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Question: I am a tourist and plan to go to Dubai with my girlfriend in October. Can I share a hotel room with her without encountering any legal issues?
Reply: It is understood that you plan to travel to Dubai as a tourist with your girlfriend in October 2021.
According to your inquiry, since you intend to stay in the same hotel room with your girlfriend during your stay in Dubai, the provisions of Federal Law No. 3 of 1987 concerning the issuance of the Criminal Code were amended by Federal Law No. 15 of 2020, No. 3 of 1987 Certain provisions of the federal law regarding the criminal law (“UAE Criminal Law”) apply.
It is worth noting that in 2020, the UAE government announced reforms to the UAE’s personal law, civil transaction law, and criminal law. Before the UAE Criminal Law Amendment came into effect on September 28, 2020, unmarried cohabitation used to be a criminal offence. However, after the amendment, it is no longer illegal.
Before the amendment, Article 356 of the UAE Penal Code stipulated: “Without prejudice to the first two items, the crime of voluntary derogation shall be punishable by at least one year of detention, but if the crime is committed against a male or female under the age of fourteen, or the victim Those who coerce will be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment.”
According to the above-mentioned legal provisions, cohabitation is considered as indecent.
It is worth noting that in 2020, the UAE government announced reforms to the UAE’s personal law, civil transaction law, and criminal law.
Article 356 of the UAE Criminal Law was revised in 2020 to read as follows: “Without affecting the first two items, anyone who sexually harasss anyone by coercion, threats or deception shall be punished. Temporary imprisonment.
“Voluntary sexual harassment, if the victim is under 14 years of age, or if the victim has no free will due to his youth, insanity, or insanity, etc., he shall be punished in accordance with the preceding paragraph. Or insanity. The offender is the elder, guardian, or guardian of the victim. The person in charge of the victim or the servant of the victim or the above-mentioned persons shall be sentenced to life imprisonment or a suspended sentence.”
According to the above-mentioned 2000 legal amendment, the “indecent” clause has been deleted. After this, unmarried couples can now live in the same residence and live together unmarried in the UAE.
Therefore, you can travel to Dubai with your girlfriend and live in the same hotel room with her without facing any legal issues related to cohabitation.
Ashish Mehta is the founder and managing partner of Ashish Mehta & Associates. He is qualified to practice in Dubai, the UK and India. For complete details of his company, please visit: www.amalawyers.com. Readers can email their questions to: news@khaleejtimes.com or to Legal View, Khaleej Times, PO Box 11243, Dubai.
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