By Mohammed Rashad Hussain, Managing PartnerPublished 4 min read
Which laws do tourists break by accident?
The risk is rarely a serious crime. It is a photo posted without thinking, a drink in the wrong place, a medicine in your bag, or a drone in the case. UAE federal law applies in every emirate, so these rules hold in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah alike.
The short version:
- Drink only in licensed venues, and only if you are over 21.
- Ask before photographing people.
- Keep affection to a hand hold.
- Carry no drugs, and check your medicine.
- Get permission before flying a drone.
This guide is general information, not legal advice.
Alcohol: where you can drink and the legal age
Official UAE guidance says alcohol is sold mainly in hotel bars and restaurants, which are licensed venues. You must be over 21 to buy or drink it, and you may only buy alcohol for your own use. We could not find a Dubai-specific official page for the licensing detail, so confirm with your hotel.
- Do not drink in public: streets, beaches, parks and car parks are not licensed venues.
- Do not drive after drinking. If you plan an evening in a hotel bar, book a ride home. A chauffeur or licensed taxi solves it.
- Arrivals allowance: Dubai customs lets arriving travellers bring up to 4 litres of alcohol or 2 cartons of beer.
- Ramadan: public etiquette changes. See Ramadan in Dubai for visitors.
Photography, filming and posting online
Ask before you photograph anyone. A secondary source on Federal Decree-Law 34 of 2021, the UAE’s cybercrime law, reads it as protecting privacy even when a person is in a public place. We could not open the official text, so treat the principle as the safe rule: no pictures of strangers, and do not post them.
Extra care applies to:
- women and families, always ask first;
- police officers and vehicles, military sites and government buildings;
- accident scenes and injured people;
- the inside of mosques. The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque allows photos only at designated stops and bans commercial photography without a permit.
Landscapes, skylines and your own group are fine. A driver can stop at viewpoints along a route, such as the Dubai Marina promenade, so you can photograph without people in frame.
Public affection, swearing and rude gestures
The Crimes and Penalties Law (Federal Decree-Law 31 of 2021) has public decency provisions. We do not state penalties, because we have not confirmed the current text.
In practice, hold hands at most. Kissing and hugging are for private places. Swearing, rude gestures and insulting religion can be treated as offences, and that includes messages and posts. The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre bans intimacy outright, along with slogans on clothing.
Clothing also falls under public decency. Our Dubai dress code shows what to wear where.
Drugs, CBD and prescription medicines
The UAE government describes a zero-tolerance policy on drug use. Federal Decree-Law 30 of 2021 bars importing, bringing, possessing or acquiring listed narcotics and psychotropic substances. Cannabis extracts are on the schedules referred to in Cabinet Resolution 43 of 2024, which also sets out how non-resident foreigners arrested at ports are treated.
- CBD: we could not confirm that any CBD product is lawful to bring. Leave it at home.
- Prescription medicine: Dubai customs lists medicines and medical equipment as controlled items that may need a permit. Read bringing medication into the UAE before you pack.
- Traces count: a leftover item in a bag or a car is still possession.
Drones, vapes and other items to check
Drones are controlled items at Dubai customs and need a permit. UAE rules for recreational flying require registration with the GCAA, approved flying zones, daylight, line of sight, below 400 feet, and no flying within 5 km of airports. Commercial filming needs a Dubai Civil Aviation Authority permit. Dubai International is close to the city, so most central areas fall inside restricted ground. Leave the drone at home unless you hold the paperwork.
E-cigarettes are allowed for personal use according to Dubai customs, with inspectors using discretion.
Cash: travellers aged 18 and over must declare cash, cheques or precious metals worth more than AED 60,000.
Banned items include narcotics, indecent or obscene material and counterfeit goods.
What to do if police stop you
Stay calm, be polite and answer questions. Carry your passport or a clear copy. Drivers carry a licence valid in the UAE.
| Need | Number |
|---|---|
| Police emergency | 999 |
| Ambulance | 998 |
| Fire | 997 |
| Dubai Police, non-emergency | 901 |
Dubai Police also runs a tourist support service through its app. The government portal lists two different Tourist Police numbers for Dubai, so use the app or 901 rather than a number from memory. If you are detained, contact your embassy.
Related reading
Worried about safety more generally? Read is Dubai safe. For driver conduct, see chauffeur etiquette in Dubai, and if you join a wedding, wedding convoy rules. Back to the Dubai travel guide, or plan your days with our tours.
Photos in this guide
The towers of Dubai Marina across the water at duskNorlando Pobre / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Sun loungers and thatched parasols on a Jumeirah beach in Dubai, with the Burj Al Arab at the left of the frameStudio Sarah Lou / Flickr via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
A traditional wind tower above the houses of the Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood in Bur DubaiWadimaktoob / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Wooden abras moored on Dubai Creek at sunset, with UAE flags on their canopiesPhil6007 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
