Travel

Dubai holidays: Don’t do this popular activity in UAE or be fined hundreds


Dubai and the rest of the UE attract around 1.5 million British nationals every year. There’s plenty to enjoy in the Middle Eastern country from sun to luxury hotels. However, it’s important to be aware of local customs when travelling abroad and be up to date on the latest travel advice. This year the UAE changed its laws on vapes – or e-cigarettes – but there are numerous rules about where people can and cannot smoke them.

The UAE made the sale of vapes legal in February 2019 – but that doesn’t mean they can be smoked indiscriminately.

Smoking an e-cigarette comes with the same restrictions as puffing on a traditional cigarette.

Anyone found vaping or using an e-cigarette in unauthorised areas in Dubai will be hit with a fine of up to Dh2,000 (£420).

Locations where vaping is banned include places of worship, schools, universities and shopping malls as well as health and pharmaceutical facilities, according to local news site The National.

It’s also prohibited to smoke onboard vehicles transporting food, medicine, petrol and chemicals.

“The municipality will monitor any violation related to vaping in public places,” said Nasseem Mohammad Rafie, acting director of the Health and Safety department at Dubai Municipality, reported The National.

“Specialists in the municipality will take the necessary measures to track down violators who smoke e-cigarettes in public places.”

The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office do not yet appear to have changed their advice when it comes to vapes.

The FCO states: “Electronic cigarettes are illegal in the UAE and are likely to be confiscated at the border.”

There are a raft of activities which are banned in the UAE which are legal in the UK so it’s important not to be caught out.

One key law to remember is that eating and drinking is banned on all forms of public transport and their stations in Dubai. 

If you’re caught munching or swigging away on the metro or bus you will be fined Dhs 100 (£21), according to The Culture Trip.

Swearing in public is also forbidden in Dubai and uttering the “F-word” in particular is a total no-no. 

Saying “f***k” is a crime in Dubai as the swear word “disgraces the honour or the modesty” of a person according to Article 373 of the UAE Penal Code.

Consequently swearing in public in Dubai can land you in prison for up to a year.

There is also a huge fine for swearing, amounting to as high as Dhs 10,000 (£2,000).



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