This article may be of interest to many here, especially those who refuse to believe that it is illegal to co-habit and who seem to think that the UAE is really just like the West.
http://www.thenational.ae/article/20...9389/1018/NEWS
Public kissing can lead to deportation
Expatriates are responsible for knowing the laws of the country, warned a senior Dubai judge.
DUBAI // Couples arrested for kissing in public, a crime punishable by deportation, cannot plead ignorance of the law, a senior Dubai judge has warned.
Expatriates are responsible for knowing the laws of the country, including those pertaining to public decency, said Saif al Nasr, a Court of Appeal judge.
“Any act that violates the sensibilities of the local community, that offends, shocks or disgusts the public, falls under the classification of a scandalous public act,” said Judge Nasr.
“Whether a couple are married or not, if they commit such an act in plain view of the public, they are culpable. If they are married they should respect the culture and traditions of the country they are in and show affection to one another behind closed doors in the privacy of their own home.”
Kissing, hugging or making rude gestures in public are all offences that fall into the category of a scandalous public act. Two years ago, the penal code was amended to make deportation mandatory for expatriates convicted of such crimes.
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