Dubai gay dating
Here, Australian expat Paul Ewart shares his experience of being a gay man in Dubai. Nothing strange here you might think, I mean, there are gay clubs the world over, right? Like Las Vegas, Dubai was built in a desert from nothing and like Vegas, Dubai in the Arab world anyway is known as sin city. Despite being conservative by Western standards, this is where alcohol and sex-starved Arabs flock to in droves to get their fix — and that includes the gays.
I arrived in the city during the height of summer to take a section editor job at a large glossy magazine. On the surface conditions for gay Dubaiians might seem bleak, but thanks to some quickly acquired gay friends I learn quickly that, despite the legalities, a vibrant gay scene flourishes. In fact, thanks to a huge population of young professional expats, the scene is one of the most multicultural and diverse around.
I break my Dubai gay club virginity at one of the most popular hangouts. Entering via an underground car park on a Saturday evening, my male friend and I encounter the uneven door policies that are rife throughout gay venues a vague attempt to curb gay activity. Men arriving solo or in all-male groups pay more, queue separately and are often denied entry altogether. Inside, the place is packed to the rafters with a United Nations of men: A Syrian man moves close to me on the dance floor, touching my waist and pushing against me in a way that made his intentions very clear.
I also quickly learn that, if you know the right people, there are a raft of unofficial parties going on in plush villas across the emirate. And while the UAE employs strict censors to prevent access to pornography or dating websites, an easily downloadable program bypasses censors to allow access to dating and hook-up sites, such as Grindr and Tinder. There are performances at 1: You can even watch the fountain show from a boat on the lake!
Next to the Burj Khalifa and surrounding park as well as the fountain is the massive Dubai mall complex.
Gay dating in Dubai
This is the second-largest shopping mall in the world and definitely a must-visit if only to marvel at the shops and attractions. Of course, with over 1, shops you could also do some serious retail therapy. There are over marine animals on display, including sharks, a massive Australian crocodile and manta rays. As well as being able to walk through tunnels and see shark and ray feedings, you can even go diving with the sharks! Or perhaps you might prefer to simply feed them and have a behind-the-scenes tour with this day-pass.
If you are visiting Dubai between November and May then the amazing floral creations of Dubai Miracle Garden are another not-to-be-missed attraction. You may have seen photos on Instagram of this stunning garden, but nothing can prepare you for seeing and smelling! Highlights include a floral castle, an Emirates A aeroplane and lots of figures such as Mickey Mouse and a giant teddy bear; all made from flowers! You could easily spend a whole day exploring the Palm Jumeirah; the artificial archipelago built in the shape of a palm tree. This island is home to many hotels and resorts such as the famous Atlantis the Palm, and also houses a boardwalk, mall, clubs and lots of restaurants.
This massive waterpark has some thrilling water-slides and activities for adults. You can also purchase combined tickets to explore the Lost Chambers adventure, which is based on the story of the city of Atlantis. Check out our travel guide to Abu Dhabi for more inspiration. We've put together our best travel tips to help you plan your vacation in Dubai.
This is everything the gay traveller should know before going to Dubai:. How to get there: Most visitors fly to Dubai and land at Dubai International Airport, the world's busiest aiport by passenger traffic. From the airport, you can reach downtown Dubai on public transport the metro or bus or by private shuttle, taxi or Uber. The most convenient way to reach the city is to organise a private transfer with Welcome Pickups.
They are reliable, on time and you get a big car all to yourself with an English speaking local driver who points out the most important points of the city.
Visa requirements: Passport holders from parts of Europe, North America and Australia can get a day visa upon arrival at the airport in Dubai. Citizens from some other countries can get a day multiple entry visa. Go here for more information about visa requirements for travel to Dubai. Travel insurance: What happens if you suffer from illness, injury, theft or a cancellation? With travel insurance, you can have peace of mind and not worry. We love World Nomads travel insurance and have been using it for years.
Their comprehensive coverage is second to none and their online claims process is very user friendly.
Other Dubayy Cities:
Safety and Security: All travelers gay or not can sometimes encounter danger when traveling. Support can include anything from practical advice, to free evacuation from areas with extreme weather or terrorist attacks.
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You can read more about CloseCircle in our article about how to stay safe whilst traveling. Tipping culture: The level of service in Dubai is well-known, however, you don't have to tip unless you want to. Restaurants usually include taxes and service charges in the bill but you can tip if you enjoyed the service. For things such as taxis which are quite cheap , it's always appreciated if you give a little tip, such as rounding up to the nearest note.
Internet access: Dubai is very modern and this is reflected by the fact that there is now free Wifi throughout much of the city, including on public transport. You will get enough kilobytes to access social media or use WhatsApp for free, but not enough for watching videos etc. You might also like to pre-order a local SIM card when you arrive, or a portable Wifi device if you know you will be requiring a lot of bandwidth. Online privacy: We like to use ExpressVPN when travelling, it's reliable, affordable and protects your privacy. Dubai has a vast range of accommodation options.
We love using Booking. Added bonus: Sightseeing and adventure: Dubai has something to offer for everyone. Our favorite place to look for cool activities to do in Dubai is GetYourGuide because they provide a ery user-friendly booking process with free cancellation and a 24 hour customer support. Let's call a spade a spade…it's illegal to be gay in Dubai, so any public displays of affection between same sex couples, even accidental ones, are likely to get you into trouble. As a general rule, we don't avoid visiting a destination just because it has anti-gay laws as we believe boycotting such places is counter-productive.
We wrote about this at length in our article about gay travel in Iran. Having said that, thousands of LGBTQ travellers visit Dubai every day, whilst others reside here without any problems at all. Obviously this is not in any way like San Francisco or Madrid, but if you don't flaunt your sexuality in public and take care with who you hang out with, and where, you'll be absolutely fine.
It goes without saying you should be astute and aware at all times, and stay in the closet when in public for your own safety! This is our gay map to Dubai to show you where everything we've mentioned in this article is located.
Use it to find out where all the best gay friendly hotels, bars and activities are for your own visit to Dubai! I am interested how the approach of just not being explicit about the nature of your relationship will change as more and more people get married. We are married and have young twins who call us both Mummy. This poses a challenge to travelling in locations where being gay is illegal. No real question here, more an observation on the evolving issues! Thx in advance. Articles like this give me hope, though. Thank you for making this article. We had no problems. Stayed at the Hilton Jumeirah in king bed with out any comments.
Had a rent car and drove extensively throughout the country. I prefer Abu Dhabi and only wish that the two museums existed when we were there.
I enjoy your articles and insight tremendously. Am planning a trip there soon. Thanks for the comment Jules. In fact the GPS signal is completely independent from your internet connection. I appreciate the sincerity of this post. I may visit some gay friends who live in Dubai at some point in the near future, but I would do it with great trepidation. The notion that any human being would have to live in fear that a simple gesture of love or affection could land them in jail is disgusting. But the notion of handing any of my money to an oppressive regime that enforces Sharia Law runs counter to everything I hold dear.
Arab dating dubai
But I also think that, without international pressure on the monarchy to rescind its draconian laws and fully respect the human rights of all people, nothing will ever change. Thanks for the message. We totally agree with all of this. In these instances, we always try to spend our money on local gay friendly places where we find them of course in places like Dubai! Your email address will not be published.
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