Dubai Forums Dubai Expat Forums Dubai Expat Help Forum

Hey there,

I am Canadian girl and my boyfriend is Jordanian. We're looking to move to Dubai in a few months and I'm just curious as to how we will be received when looking for a place to live. We've had a great deal of difficulty even getting a hotel throughout the Middle East. I know Dubai is freer but by how much?
Advice appreciated.
Jennifer

Legally you cannot live together in Dubai. I don't even think you can stay in the same hotel room.

My advice, don't declare that you are with him. Just live with him "incognito". If you attract too much attention you could theoretically be arrested.

Thanks for your response. I'm just wondering how I might get around people's suspicions with him coming to my apartment everyday for a year... It seems like it will be difficult to maintain a facade on this one. I get what you're saying but what about all the expats that live together (male and female). Is it more stringent because of his nationality? What if we are engaged? Or married? Or just say that we're married? Will we be required to provide a marriage certificate? What if we rented from an expat? What would the arrest charge be? Indecency?
Help!

SouqExplorer wrote:Thanks for your response. I'm just wondering how I might get around people's suspicions with him coming to my apartment everyday for a year... It seems like it will be difficult to maintain a facade on this one. I get what you're saying but what about all the expats that live together (male and female). Is it more stringent because of his nationality? What if we are engaged? Or married? Or just say that we're married? Will we be required to provide a marriage certificate? What if we rented from an expat? What would the arrest charge be? Indecency?
Help!

If your neighbor is a religious leader then I would go into his appartment discreetly. If you are living amongst expats then no biggie unless someone is an ahole... So you can live together just don't flaunt it

Nationality has nothing to do with this. The rule applies to everyone (but like I said if you are wise you can break it). Engaged will not cut it. According to the law (and you know by now my thoughts on it), you have to be married. If you do get in trouble, you will need to produce a marriage certificate.

Renting from an expat is next to impossible because expats generally cannot own properties with the exception of the lease to hold ones. Most properties in Dubai are rented from locals. I doubt subletting is permissable under the law there. So this point is next to mute.

Yes the arrest charge is something to do with indecency. What the official name is, I dunno, and what the sentence is I dunno (could be as little as a fine or up to some form of jail time but I doubt it will end up being the latter).

In the UAE, if you are arrested for a crime (and I dunno if this is considered a crime), you are sent to jail and after serving your sentence you are deported.

"Yes the arrest charge is something to do with indecency. What the official name is, I dunno, and what the sentence is I dunno (could be as little as a fine or up to some form of jail time but I doubt it will end up being the latter). "

It's called a "morals crime", which covers a multitude of sins, homsexuality, extramarital affairs etc.. basically anything that offends the moral stadards set under Shariah Law. In some of the cases I've seen publicised Muslims are punished more severly than non-Muslims as they know the rules and are supposed to set a better and higher standard.

You occasionally see these sort of "crimes" in the paper, and in most instances if you read between the lines the "accused" are in the shit because they got on the wrong side of someone who used it as an excuse to get back at them.

Like Liban says, when you take a lease on a place don't let on you are a couple, and then once you are in pretend that you are even to the neighbours. I would say that at least half the single "western" expats in dubai live in "sin" - it's also easier on the rent

Be warned!
The other emirates are much more conservative!!!!! and you could end up with a public beating

dbxsoul wrote:
Be warned!
The other emirates are much more conservative!!!!! and you could end up with a public beating

I could see some S&M people on this list going to Sharjah and flaunting themselves in puclic just to get such a beating which would arouse them

ha-ha-ha
very good!

Hello there,

Well, you've scared me a little so I decided to do a little more research. I found the US State Deparment's Human Rights Report that did say that co-habitation is illegal but that it is widely unenforced. It did say, however, that if an expat woman is found pregnant and unmarried, that she may be arrested or repatriated unless she marries the man who fathered the baby. Or she could face a prison term and should the baby be born during that time, it's to be sent to a relative or kept in another area of the prison. Luckily, I am not in that situation. Lashes do occur for crimes of indecency and fornication. EEK!
All this freaks me out a little. But, we'll figure out the best solution for us. I guess we won't have a choice.
Thanks for your posts...

You can rent from an expat if you chose to live in a free zone. I highly recommend you look for a residence in a property developed by Emaar. THey sell to foreigners. I am living in a community called The Greens for almost a year now and have had girlfriends come and stay over and never had any problems.

SouqExplorer wrote:Hello there,

Well, you've scared me a little so I decided to do a little more research. I found the US State Deparment's Human Rights Report that did say that co-habitation is illegal but that it is widely unenforced. It did say, however, that if an expat woman is found pregnant and unmarried, that she may be arrested or repatriated unless she marries the man who fathered the baby. Or she could face a prison term and should the baby be born during that time, it's to be sent to a relative or kept in another area of the prison. Luckily, I am not in that situation. Lashes do occur for crimes of indecency and fornication. EEK!
All this freaks me out a little. But, we'll figure out the best solution for us. I guess we won't have a choice.
Thanks for your posts...

the above is true, there is a woman's prison - but not talked about much in open conversation; an unmarried pregnant woman can end up there. if you are pregnant and attend a hospital you have to provide your marrige certificate.

i would however bare "co-habitation is illegal but that it is widely unenforced" in mind as this sums it up!

why cant they live together? is there some law such as that?

Because the UAE is a muslim country! And Islam forbids unmarried couples from living together.

I wonder if i can live with my girlfriend in saudia arabia

Yeah OK good luck with that!