When you arrive in Dubai for the first time, it is easy to focus only on the most spectacular side of the city: the skyscrapers, the luxury cars, the spotless streets, the safety, the huge shopping malls or that feeling that everything simply works.
And yes, Dubai works extremely well, but it works that way for a very clear reason: rules are respected here. That is something they take very seriously across the United Arab Emirates.
Some rules are obvious, but others are not so clear, which means that, for those of us coming from other parts of the world, it is quite easy to break one without any bad intention. And here, that can get you into serious trouble.
So, if you are thinking about travelling to Dubai, moving here or creating content in the city, it is worth understanding certain limits that, based on what I have seen, experienced and learned while living here, must be respected.
Filming in Public in Dubai Is Not Like in Europe
One of the first things you need to understand is that filming in public in Dubai is very restricted.
Unlike in Spain, where filming in the street, doing interviews, pranks or social media content is fairly normal, Dubai is different. So, if you are an influencer or content creator and you would like to monetise videos filmed in the Emirates, you need to properly check which licences are required before doing so.
Because yes, here, if you want to do something similar to what you would do in Spain, you need a content creator licence, which is renewed every year and is not exactly cheap.
If, for whatever reason, you film commercial content, monetise it and do not have the right authorisation, you could face very serious penalties.
Even if you do get the licence, you still cannot film people passing by in the street without their express consent, nor can you film government buildings, sensitive areas, official facilities or scenes that could be interpreted as an invasion of privacy.
What in another country might be an innocent shot to use as extra footage for TikTok or YouTube can become a legal problem here.
So, if you are going to create content in Dubai, remember to be careful and only film in permitted areas. Do not include strangers, do not play pranks on people in the street and always check whether you may have recorded, even in the background, any protected space.
Crossing Where You Should Not Can Be Expensive
Another rule that surprises many Europeans is jaywalking, in other words, crossing the road somewhere you are not allowed to.
In Spain, it is quite common to look both ways, see that no cars are coming and cross wherever you feel like it. In Dubai, doing that can get you fined.
In many areas, especially tourist zones or large avenues, there are signs warning you not to cross outside the designated crossings and, if a camera or an officer sees you, you may be fined.
At first, it may seem a bit excessive, but it makes a lot more sense once you see what some of Dubai’s roads are like. The avenues here are huge, with several lanes in each direction, and they are full of very fast-moving vehicles.
So the recommendation is simple: always cross at pedestrian crossings, traffic lights, footbridges or authorised areas. Improvising can cost you money.
Drugs and Alcohol in Dubai: Very Limited Tolerance
When it comes to drugs, Dubai is extremely strict. Tolerance is practically zero. This is something anyone travelling to the Emirates should be very clear about before boarding a plane.
The restrictions are not limited to what happens inside the country. If you travel with traces of substances, carry something prohibited in your luggage or arrive at the airport in a condition that raises suspicion, the law can come down hard on you.
Alcohol, on the other hand, is allowed under certain conditions. It is not sold in normal supermarkets. You can only buy it in specific shops and, to do so, you must meet certain requirements, including being over 21.
As in Spain, you also cannot walk down the street drinking or wander around in an obvious state of drunkenness, as you could be fined for inappropriate behaviour.
In addition to tobacco, it is also very common here to smoke dokha, a substance very similar to cigarettes but somewhat stronger, which is smoked in a pipe. It is completely legal, but because of its smell and intensity, it is not for everyone. Personally, I find it quite unpleasant.
Be Careful With Physical Money
One curious rule in Dubai has to do with how money is treated. Here, banknotes are not seen only as money. They also contain national symbols and cultural elements of the country. That is why mistreating them can be interpreted as a lack of respect.
You cannot step on them, tear them, deliberately crumple them, draw on them or write on them. It may sound silly, but it is not. I realised this in quite an absurd way.
One day, I was working with a banknote next to me and I wondered whether it would make sense to write the name of a company on the note as a form of advertising. The idea was that the banknote would circulate around the city and be seen by as many people as possible.
Knowing that things here do not work as they do in Spain, I checked before doing anything and discovered that writing or advertising on banknotes is prohibited, not only in Dubai, but in many countries. So, there you go: banknotes are for paying and getting paid.
Debt and Theft: Two Things Dubai Takes Very Seriously
As I have said many times, Dubai is a very safe city. And a large part of that safety comes from how strict its rules are.
For example, here, getting into debt and not being able to pay on time can become a huge problem. It is not like Spain, where there are mechanisms such as the Second Chance Law.
In the Emirates, if you have outstanding debts, you can face major restrictions, even when trying to leave the country, depending on the case. The most you can usually try to do is reach an agreement, renegotiate payments or restructure the debt. But not paying and not reaching an agreement with the creditor is not an option.
The same applies to theft. It does not matter whether the theft is big or small. The consequences can be very serious.
If you are a foreigner, you may go through criminal proceedings, face prison and then be deported with a ban on entering the country again.
This partly explains why almost nobody steals in Dubai. People simply do not risk it. That is why you can leave a laptop on a table, a scooter unlocked or a backpack in a public place and, generally speaking, nobody will touch it. Here, if you do something wrong, you pay for it.
Internet, Reviews and VPNs in Dubai
Dubai also has quite a few rules regulating the digital environment. For example, posting fake reviews to damage a company can be considered defamation. And in the Emirates, defamation can have serious legal consequences.
Leaving fake comments on Google, attacking competing businesses or publishing accusations without evidence is not the best idea. Nor is it a good idea to publicly speak badly about the government, the sheikhs, the political system or the country itself. It is nothing like Europe, where there is a much broader culture of public criticism.
Communication apps are also heavily regulated. While they are not necessarily banned, in some cases not all of their features are available. For example, you can download WhatsApp or Telegram and send messages, but calls are usually blocked. FaceTime can also cause problems.
As for VPNs, they can be used, as long as they are not used to carry out illegal activities. And you do not need to use them for serious crimes to get into trouble; using a VPN for piracy can already be enough to land you in a difficult situation.
So, if you are planning to come and live in Dubai, make sure you understand which tools you can use and what you can use them for.
Public Displays of Affection
Public displays of affection are another delicate point, because the cultural clash is huge for those of us coming from a Latin culture.
That said, the level of decorum expected from citizens and visitors is not exactly the same everywhere. For example, in Dubai Marina or Downtown, where there are many tourists, things tend to be much more relaxed than in more traditional neighbourhoods.
In those tourist areas, walking hand in hand with your partner is usually not a problem. However, kissing, intense hugging or more obvious displays of affection in front of everyone are frowned upon, and you could even be told off in the street for it.
In clubs, bars or nightlife venues, it also depends a lot on the place and on the security staff working there, with venues full of expats and tourists usually being less strict in this sense.
Speaking of decorum, I remember one day I decided to take my shirt off while running through Dubai Marina, and a maintenance worker kindly asked me to put it back on. It was not a tense situation, but it does help you understand how the city works.
There are things that would be completely normal in Spain and are not normal here, so it is better not to draw attention to yourself, especially if you are moving around a traditional area.
Rules on Diversity, Gender and Sexuality
This is one of the most sensitive points for people coming from Western countries. Especially for homosexual people, because public displays of affection between people of the same sex are not allowed here.
Realities related to gender identity are not recognised in the same way either, so people whose documents include a non-binary gender marker may encounter problems when entering the country.
The Emirates has a very different legal and cultural view on this topic. We may agree with it more or less, but there is no doubt that it is extremely important to know before travelling to the Emirates.
On a different note, it is also useful to know that in this part of the world there are restrictions on certain intimate products, such as sex toys. They are not sold openly and, if they are detected in your luggage when entering the country, they may be confiscated.
Again, this is not about judging. It is about understanding that you are entering a country with very different rules.
Why Dubai Is So Safe
Dubai is one of the cities where I have felt the safest. You can walk alone late at night, leave belongings on a table, move through very busy areas without that constant feeling of alertness you get in other big cities. That said, all that safety comes at a price: strict rules and real enforcement.
The country welcomes you as a foreigner. It allows you to live, start a business, work, invest and enjoy a very high quality of life, but it also makes it very clear that you are in its home.
Its rules are not up for negotiation. If you respect them, the city can be spectacular. If you do not, you can get into trouble very quickly.
Conclusion: Why It Matters to Understand the Reality of Dubai Before Coming
Dubai is not a difficult city to live in if you understand how it works and if you are aware that there are major cultural gaps in certain areas. In fact, it can be an extremely comfortable, safe city full of opportunities.
Whether you are thinking about coming as a tourist or spending some time here, you cannot arrive assuming that everything works the same way as it does in Spain.
As I have mentioned, filming in public has limits, crossing the road incorrectly can get you fined, alcohol is regulated, drugs are a very serious matter, debt can make your life complicated, public criticism can have consequences and displays of affection are not seen in the same way as they are in Europe.
The key is simple: respect and common sense. Get informed before travelling. Do not take anything for granted. And remember that many rules that may seem exaggerated in your country are, in Dubai, part of the system that makes the city so safe and orderly.
Dubai can offer you a lot. But you have to play by its rules.