The Jumeirah Beach Walk

The Jumeirah Beach Walk has become an increasingly popular spot for people to visit in Dubai. JBR as it is affectionately called is always bustling with a mixed group of people. On one corner you will hear the Russians marveling at the ocean with their thick accents, while the Emiratis drive around in those cute golf cars – with Chanel bags on their laps. Then you have your joggers who run rhythmatically to the sound of the iPods in their ears and let’s not forget the Pilipino maid who lounges lazily while the kids play at the fountain. It is certainly a melting pot of different cultures - the affluent and the not so affluent congregating to drink of this energetic area.

The expats are comfortable enough to walk around scantily clad and nonchalantly hold hands with people of the opposite sex. It goes a step further when people do the casual hello kiss – thereby neglecting Islamic rules. The rules of Dubai do not promote indecent dress or public displays of affection. Holding hands with someone from the opposite sex is a crime that can earn you a couple of months in jail and deportation to your country of origin.



How then do you amalgamate the 2; the desire to remain a pure Muslim state and the need for expansion which calls for expatriate manpower? It is impossible. To a certain extent people obey the rules – but more and more I see a condoning culture coming out – as long as you are not caught or perhaps don’t go over the top doing it. It still does not mean everyone is above the law.

If caught breaking the law which might be holding hands – the cops can arrest you. The story is further complicated when we chuck in your nationality as this is a determining factor of how severe your punishment will be. Each person is classed according to their nationality, with the Westerners being on the high end, while the Indians, Africans and other minor nationalities bear the brunt of severe punishment.
Although having said that, it is not always the case. Occasionally the government will severely punish a couple of Westerners to send a message across.



Most recently a newlywed couple was caught having sex in their car while parked in the JBR parking lot, After a cop found the car suspicious he moved closer and peered into the car’s tinted windows. Some articles claim the man opened the window half naked while others say the cop stuck his face on the tinted window and could vaguely see two people make out.

Read the full story here…

The Judge ruled in favor of the couple with their lawyer successfully arguing that the cop invaded their privacy. So next time you are in JBR and feel like getting down and dirty in the backseat of your car - kindly ensure you have tinted windows and a marriage certificate which permits you to have sex.

Gotta love Dubai!