Prior to travelling to the city of Dubai, to embark on a 6 month college internship placement with five classmates in a 5 star hotel, many of my friends laughed at me, claiming that my preferred lifestyle of consuming alcohol and narcotics, along with flirting with the opposite sex, wouldn't be tolerated in the Islamic-ruled city. Many wagered that I would be locked up after the first week. Well, how wrong were they?!
No Drinking Alcohol In Dubai ... Apparently.
Upon arrival in Dubai we were met by disgruntled and lazy airport staff and slowly ushered through the various passport controls and security screening checks, before we were finally allowed to enter the city. A week before I flew out, I was told by many so-called 'experts' that you couldn't consume alcohol in Dubai. If this were true, my 12 hour flight from Dublin to Dubai (which had free and unlimited booze on board!) ensured that I was fully prepared for my 6 month sober stint. To my surprise, one of the first things I noticed was a shop front in the airport named ‘Dubai Duty Free’ which was fully stocked with cheap tax-free cigarettes and enough alcohol to fuel a St Patrick's Day Parade! A 1 Litre Bottle of ‘Irish Boru’ vodka for 20 AED, (approx. €4 / $5) was quickly purchased and hidden in my suitcase, far from sight of the airport security.
Separation Of Men And Women?
Once we arrived at our accommodation we were briefed on the rules: alcohol was strictly prohibited on the premises, as was male and female groups hanging out in the same room at almost every hour of the day! Both offences had jail time attached to them. After the second week of living here, I am delighted to say that none of these rules were adhered to and alcohol-fueled parties in our rooms with a mixture of both sexes regularly took place. After the first month, we learned that the party didn't have to stop in our apartments, and that almost every hotel served alcohol. Nightclubs and beach bars litter the famous skyline of the city. One resort, ‘Barasti Beach Bar’, held some of the wildest parties we ever attended. After 2am, the vast shoreline plays host to numerous party revellers who take late night trips down to the beach.
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The Nightlife Scene: Debauchery At Its Finest.
Another famous bar in Dubai to witness the art of pulling is ‘Stables Bar’. As one English engineer in his late 20s told me upon entry to the club, "if you can’t get your hole in Stables, then you might as well go home now." And he was not wrong - the venue pumped out the sounds of Azealia Banks and with a double vodka and coke in hand, I soon found my groove in this fine establishment. And I wasn't the only one - everywhere I looked, middle aged men and women were all over each other and not a single eyelid was batted.
Sunbathing, Beaches And A Skyline To Go With It.
In terms of relaxing and tanning, caution is not needed. Almost every beach in Dubai is home to western females in revealing bikinis, sunbathing close to the local natives who are fully dressed head-to-toe. With the sun beating down, and an unmatched skyline hanging in the distance behind you, Dubai is a choice destination to go get your tan on.
Drugs In Dubai.
Now, let's get onto the drugs! I myself did not dabble in any drugs whilst living over there as the death penalty is associated with illegal drug consumption in the UAE. One would not personally recommend snorting coke or smoking weed in Dubai, but if you have the money and if you can afford to stay in one of the most luxurious hotels in the world, well then you have this option of complete privacy in your room, where anything goes.
Never judge a book by its cover! Many claim that having fun in Dubai is not permitted, but don't believe them until you try it yourself. It may be frowned upon and certain laws and rules do outlaw such activity, but as we all know, rules are meant to be broken.
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