Dubai: Fans raised the decibels while others raised eyebrows as Justin Bieber made his way around Dubai this weekend.
For little over an hour on Saturday the 19-year-old may have entertained a mostly-teenage and pre-school audience but for the rest of Friday and Saturday Bieber made the most of his trip to the Middle East, which included spontaneous performances at two of the city’s most prominent super-clubs.
Although he was allowed entry to Dubai hotspots Movida Dubai and People By Crystal -- normally reserved for those 21 and over -- he was denied alcohol, the venues told tabloid!.
Sources at Movida Dubai, a favourite celebrity hang out, said the teenager literally “surfed out” on the top of a moving SUV after he was refused alcohol.
A press release sent to tabloid! by a representative for the club read: “On Friday 3 May teenage heartthrob Justin Bieber partied in Movida, Dubai’s most hip nightclub after a source revealed that the club was given a special permission from the local authorities to let him in despite being underage. According to a source Justin arrived at the club to a frenzy, I have never seen the crowd go quite so crazy before. He was ushered to his table as quickly as possible but unfortunately he decided to leave as Movida were not permitted to serve him alcohol. After refusing to serve him, Justin was seen leaving the club surfing on the roof of an SUV while it was already in motion.”
On Saturday, after his concert, which started more than two hours late, Bieber continued the party at People by Crystal at Raffles Hotel where he gave an impromptu performance. While the majority were happy to see him, his appearance prompted a string of questions about his age.
“Is he 21 ? Where’s the CIA now?” said one Dubai clubber. “Thought you had to be over 21 to be allowed in clubs in Dubai?” another commented on the club’s Facebook page. “Did u check his passport??? He’s under age!!!” read another.
A statement from People by Crystal read: “We were honored to have Justin Bieber at People by Crystal yesterday; it was a surprise for us as well we weren’t expecting him, alcohol was not served to him respecting the legal drinking age in Dubai.”
Advocate Rashid Tahlak said that the special law regulating liquor in the UAE prohibits individuals under the age of 21 from entering nightclubs or places that serve alcohol.
“The law also prevents those places from serving alcohol to anyone under the age of 21,” said Tahlak.
Bieber has also been making the most of Dubai’s other attractions, heading to DIFC’s Japanese restaurant Zuma on Friday evening, arriving around 12.30am for around an hour and half. A source confirmed he posed for pictures with a number of ladies, making sure his eight security guards allowed them entry to his table.
Speculation about his whereabouts began from as early as Thursday evening when tweets circulated about which hotel the young star would be staying at.
UK press reported two hotels were booked for Bieber and his 60-strong entourage with names including Jumeirah Zabeel Saray and Atlantis circulating.
A picture from Bieber’s friend Alfredo Flores revealed the likely location of the crew was at Dubai’s iconic Burj Al Arab hotel. Tweeting “not hard working out when this is what I get to look out into” closely followed by “Dubai is everything I thought it would be. So excited to be here” Flores posted a picture overlooking the Jumeirah Beach Hotel and 360.
Flores also let his feelings be known after the gig on Saturday saying “The show was incredible tonight! Kudos to @JustinBieber and our entire crew. The energy was TOO REAL! #BEASTMODE”
Lil Twist, a rapper and Bieber’s close friend, also tweeted pictures from inside the Burj Al Arab. The rapper posed wearing a khandoura writing: “history in the making”.
Becky Valdez took her daughters Natalia and Fernanda to have breakfast at the Burj Al Arab after a friend of theirs took a picture of Justin when he was leaving the hotel. They did not see him, but they took the lift to the top floor where the security said they couldn’t go any further because of guests on the floor that don’t want to be seen.
Atlantis the Palm would have been an obvious choice as it was the hotel reality star and Justin’s good friend Kim Kardashian stayed during her visit to the UAE.
“So I just saw Justin Bieber in a Rolls Royce going towards the palm. Lol” said a Dubai resident.
“Dubai is so tight. Everything @KimKardashian said about this place was REAL! So happy to be here celebrating birthday’s with the fellas!” tweeted Flores.
Kardashian’s other favourite spot, The Dubai Mall, was all-a-frenzy after one of the singer’s bodyguards tweeted a picture of himself with fans. Within hours the giant mall was flooded with fans hoping to catch a glimpse of Bieber. So will JB be following in Kardashian’s footsteps and making his own concoction at Millions of Milkshakes? Never say never.
With inputs from Bassam Za’Za, Legal and Court Correspondent
