It’s always better to be safe than sorry. If any person is unsure how much they need to cover up, remember that wearing a light scarf to cover your head or even a baseball cap can do wonders.

Remember- most of the guys in Dubai come from poor countries. They are decent people who just want to make money and care for their families. They work hard and sometimes get lonely. Most want a wife and family, not just a casual fling. If you are not interested, don’t get friendly and do be firm, but there is no need to be rude; they will get the hint. The rest of the Middle East/ Asia is another story…

I live in Sri Lanka, and it makes me empathize with zoo animals, the way I get stared at like an albino circus freak. I’ve had men try to pull my arm to them, pull my braid, etc. stupid stuff. Some of my fellow crackers say, ‘just ignore it’, but it’s really hard for me to ‘just ignore’ stuff. So I wear a full abaya and hijab just like the minority Muslims here. Yes, I felt a little ridiculous at first, but the feeling of anonymity for the first time in months was liberating. My pale skin still shows on my hands, which is why my problems are never totally over. When I caught a guy on the bus recording me with his cameraphone the other day, I grabbed it and deleted the recording, starting some s*** but oh well.

I advise any lady to buy an abaya and hijab from amazon before travelling to these places. Who knows, you may decide to never use it. But at least you will have the option.

It is an Islamic country that tolerates alcohol in licensed hotels, for example but it doesn’t tolerate people wandering around drunk on the streets. Fair enough, I say. Respect and common courtesy dictates that women shouldn’t show their shoulders or too much of their legs, especially in malls, which is the centre of family life here, as they house cinemas, food outlets, ice rinks, you name it! These guidelines are broken frequently, yet besides a few stares from locals, nothing untoward happens.

Now and then guys of all nationalities can be ‘flirtatious’, taxi drivers can occasionally ask one too many questions about your personal life, but nothing to worry about. There are bars and clubs where people dress skimpier, nobody bats an eyelid because most locals don’t tend to drink alcohol or go to bars. It all depends where you are!

RE TB’s point – there have been cases reported whereby a woman has reported rape, the defendant has claimed it was consensual – the judge agreed and both have been convicted for sex outside of marriage.

Don’t swear at anyone, kiss or be overly affectionate in public, get an alcohol license and make friends with expats and locals, and you’ll have a wonderful time.
Nowhere is perfect, just keep your wits about you and make your experience a positive one.

When I moved here, someone I met gave me the best tip ever…she told me if an Arabic guy whistled, or called out something innappropriate shout “Hurrum”as loudly as possible, it means something along the lines of ‘you’re disrespecting your religion to speak like that, shame on you’ – it really does work, even the very young, flirty guys look very embarrassed and don’t look or say another word!

Never have I heard something so ridiculous as a legal system that allows people to get away with a crime as serious as rape! And in Dubai?? Where the Head of Police is as serious as he is? I don’t think so TB. I believe either you do not live in Dubai or perhaps tied with the new recruits of spin doctors hired recently out of London to protect and encourage people to fornicate in the back of taxis after getting completely inebriated!

Either way, Dubai is a wonderful place to live and experience. A lot of people come here for a visit and end up staying for good.

All the best and good luck!

I am reading all these comments and I am surprised about some of things mentioned… I come from Spain (very liberal country) and I have been in Dubai 3 years now. Dubai is the most open city in the UAE and in the entire Gulf region… Of course, it is not Europe but you can still have a total normal life. We are thousands and thousands of foreigners living here and not only Arabs and Indians but also Europeans, Americans, Australians, Southafricans and many from Southeast Asia too.

In addition, it is the most safe country I have lived in (I have lived in several Europeans countries)so do not worry it is very unlikely that you are going to get harmed in any way… I am also a female and came here by myself. I wear the same clothes as back home and my friends as well… Of course, you have to be sensible and depending on the area you try to dress appropriately (shopping malls, government buildings, etc).But if you go to the beach, bars, clubs you can wear your mini-dress like in any western country and nobody will look at you. Also, you are not allowed to drink alcohol in the streets but there is a vast range of clubs, restaurants, lounges and bars where you can do so.
On top of that, you don´t have taxes so you can enjoy your salary fully 😉

The Dubai´s justice system might not be the same as in Europe but as long as you respect the local culture and rules it is ok. I have never experienced any problems myself.

Good luck with your new job! I´m sure you´ll have a great experience in Dubai 🙂