The Dean

From Reuters............ I've highlighted an interesting bit in bold......

11:04 24Sep08 RTRS-RPT-FEATURE-
Beach sex trial highlights Dubai cultural divide

By Raissa Kasolowsky and Lin Noueihed

DUBAI, Sept 24 (Reuters) - Sex on the beach or drunken
trysts may not raise eyebrows in many cities, but a recent case
in Dubai has exposed a growing cultural divide between native
Muslims and Western residents seeking fun in the sun.

The story of a British pair facing possible jail terms on
charges of having drunken sex on the beach made headlines around
the world, but in Dubai, reports are frequent of hapless
foreigners falling foul of local laws that strictly control
drinking and ban homosexuality or kissing in public.

Dubai's foreign population has expanded rapidly in recent
years, dwarfing the native population, as the Gulf Arab trade
and tourism hub tries to put itself on the international map
with a promise of tax-free earnings and year-round sunshine.

<<snip>>

If the law changed to suit Westerners, said one Emirati
woman, it would be her who lost her freedom. She already forbids
her daughters from going to Dubai's malls and hotels.

"It is up to the person who comes here to be informed," said
the woman, who like most declined to be named on a topic which
they feel is too sensitive to discuss in public.

"If there is an open trading system which draws people from
all over the world, it is not fair to ask why they are not free.
You have to follow the rules of wherever in the world you go."

(Editing by Sara Ledwith)
((Gulf newsroom, +971 4 391 8301,
[email protected]))
Keywords: DUBAI SEX/

Spugsy

"It is up to the person who comes here to be informed" - never a truer word spoken, and I can see how the locals must get pissed off, but if the country keeps trying to get more and more tourists then it's going to carry on the same way - and if one day something bad happens, worse than going to jail for humping on the beach its going to start scaring people away from Dubai, and then whats going to happen?

Interesting piece mind, and that woman who has banned her kids from the malls, poor kid, saying that if they are strict muslims the last thing you want to see is a couple of russian lasses with belts instead of skirts and their baps hanging out.

Inselaffen

fails to mention the number of local and other muslims who frequent Dubai's nightspots including such places as the York, Imperial Suites and the Rattlesnake.

Their culture only seems important to them when it suits them. let them ban alcohol and then see what happens to their economy!

MrsHaps

I completely agree with both posts above!

Madam Medusa

i know, it is extremely selective...they can't have the tourist cash and not the tourist mentality...

geez, even in DIFC, the flagship for the financial market here, there is already, or going to be, a private bar, there are restaurants that sell alcohol...and why, cos they know this is what the western finance companies expect, and they want them here...

as my mum always said, you can't have the penny and the bun...

MM, xx

Spugsy

heh, good old mum, thats a great saying.

Charismatic

Where are these beach sex highlights promised in the threat title? This thread had potential.

The UAE could never go back to more traditional religious values could it? The population balance in so in favour of those who want a more liberal society that any attempts to reverse the progress made would fall on deaf ears.

Charismatic

If you discount theft and investment as options .

The Dean

Oh...... is THAT the reason???? Thanks.

The Dean

Those places excuse themselves by banning traditional Arabic dress......

.......... but there's no way a Muslim can be 'banned' from anywhere, at least not officially of course...........

Bonny Boy

Do you re-call the Iranian revolution of 1978? If the money dries up anything can happen.

Charismatic

Good point.

Bonny Boy

If slightly tongue in cheek. I think anything like that here in the short/mid term is quite unlikely - the ruling family is respected and everyone gets a slice of the action.

I am not sure what level of debate over traditional/progressive approaches happens. In Bahrain, for example, the debate is much more visible.

beigey

Dubai is a confused teenager - everyone's fault but their own ... I say one BOOM and Dubai will return to the sand. Simple as! Similarly, if people are THAT stupid to mess around and plead ignorance then more fool them!

Spugsy

actualy I got told off today by some older arab bloke, I was in the changing rooms after a swim at teh gym, had my t-shirt and shorts on, I was facing the lockers, whipped my shorts off, t-shirt was still covering most of my arse, and this bloke says 'excuse me, no nudity in here', and I went 'erm ok sorry', went to put my other shorts on and he pointed and said 'no nudity! I can see your ass'.

It was all very odd. I guess I'll use the little private rooms in future, I mean jesus, whya re they so offended, he should have just turned away....