How to date safely in Dubai

As if being a female in Dubai isn’t tough enough, you’ll need to get used to the emirate’s dating protocols.

For new female arrivals, Dubai may seem like a pleasure palace for the privileged complete with great-looking guys in romantic white robes. As with every other expatriate destination on the planet, reality may take a while to dawn, but dawn it must unless you’re looking for trouble. This is a place where public displays of affection aren’t just discouraged, they’re actually illegal unless you’re a married couple and, even then, holding hands is all that’s permissible.

Under rules like this, you may think dating is impossible, but there are ways to meet the love of your life without getting arrested and deported. One expat-aimed publication found the source – a Dubai local lass who’d lived in New York for a decade before returning to her home country. The first difference she noticed once she was back in Dubai was the way Arab men use their status to attract dates rather than using their personalities. Polite refusals are no use, as these guys won’t take no for an answer, with the only way out to invent either a husband or an almost immediate appointment on the other side of town. In Dubai, there’s no drinking, so being chatted up at a bar by a complete stranger won’t happen.

Aspiring daters should get their hands on the Entertainer app, useful for those on a shoestring as featured eateries offer buy one-get one free meals perfect for shoestring daters. If you’ve struck lucky and your date enjoys flashing the cash, Dubai is the perfect place. A night at the Burj al Arab, the world’s most luxurious hotel, costs just $3000, and its cappuccinos come complete with real gold sprinklers! Renting a luxury yacht for two by the hour is another way to get to know your date, costing just $5,000 for a delicious day. Dating as done in the West can get you into serious trouble in Dubai, even if you’re with your long-term boyfriend, although couples can live together without hassle as very few checks are made by the Religious Police unless a complaint has been filed.