Archive: uae
The Abu Dhabi authorities seem to be in a quandary over whether to let Sex and the City 2 be shown in the emirate. The film, due to be released on May 27, has Abu Dhabi as its setting.
Plans to shoot the film in neighbouring Dubai, using the ultra-modern facilities of Dubai… Read more
The authorities in Dubai have been getting themselves into a bit of a muddle over chefs who like to add a dash of alcohol to their recipes.
The Falafel Mafia blog notes that cooking with alcohol wasdeclared illegal in 2003. But there was little or no effort to enforce the ban until… Read more
The National reports on the drafting of a new and much-needed law in Abu Dhabi to tackle domestic abuse. There's talk of jailing abusive husbands or banning them from their homes and also – perhaps more importantly – of preventing family members from dropping charges in cases of abuse.… Read more
XPRESS, a weekly tabloid in the Emirates, reports:
A shocking trend is sweeping across educational institutions in the UAE. It’s called same-sex relationships and it’s worrying officials and parents no end.
A number of students, school employees and others confided in XPRESS that… Read more
A court in the UAE has cleared Sheikh Issa bin Zayed Al Nayhan, brother of Abu Dhabi's ruler, of torturing a business associate.
A video which showed Sheikh Issa, assisted by men in uniform, torturing Afghan grain dealer Mohammed Shah Poor was widely circulated last year and was even… Read more
It began with a caricature of Dubai's ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, floundering in a sea of debt. At the Sunday Times, they probably thought nothing of it: far less flattering images of politicians appear day after day in the world's press. But in Dubai it proved too much for the… Read more
Police in the Emirates have now joined the campaign pioneered by the Saudi mutawa to rein-in fashion-conscious youngsters.
Gulf News reports that scores of young people have been arrested in Ras al-Khaimah shopping malls "for violating decency laws" with "unusual hair… Read more
The UAE is likely to appoint its first government-approved female muftis by the end of next year, according to The National. Six women are currently being considered for the training programme, which last several months.
A mufti is a scholar qualified to interpret Islamic law… Read more
An Egyptian man has been detained in Dubai after reportedly claiming in a mosque that he was Jesus Christ. "Prosecutors are questioning the suspect over alleged charges of offending a divine religion," a senior prosecutor told Gulf News. It is unclear as yet whether he will be charged.… Read more
Four Emiratis – two men and two women, all in their twenties – have been jailed for six months each in Dubai for having sex in a five-star hotel.
One of them, a married woman, was convicted of adultery along with her lover. Her unmarried sister-in-law was found guilty of having sex with a lover.… Read more
ARAB ART ONLINE: Susan Hefuna: Al Sabr Gamil (Patience is Beautiful) 2007. Ink stained on wood 140 x 170 cm. More information | Click to enlarge
