The couple recently sentenced to a month in jail for kissing in public in a Dubai restaurant have had their sentence upheld by the Dubai appeals court.
The couple, a British tourist and a local British expat, were reported by an Emirati woman and they were arrested last November. Having said they only kissed on the cheek they pleaded guilty to consuming alcohol.
It is possible that they may appeal to a higher court, the cassation court, but lawyers say it is unlikely that the sentence will be overturned. The sole witness initially told the police that she saw them kissing but later said in court that her children had seen them, whilst the defence is arguing that the couple only kissed on the cheek as a greeting, which is allowed.
Whilst this case may appear a little extreme and far from clear cut, given the different version of the witnesses story, it is fair to say that Britains in the UAE have been caught on the wrong side of the strict Muslim rules on public shows of affection.
Lets’s face it though, if there is any doubt about whether you may be transgressing the laws of a country you are visiting, and that means any country, then you should always er on the side of caution. Whilst the UAE is still very pro-Western they have every right to uphold the laws of the country, which are in place for good reason, and tourists and expats alike should always respect the laws and customs of other countries.