscraper, the tallest building in the world, the Dubai Fountain, Dubai Frame, Burj Al Arab, Dubai Mall, Museum of The Future, and plenty of other attractions in Dubai. 

Frequently Asked Questions About Things Not To Do In Dubai