# Hotel Apartments 'girlfriend friendly'



## Randomcab

Hi all,

I'm fairly new to the UAE. Currently looking for new hotel apartment accommodation for 7 months. I'd prefer standard accommodation, but my company will only pay for hotels.
I'm currently looking at the Grand Bellevue hotel in Tecom area. It has good facilities and its very comfortable.
The question I have is that I'd like to have my UK girlfriend come and stay once every few months. Does anyone know if this hotel is friendly about this or will they hand us over to the local police? This also goes for having alcohol in the apartments..

If anyone has any experience or knowledge on this it would be helpful.

Many thanks


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## jerry-2013

No way


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## Phantasmo

Found this information for you:

Living together in Dubai

It states:

Many (usually western) couples wonder about living together in Dubai when they're not married. Note that the following comments apply to Dubai, there are differences in how the rules are applied in other emirates.


In the UAE and Dubai, it is against Sharia law to live together, in the western sense, with someone you are not married to. You can only live together with a member of the opposite sex if you are married to them, or they are a family member. So the western expression about "living in sin" is taken more literally in the UAE.
 Dubai police do not spend their time walking through apartment complexes and hotels knocking on doors and asking for marriage certificates (although in Sharjah they do according to news reports in April 2010), and there are no morality police as is the case with the Mutawwa in Saudi Arabia. However, if someone makes a complaint about illegal activity, then the police are obliged to investigate, and if the complainer has more wasta than the police and/or the alleged criminals, then the police will naturally investigate the complaint even more thoroughly.
 Strictly speaking, it is illegal to be in a private room, or even in a car, with an unrelated member of the opposite sex. This applies to rooms in Dubai hotels also. The rule is referred to as the Tawajed clause.
 Or another description is the Al Khilwa Al Muharama clause (?) which says two people of opposite sexes who are unmarried and unrelated, are not allowed to live together.
 If you get caught, then you're likely to get punished under Article 356 of the UAE Penal Code which reportedly says that anyone convicted of engaging in consensual sex gets a minimum 1 year jail sentence followed by deportation. But it seems that most offenders get 1-6 months in jail followed by deportation (this is just a comment on our part based on reading newspaper reports, not a thorough analysis of court sentences).
 Gulf News Express reported 09 June 2011 comments from a lawyer, Haroon Tahlak from Dubai Advocates and Legal Consultants, who said "It is prohibited for an unmarried man and woman to live together, or share a close space [apartment or room] under the UAE law. The clause is called Tahseen Al Ma'asiya. The punishment under the law is a jail term of between one and six months to be followed by deportation."
 In reality, hopefully, the situation is not quite as harsh as it sounds (like many things in Dubai ... unless you get caught). This is what one official was reported as saying in November 2007 (in a Gulf News article - see Unmarried couples living together in Dubai forum topic for more comments on Sharia law, culture, customs etc with respect to men and women mingling in the UAE): "Mohammad Yousuf, Deputy Director of the Dubai Courts Department, said while the Federal punitive law is implemented in the UAE, the situation is different in Dubai. The Tawajed or Tahseen Al Ma'asiya clause, he said, is not implemented in Dubai."
 And in a Gulf News Express report 09 June 2011, an advocate, Amer Syed from Al Suwaidi & Company, was quoted saying "In my experience, people are charged with living together unlawfully only if they've broken another law. Rarely are there cases of people hunted down for living with a member of the opposite sex, unless a tip or complaint is lodged" (however he did tell a story of a couple who were arrested, convicted, deported after the police came to their apartment to investigate a complaint made about theft by a maid).
 It is almost unheard of for anyone to get into trouble because they're sharing a car with someone of the opposite sex that's not related to them. If there is a problem, it's more likely because of another reason, for example the police think an illegal taxi service is going on, or there's been an accident involving alcohol.
 Nationality and/or culture can make a difference - Asians seem to appear in newspaper reports more often than western nationalities as getting into strife especially unmarried mothers. A Muslim woman living with a non-Muslim boyfriend, or 2 unmarried Muslims living together, are more at risk of legal problems than a Muslim man living with a non-Muslim girlfriend.
 Your place of employment can make a difference also, since usually your employer is also your sponsor and might be held responsible if you step out of line. A conservative employer, or government employer, is unlikely to view a couple living together very favorably, especially if they're in company provided accommodation.
 Note also that while it is possible for one party to obtain a residence visa for their spouse in the UAE, if you're not married, that will not be possible. At least not a husband or wife visa. If you employ your boyfriend/girlfriend, then it might be possible since they're an employee as far as the authorities are concerned.
 If you're living with someone who is married to someone else, then there is a greater risk of problems, especially if their spouse also lives in the UAE. If they file a complaint with the police about their husband or wife in an illicit relationship, then the police will almost certainly investigate. If a couple is separated but not divorced, then legally they are still married.


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## AlexDhabi

There is a big difference to the rules and their enforcement. If you posts on the Dubai forum you will probably get more feedback - and I doubt very much having a visitor stay from time to time will be an issue.


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## Jumeirah Jim

Post this on the Dubai forum and someone there may have a better idea

IMO it is unlikely to be a problem is your GF stays now and then. Full time sharing the place would be different. 

Alcohol won't be an issue if you're sensible and don't hold parties etc


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## AlexDhabi

Phantasmo said:


> Found this information for you:
> 
> Living together in Dubai


I don't think that posting that article was relevant to the OP as he is not looking to cohabit on a permanent basis, just have his girlfriend visit for holidays. And also the link you have referred to quite an old article... theory and reality are very different. 
I think forum users would rather hear about real experiences and opinions from real people.


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## twowheelsgood

Jumeirah Jim said:


> Full time sharing the place would be different.


Certainly can be however my PA who is Filipino is living with her British boyfriend and they have been so doing for a year now. The wedding is in December and the Palm Shoreline inhabitants don't seem to care much.


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