One of the first and most important lessons I learned in Dubai about how this country works is that rules are taken seriously here.
Because if, on the day I got into trouble with the police here, it had been the police in Spain instead of the Dubai police, the whole thing would almost certainly have ended with nothing more than a warning.
And the worst part is that I cannot even say I did not know what I was doing was forbidden. I knew perfectly well that I was doing something wrong, because there were signs clearly stating the ban, there were cameras, and yet, probably pushed by my past in Spain, I thought, “Come on, nothing is going to happen.” But it did. Something happened.
Getting Around Dubai Is Not Always Easy
When I moved to Dubai, one of the first things I noticed was how heavy the traffic gets during rush hour.
Because although the city is largely designed for getting around by car, with its huge avenues, there are simply too many vehicles doing the same routes. The result is constant traffic jams and not many areas where you can move around the city comfortably.
That is why I bought an electric scooter. For me, it was perfect. I used it to go to the gym, the supermarket, the shopping mall or to cover short distances without depending on taxis or the metro.
It was fast, practical and convenient; and it saved me from wasting time looking for parking or getting stuck in the traffic jams that clog Dubai’s main roads.
At the time, I was living in Dubai Marina and training at Triple MMA, in Jumeirah Lake Towers. The two areas are very close to each other, but to get from one to the other there is not a single pedestrian crossing that lets you go across in a fairly direct way.
The most common way to cross from one side to the other is to go through DMCC metro station and come out on the other side. And that is exactly where everything happened.
The Metro Station Where It All Started
In my day-to-day routine, every time I went training, I crossed the metro station with my scooter. But I always got off it to cross.
There were signs everywhere saying that riding an electric scooter or bicycle inside the station was prohibited. And at first, I respected them. Everyone did, and so did I.
Also, I often trained during rush hour, when the metro was at its busiest, so it made absolutely no sense to get on the scooter.
But then I changed my schedule. I started training at night, doing boxing and kickboxing, and at that time the station was almost always empty.
The crossing was about five minutes on foot through a long, clean, silent corridor with travelators like the ones you find at airports.
And, of course, the temptation to cross it without getting off the scooter grew on the days when I did not see a single person around. Every one of those nights I thought the same thing: “If I get on the scooter, I’ll be on the other side in twenty seconds.”
There was nobody there, so I did not see any danger anywhere. It did not seem like I could bother anyone. Still, that did not mean it stopped being prohibited. So I hesitated over whether to do it or not.
One day, on my way back from training, I decided to do it. I got on the scooter inside the station and tried to cross as carefully as possible.
When I saw there was nobody around, I sped up. If I reached an area where someone could appear or where I had no visibility, I got off and continued walking. In my head, nothing told me it could go wrong: I am not bothering anyone and the station is empty, so nothing will happen.
And the first time, indeed, nothing happened. Nobody said anything to me. No guard appeared and nobody gave me any kind of warning.
And that was exactly the problem. Because when you do something wrong once and nothing happens, it is easy to repeat it, so the next day I did it again for the second and last time.
The Moment the Police Appeared
The second time I crossed the station on the scooter, I saw a police officer coming towards me from a distance. He had his hand raised, as if telling me to stop. Obviously, I got off the scooter immediately. I already knew I had messed up.
The corridor was almost empty. The only things you could hear were the air conditioning and the officer’s footsteps as he came towards me along the travelator. As he got closer, I walked with the scooter beside me, trying to look calm, even though I was not.
I did not know whether he was going to warn me, fine me or something much worse. In Dubai, respect for authority is absolute. Also, they are not used to people breaking the rules, so it was impossible to predict what was coming, even if for a European like me it felt like a small, insignificant offence.
“This Is Dubai, You Can’t Break the Rules Here”
When the police officer reached me, the first thing he said was something that stuck with me. He basically told me that this was Dubai and that here I could not break the rules.
I did not argue or try to justify myself. There was no point. There were signs and I had seen them, so I knew it was prohibited.
Then he asked me for my Emirates ID and I immediately understood that he had not caught me by chance. He told me that the day before he had already seen me breaking the rule on the cameras and that, that day, I had done it again.
In case I had any doubts, he confirmed that in Dubai, cameras are not there for decoration. Someone watches them, they review what happens 24 hours a day, and if you do something you should not do, they try to locate you.
I tried to justify myself by saying that I was in a hurry, and his answer was, “Well, now you’re going to spend quite a while with me.” I do not know why I said anything, because it was obvious that my words had not gone down well at all.
The Room Inside the Metro Station
After a few minutes, the police officer took me to a room inside the station. A separate area that passengers cannot see.
There was another officer there, and they started speaking to each other in Arabic, without me understanding a single word. The atmosphere was very tense and, I remember, it was freezing cold.
I had just come from training, I was wearing a short-sleeved T-shirt and I was freezing. Even so, the cold was the least of my worries at that moment. I had no idea what was going to happen next.
They asked me why I had done it, where I was going, where I lived and what I was doing there. I answered as best I could, with my heart racing.
I did not know whether it would just end in a scare or whether it could turn into something more serious. The uncertainty was eating me up. Because yes, you know it is a safe country, but you also know that all that safety exists because there are rules and penalties that are respected and enforced.
The Real Fear Was Not the Fine
The feeling I had the entire time I was with him was that the police officer was genuinely angry. And honestly, I understand it. I was in his country, I had clearly seen a rule and I had knowingly broken it.
At one point, he said that the fine I would have to face would be 2,000 dirhams. And although I was not exactly happy about the amount, I felt relieved. Because my biggest fear was not paying, but not knowing how far the situation could escalate.
In Dubai, there are many rules that might seem minor to a European but can have serious legal consequences here.
Filming in public without permission, recording certain people or filming government buildings, for example, can be considered a serious offence against the country.
That is why, during the whole time they kept me in that room, the only thing I could think was: “What if this is considered much more serious than I think?”
The fine, all things considered, was the least of my problems. Besides, luckily, after a few minutes, the atmosphere relaxed quite a bit. I kept talking to them. I explained that it had been a mistake and promised I would not do it again.
I was also lucky that the colleague of the officer who had stopped me seemed calmer. I would even say he found me somewhat likeable because, in the end, I managed to get them to let me off the fine.
That said, the warning they gave me before leaving was very clear: if they caught me again, there would be no forgiveness next time.
I left that room with my hands still shaking a little. I finished crossing the station very slowly, with the scooter by my side and, of course, without getting on it.
Since that day, I have not crossed the metro station on my scooter again. Lesson learned.
What I Learned About Rules in Dubai
That day I understood something important: Dubai works so well because rules are enforced. Not because people are perfect or because there is no temptation to do things wrong, but because the consequences are real.
The city is clean, it is safe, there is order, you can leave things on a table without fear, walk calmly at night and move around without that feeling of insecurity you get in other big cities. But all of that has a foundation: surveillance, authority and respect for the rules.
The cameras are there for a reason. The signs are there for a reason. And the officers have real authority.
Why You Should Not Play Around With the Rules in Dubai
When you come from Spain or from any European country, there are certain things you normalise, such as crossing where you should not or ignoring a small rule despite a warning sign. In short, we tend to think that if we are not bothering anyone, nothing will happen.
But in Dubai, that mindset can cost you dearly. You do not need to have bad intentions to get into trouble. Sometimes, simply not understanding the context properly is enough.
That is why, if you move to Dubai or come here for a visit, my recommendation is simple: respect the rules, even if they seem exaggerated to you.
If a sign says you cannot do something, do not do it. If you do not know whether something is allowed, ask. And if you are in doubt, it is better not to take the risk.
Conclusion: In Dubai, Rules Are Serious
My problem with the police in Dubai ended up being just a scare. It could have ended in a fine or even something worse.
I still think I was lucky, especially because the whole experience helped me truly understand how the city works.
Here, “nothing will happen” is not a useful way to think. Something can happen, and it can happen quickly. The sense of order you feel in Dubai is not maintained by inertia or by chance. Behind the feeling of safety that dominates the Emirate, there are strict rules, constant surveillance and a culture where authority is deeply respected.
Since that day, I have been much more careful about what I do, and I ask whenever I have doubts about whether something that feels normal to me could be an unacceptable cultural misstep here.
Because if there is one thing I have learned from living in Dubai, it is that you can enjoy the city a lot, move around freely and feel safe, but always within its rules.