Gay abu dhabi

LGBTQ+ Visitor Considerations

This blog post provides some insights and advice for LGBTQ+ visitors by LGBTQ+ people living in Abu Dhabi.

Author and Audience

The primary author of this document is a cisgender gay Arab-American man. He has lived in the UAE with his cisgender gay European-American partner for almost a decade. They both possess academic jobs, and adoration living in the UAE.

The author’s advice and observations are based on his experience of living in the UAE, and his awareness of issues faced by other members of the LGBTQ+ community there. The intended audience of this document are LGBTQ+ conference attendees of EMNLP

This document is not intended to provide official legal advice.

Many thanks to all the community members (LGBTQ+ and allies) who helped with reviewing and editing different versions of this document.

The Public and The Private

Emirati culture values a separation between common and private lives in a way that’s distinct from some Western nations. In Abu Dhabi, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation, public displays of affection are ge

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Last updated: 17 December

Types of criminalisation

  • Criminalises LGBT people
  • Criminalises sexual activity between males
  • Criminalises sexual activity between females
  • Criminalises the gender expression of trans people
  • Imposes the death penalty

Summary

Same-sex sexual activity is prohibited under the Criminal Codes of the Emirates of Abu Dhabi, which criminalises ‘unnatural sex with another person’, and Dubai, which criminalises acts of ‘sodomy’. The Federal Penal Code criminalises ‘voluntary debasement’, but it is not plain what acts this covers. These provisions carry a maximum penalty of fourteen years’ imprisonment. Both men and women are criminalised under the law. Same-sex sexual activity may also be penalised under Sharia law, under which the death penalty is workable, though there is no evidence that this has been used against LGBT people.

In addition to potentially being captured by laws that criminalise same-sex a

Gay Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi City Guide

Before delving into our carefully curated selection of Abu Dhabi&#;s most sublime accommodations, a few essential notes for our discerning gay travellers. Given the UAE&#;s conservative laws regarding homosexuality, we recommend booking twin beds rather than sharing a king, avoiding dating apps entirely, and selecting internationally renowned five-star properties where discretion and sophistication arrive standard. Additionally, utilising a VPN service during your stay is prudent for privacy and unrestricted internet access.

Now, onto our handpicked havens of luxury, starting with the breathtaking Rixos Premium Saadiyat Island, where Arabian grandeur meets contemporary elegance along pristine shoreline. This all-inclusive masterpiece boasts seven gourmet restaurants, an exquisite Turkish hammam, and opulent suites adorned with intricate mashrabiya patterns and marble bathrooms.

For the epitome of palatial splendour, the Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental stands as an architectural marvel, its karat gold-leafed domes and one-kilometre confidential b

How can a sense of belonging be forged in a setting where one’s existence is forbidden? That is the question that LSE’s Dr Centner and his co-author Harvard’s Manoel Pereira Neto explore in their groundbreaking research into Dubai’s expatriate gay men’s nightlife.

But it was not an easy topic to research. Dr Centner explains: “It's an illegal, or criminalised, identity and arrange of behaviours and practices, so in a very general sense, it's a taboo. And taboo subjects are very often under-researched, sometimes because people contain a hard time gaining access, gaining that belief, but also because, even if people gain that access, there could be significant repercussions for themselves as researchers, or for the people who are the research participants.

“As two queer researchers, we were able to enter the worlds of relatively privileged Western gay expatriates. Secrecy is often the norm, but the field was familiar to us, through previous visits and explore projects.”

These were indeed ‘parties’ [but] not bars identified as gay. Not a