Yes, this sounds all a bit scary and wild, but in reality, the United Arab Emirates are something of a Gay Mecca in the region – especially Dubai but Abu Dhabi as it is still is also a hub for one of the world’s biggest airlines, Etihad. We know all that art, fashion, design, glitz luxury, and wild nightlife…with no gays? “I’m not buying it!” Though to be fair, the death penalty has never actually ever been carried out as a punishment for homosexuality or sodomy in the entire history of the United Arab Emirates.
Floggings, beatings, torture, death, fines can all be applied in other parts of the Emirates.
The maximum penalty for a person convicted of homosexuality ten years in jail, followed by deportation, if you are a foreigner. As Islamic Sharia Law is applied to all sexual relations outside of a heterosexual marriage are considered a crime. In Abu Dhabi, and across the United Arab Emirates, it is still illegal to be gay. Many would argue this grand experiment has been a supreme success, but for the LGBT community, this leap into modernity is very much a facade.Īs forward-looking as Abu Dhabi aims to be, the absolute monarchy rulers here are definitely cherry-picking which parts of progress and modernity they want to embrace.
Nothing stands still in this magnificent experimentation in combing intense Islamic traditions with a ruthlessly futuristic vision, all amidst an exquisitely desolate desert landscape.Ību Dhabi is sleek rooftop terraces, vast shopping complexes, a world-class skyline, lavish infinity pools, scorching beach clubs and, well, just an excessive amount of wealth and gold. Abu Dhabi is a city where bigger is always better.