Dubai: Whips, wands, battery-operated toys, edible undergarments, enhancement gels, desensitising wipes, naughty costumes… no, this isn't a single man's dream list, it's stuff available right here in Dubai.
Choices galore
As the adult entertainment industry reaps in millions of dollars worldwide, Dubai may be slowly inching its way in. A walk through a major mall in Bur Dubai leads XPRESS to a little corner store selling lingerie. Nothing new there, except that once in the shop, there's a shelf filled with leather whips, metal wands with hearts at the top, edible underclothes for him and her, plus a plethora of "aids for married couples".
Further along in the city is a famous lingerie store in a Jumeirah shopping centre. "Everything we sell here is legal," says the store manager. "Under the lingerie licence we are entitled to have our married clients avail of certain products that will enhance their life together."
The store sells a large variety of gels and creams for every sort of pleasure imaginable. From creams that claim to recreate the feeling of a couple's honeymoon night, to those used to desensitise sensitive areas, the products sold in this lingerie store are all of the highest quality, says the store manager, adding most are edible. "All our products are imported from the United States and Canada and are safe and durable."
Some are downright funny, such as a low-carb liquid love gel in a chocolate-cherry flavour (the back of the bottle promises a guilt-free experience), various body toppings and a pheromone attractant for men (pheromones are chemical substances the body produces that serve as a stimulus to other individuals, leading to physical attraction).
"The purpose behind our store is to enhance marital relationships between couples. What we don't indulge in, is anything that goes against the laws and morals of the country," said the store manager.
"As most of our client base is from the Middle East, we have to be very careful about how we advertise and market our products. No men are allowed into the store unless accompanied by their wives," says the manager. "Often, the younger women come to us for advice on how to use the products we sell, or give us feedback on how the products have strengthened their relationships with their husbands."
These products can also be found at a prominent mall in Abu Dhabi, as well as an equally renowned shopping mall near Shaikh Zayed Road, Dubai.
A comment on the legality of the sale of these products was not immediately available from Dubai Municipality.
