11 điều KHÔNG nên làm ở Dubai - PHẢI XEM TRƯỚC KHI BẠN ĐI!

For those of you who didn't know, the UAE is located in the Middle East, just above Oman and next to Saudi Arabia. It's a pretty amazing place with some awesome people, but because it's an absolute monarchy, there's some surprising rules that you're going to need to know before you go. Number one, social media. Recently, a British citizen was imprisoned for sharing a charity for refugees in Afghanistan on his Facebook page. Because of this, it's safer just not to post anything on social media while you're in the country, because strict cyber security laws were enacted in 2012, and any posting that is seen to mock the government, Islam, or the people of Dubai is subject to imprisonment. Number two, alcohol laws. The UAE has some pretty crazy drinking laws. In Abu Dhabi, the drinking age is 18. In Dubai, it's 21, and it's outright prohibited in Sharjah. Drinking is only allowed in specific zones, and anyone drinking outside of those must have an alcohol license. So basically, only drink in clubs and bars. Number three, vaping. Electronic cigarettes and vapes are outright illegal in Dubai, and will most likely be confiscated at the border. Even if they don't get you entering the country, definitely don't use one while in Dubai, as it is likely you'll be arrested for doing so. Number four, don't film local incidents. In 2013, an Asian man was arrested and faces a year in prison for filming a UAE citizen beating up an Indian driver at a traffic stop. The man was arrested after the Emirati citizen complaint. Now, local incidents can include building fires, natural disasters, really any confrontation in the city. Number five, pay your bills. Any financial problems can result in imprisonment, such as checks bouncing, non-payment of bills, including hotel bills, and anything that's considered a financial crime. Pretty crazy, right? Number six, don't swear or use aggressive hand gestures. The UAE is a pretty conservative country, and not only is it illegal, but you could also be fined, jailed, or deported. Number seven, avoid PDA. While you're in Dubai, definitely try and avoid public displays of affection, because they're deemed offensive to the culture, partly because sex if you're unmarried is strictly forbidden. People have actually been imprisoned over it. Number eight, don't eat during Ramadan. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, and is observed by Muslims worldwide as the month of fasting. Because of this, if you're in Dubai during this time, you should eat only in private. Most restaurants close anyway, and you'll find it difficult to find a meal during the day. Number nine, photography. Photography of government buildings is prohibited, as well as photographing people without their permission, and men have been arrested for taking pictures of beaches, presumably of women. Now, that being said, I'm not actually so sure about this one, because I was there, and I was filming everyone everywhere all the time for this video, and I never once got a dirty look or got stopped. Now, I don't know if I was just lucky, or if maybe the rule isn't as harsh as it used to be, but either way, take this one with a grain of salt. Number ten, don't dress inappropriately. Now, this is less about it being outright illegal, and more about just respecting the culture of the Emirati people. As I said before, the government and the citizens of Dubai are quite conservative, so always make sure that you dress modestly. That being said, the rules are more relaxed around beaches. It's more about when you're just walking around the city. Now, you might be asking, what does it mean to dress conservatively in Dubai? Well, in 2010, a British woman was arrested after she argued with an Arabic woman who accosted her about her bare shoulders. The British woman's response was to strip down in her bikini, right in the shopping mall. She then spent three days as a guest of the Dubai police before the charges were dropped. Number eleven, dating. Dating in Dubai can be pretty tricky, because hitting on women and even staring for too long are both illegal, and can be punished by a fine or even imprisonment. Now, this might seem like a double standard, because in 2010, Dubai made it legal for men to discipline female family members. Now, that may seem pretty crazy to a lot of us, but the important thing to remember is just to be very respectful towards women while you're there, because there are many laws that make it a little difficult to know where the boundary is. So, that's about it. If you stuck around to the end of the video, thank you, it really means a lot. Click the video on the top left to see what you should do in Dubai, and click the video below it to watch me explore the city of Kathmandu in Nepal.