Dubai gay bars
gay bars in dubai
I accept with the recommendation to ask one of the male FA's on EK (if you're flying). I have met a few of them over the years and they are all very much knowledgeable about anything gay in Dubai, since there is very petite of it to know...
The things that I can vaguely remember from guy that I met earlier this year - hopefully someone else can fill in the details:
As noted there is one hotel who has an unofficial "gay night" once a week. For some reason, the Crowne Plaza comes to mind. This is mostly filled with EK cabin crew, gay expats and the few tourists/businessmen in the know.
Also, word is that Jules prevent at Le Meridien has a very gay crowd - if you google it, you'll view a number of references.
Other than those tips, it's a attractive un-gay city. There biggest gay conference place is, by far, the Internet. Gayromeo.com is more of the accepted there and there are lots of guys who are happy to donate you advice, just meet for a drink, or more... You may race into an issue accessing it, however, due to the UAE firewall ("censorwall"). I stay at the Grand Hyatt, which, thankfully, somehow gets around it.
Gay Dubai
The public beach in Jumeirah, or JBR Beach, abode to several Western chain hotels (see below) - ©UCityGuides.com
As you'd expect, the United Arab Emirates is not a particularly gay-friendly destination. It has sodomy laws punishable with imprisonment, but with such a diverse population everyone knows there's plenty of gay locals and visitors. It's also slightly more liberal than other Arab states, with no internet control, although many Western sites are blocked and foreigners have been jailed and deported for simply attending private "gay parties." It's strongly advised that you respect local customs and laws, and shun public displays of affection.
The town has a growing and exciting nightlife, mostly frequented by Western expatriates and wealthy Saudis. Obviously there are no gay bars and clubs in town, but everyone mixes at the uppermost spots, usually joined to hotels. Same-sex attracted crowds also position at the cafés of the Dubai Mall, using bluetooth connection on their cell phones to "connect" with others.
Gay-Friendlier Beach
The best beach for people-watching and encounter people is the public Jumeirah beach by the Hilton hotel (JBR Beach) (see below), although it'
Hi!
The gay-scene in Dubai is really setting off now and tolerance is very high. (maybe not necessarily by the authorities, but by the general general, bars & nightclubs - no problem)
You will view many (especially Asian men) holding hands in Dubai. They have left their families in their house countries, work here and send money to them... after many years of only seeing their wives once a year, I assume they turn to each other for comfort & companionship. So it's nothing new here.
The brand-new thing is, however, to see the Western homosexual community in full swing at parties all over town. It's not a problem, as long as you respect the equal rules that go for all other couples: this is a Muslim region and public shows or affection (kissing, groping, etc.) are not appreciated... they can even get you thrown out-of bars (me - guilty as charged... >cheeky grin) or in trouble with the police if it get's too "raunchy".
Some nightclubs that contain (an involuntary) yet happening gay-scene are
Jules Block - Airport Meridien Hotel (gay Philipino band & singers)
Peppermint Club - Fridays @ Fairmont Hotel (stylish, chic, the place to be seen)
Carter's @ Wafi City (all clubs & bars in Wafi Metropolis are
How can a sense of belonging be forged in a setting where one’s existence is forbidden? That is the question that LSE’s Dr Centner and his co-author Harvard’s Manoel Pereira Neto explore in their groundbreaking study into Dubai’s expatriate gay men’s nightlife.
But it was not an easy topic to research. Dr Centner explains: “It's an illegal, or criminalised, identity and establish of behaviours and practices, so in a very general perception, it's a taboo. And taboo subjects are very often under-researched, sometimes because people have a hard time gaining access, gaining that trust, but also because, even if people gain that access, there could be significant repercussions for themselves as researchers, or for the people who are the research participants.
“As two queer researchers, we were fit to enter the worlds of relatively privileged Western gay expatriates. Secrecy is often the norm, but the field was familiar to us, through previous visits and research projects.”
These were indeed ‘parties’ ...[but] not bars identified as gay. Not a available venue’s webpage uses the pos ‘gay’ or related euphemisms, nor do they hint at targeting