Dubai: Police take into consideration the diversity of Dubai's multicultural community when dealing with matters of public decency, the police said.Lieutenant Colonel Jamal Al Jallaf, deputy of General Department of Crime Monitoring Affairs at Dubai Police, said people violating public indecency is not perceived as a security matter but it is a moral duty to preserve the country's values and traditions.
"We do take into consideration that different cultures have different definitions of what is and what is not acceptable. Our effort is to maintain a certain level where certain behaviour will create problems in the community such as kissing and touching in a provocative manner. There are certain postures that are sexually explicit and which are not acceptable in Dubai," he said. He also added that police are present in different public places such as shopping malls, night clubs, parks and beaches to monitor public indecency.
According to him, drinking alcohol is only permitted in designated areas and only non-Muslims are permitted to consume alcohol. Lt Col Al Jallaf added that public indecency is not any different in nightclubs. "People are not allowed to behave a sexually explicit manner in any public area. If an incident takes place with the knowledge of the bar owner and if it turns out that they are serving alcohol to minors, then a warning will be issued. If the offence is committed for the second time, they could face closure," he said.
Lt Col Al Jallaf said if people are caught in an "indecent" position, they are taken to the police station for investigation and a case is opened, which is then referred to the public prosecution. This procedure is followed for all residents, citizens as well as visitors to Dubai.
