What's Illegal inUAE (Dubai/Abu Dhabi)?

The single thing worth knowing first: Swearing (even on WhatsApp) = jail. Unmarried couples now OK (changed 2020). Alcohol needs license. It is the kind of rule that looks minor at home and becomes a serious problem at the border or in public, which is exactly why it tops this page.

Within everyday activities and public behavior, UAE (Dubai/Abu Dhabi) treats Public displays of affection, Swearing/middle finger, and Drunk in public, among others, as off-limits. Carrying or doing any of these can mean confiscation, fines, or detention depending on the case — and a foreign prescription, habit, or "I didn't know" rarely helps once you are stopped. Each entry below links to the official source it is checked against, with the verified ones marked.

Two things travelers regularly get wrong about UAE (Dubai/Abu Dhabi): Trace amounts of cannabis or CBD detected in blood or luggage can trigger prosecution, even from products legal in the country of origin; and Public displays of affection between unmarried couples can still draw police attention despite cohabitation being legalised in 2020. Assumptions like these are how otherwise careful visitors end up in trouble, so it is worth checking the specifics rather than guessing.

One important caveat: Each emirate sets its own alcohol licensing rules, with Sharjah fully dry and Dubai requiring a permit for residents. Laws and their enforcement can shift between regions and over time, so treat this page as a sourced starting point and confirm anything borderline against the official links before you rely on it.