Q: I'm planning to book a hotel near sharjah, fujairah, ajman, or any emirate where it has good beaches. I'm planning on a nice weekend with my girlfriend. Am I allowed to book a hotel for us? I mean we're not married yet and I know how strict the rules out here. I've asked a few guys but I get mixed answers. And I know also my nationality counts. Of course rules would bend for western expats, but how about Asians? Can you please advice on the rules so I won't plan on something that is illegal in this country? Thanks! technikdubai. thanks for your insights! but i'm not talking about prices. im asking for regulations, on their rules for non-married couples booking a hotel anywhere in the uae. i just want to have a clear idea on their rules before going through price discussions. well there are certain privileges that western expats enjoy a lot as compared to asians like me. i've seen them literally over the time. again no issues on that. i just want to know their regulations. H your answer has cleared every doubt in my mind. Thank you very much for that. Well I just canceled the hotel booking anyways. I wouldn't risk anything in gray area of the UAE rules. I'm an expat in this nation and I think it's my obligation to follow them whether or not the risk is high.
A: In fact, strictly speaking, it is illegal to be in a private room, or even in a car, with an unrelated member of the opposite sex. This applies to hotel rooms also. The rule is referred to as the Tawajed clause. In reality, the situation is not quite so harsh. This is what one official was reported as saying in November 2007 (in a Gulf News article - see full article for more comments on Sharia law, culture, customs etc with respect to men and women mingling in the UAE.http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/06/03/24/10027928.html "Mohammad Yousuf, Deputy Director of the Dubai Courts Department, said while the Federal punitive law is implemented in the UAE, the situation is different in Dubai. The Tawajed or Tahseen Al Ma'asiya clause, he said, is not implemented in Dubai." Hotel rooms are often shared by unmarried couples. I've never heard of a hotel asking for a marriage certificate, and they usually only want to see one passport. Even if both passports are shown, eyebrows wouldn't be raised at the different surnames since it is usual in the UAE for Arab women to keep their own surnames after getting married. In order of risk of problems from lowest to highest, it looks something like this: Dubai (lowest risk) ... big gap ... Abu Dhabi Ras Al Khaimah, Umm Al Quwain, Ajman, Fujairah ... big gap ... Sharjah (highest risk) Enjoy your weekend!