Prostitution in the United Arab Emirates is illegal. UAE nationals are permitted a number of residence visas. These are mainly used for domestic staff, but any surplus are often sold through middlemen to prostitutes to enter and remain in the country for two years.
Although there is street prostitution , notably Hamdan Street in Abu Dhabi, [7] most prostitution takes place in the bars and nightclubs of hotels.
There has been a sex trade in Dubai for many years. In , Sheikh Saeed 's wali forced the prostitutes to get married or to leave. This caused a run on the local British bank when the women tried to draw out all their savings. There are also brothels in Dubai.
Human trafficking is a problem in Dubai, [5] [6] often Chinese or other Asian criminal groups force women from India or Nepal into prostitution in UAE. The UAE attracts many foreign businessmen as it is gaining a reputation as the Middle East's top sex tourism destination. In , the United States State Department placed the United Arab Emirates as a " Tier 2 " in its annual Trafficking in Persons reports, meaning that it does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. See also: Human trafficking in the United Arab Emirates. Retrieved 14 December Retrieved 21 March Arab News. The Guardian.
