Be Selfie Sensible or Face Deportation from UAE

A recent news story out of Sharjah has brought to light a very important legal and cultural consideration when living or working in Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi or any of the Emirates.

Being culturally-considerate is critical to life in the UAE and respecting local laws even more so. So in this context is it really important to always be selfie sensible!

According to Gulf News, three Arab women were involved in a fight with a lady from an unnamed GCC country in a hair salon in Sharjah. They had decided to strike a pose and take a selfie picture of themselves including the other lady in the picture…without her permission.

This lead to a brawl, a fractured thumb and a patient being rushed to injured  to Al Qasimi Hospital for treatment.

It is common across the Arab world for such laws to be in place as they are seen as a means of protecting people’s rights. In this case the lady did not want her image to be used by the three ladies. The law supports her claim under Federal Decree-Law no. (5) of 2012.

“That who commits an act which breaches the privacy of other people’s lives by listening to a conversation, recording or sharing a clip, or taking a picture of a person without their consent, faces jail or a fine.”

That is why it is always important to be aware of who is behind you when taking a selfie!

If you see people in your photo, wait for them to move or change places. Do not risk upsetting people, especially if it is obvious they will be in your selfie.

As a foreigner it is even more important to be aware of this as the same law above states, “The court may decide deportation of a foreigner who is condemned in any of the crimes specified in this Decree-Law upon execution of the punishment adjudged.”

In other words, you could be saying goodbye to the UAE.