The UAE now claims to ‘welcome’ LGBTQ tourists, despite its track record on LGBTQ+ rights and treatment of queer residents. Homosexuality is also illegal in the UAE, punishable with imprisonment or deportation, and there are no anti-discrimination protections for queer people.
The UAE’s tourist website, visituae.com, has updated its official advice to LGBTQ+ travelers, stating that “everyone is welcome to visit our country,” but unmarried couples must act in a “culturally sensitive manner,” and women are expected to dress modestly on public beaches.
There has been no official announcement about the change, but Twitter users have pointed out the website update and shared it widely on social media. The UAE’s welcoming of international visitors who are LGBTQ+ is at odds with its stance on LGBTQ+ rights for its own residents.
LGBTQ+ activists and public figures have faced persecution, including imprisonment and lashings. The country’s laws also forbid “crossdressing,” and LGBTQ+ personnel are banned from serving openly in the military.