Dubai Rules for Female Tourists 2024/2025 [Updated] - Complete Guide

Having plans to visit Dubai as a female tourist? It is important to understand the culture of Dubai and Public Display of Affection is something that you must avoid at any cost while you are in the city of Dubai. This is because the PDA makes it difficult to protect Islamic principles which play an important role in maintaining the cultural sensitivity in the city. With the slightest mistake, one might end up in a serious violation case, which, as a traveller, we would not want to happen in a foreign nation. To help you not get into troubles like such, here is a detailed post that covers Dubai rules for female tourists and other important factors like the Dubai PDA. Let us go straight ahead and help you plan a safe trip to Dubai.

Female travellers travelling to Dubai also require a to obtain a valid Visa so ensure that you apply Dubai Visa in order to be able to enter and explore the city of Abyss, Dubai.

Visit Dubai as a Female Tourist 2024-2025

Female travellers who are planning to visit Dubai in the year 2024-25 must keep some points in mind to avoid any unwanted troubles and inconveniences as there are some cultural rules that must be followed. Dubai rules for females are not extremely harsh or hard to follow, in-fact, these are some rules that help maintain the culture in Dubai that has been kept alive from ages. Dubai is one of the safest places for females and this has been achieved by making some important rules for females in Dubai. Worry not, you can freely plan your trip to Dubai as a Female tourist and experience the luxury that Dubai has to offer.

Dress Code Guidelines Rules for Women in Dubai

Being a Muslim country, there are certain rules that are applicable for the female Dress Code in Dubai and as a female traveller to Dubai, you must take note and respect the rules that are set-up for females in Dubai. Although these are not official dress codes in Dubai for travellers and local residents, it is expected from the travellers who visit Dubai to follow the cultural rules that are followed by the local females as well.

To save you from all the anxiety building up on what to wear in Dubai as a Woman, you can continue reading below to find the unofficial Dubai travel rules for female travellers.

• Avoid tight fitted clothes while you are in public in Dubai.

• Dress Modestly, avoid shorts, skirts and other revealing clothes in public areas.

• Female travellers will need to cover their heads while visiting Mosques.

• Avoid dresses that have offensive words, slangs or symbols that are offensive or hurt someone's sentiments.

While these are not so hard or difficult to follow, there are still some questions that a lot of females carry while they plan to visit the city of Dubai such as 

- Do women have to cover up their whole body in Dubai

Yes, women are expected to dress modestly that covers them as much as possible.

- Do I need to wear a hijab as a female traveller in Dubai

No, it is not compulsory to wear a Hijab while you are in Dubai as a female traveller, you can wear any dress that covers you.

- What can we wear in Dubai as a woman or female travellers to respect their culture

Any dress that covers you well is the right dress that you can wear in Dubai as a woman.

Public Behavior and Interaction Rules for Female in Dubai

There are various unofficial and official Rules in Dubai for women that must be kept in mind when you are travelling to this city as a female and amidst all these, the one that you must be extra careful of is the Dubai laws on public affection. In order to maintain Dubai's culture and ensure safety of women and females, locals and travellers, it is considered an offence to not comply with the Dubai PDA laws. 

• No kissing in public or public areas - While you are allowed to kiss at the airports, beaches and other places but french kiss is not allowed as it can turn into a more sexual scene while in public.

• Respect the local Culture - Girls must respect the local culture while in public and dress modestly and not wearing any revealing clothes.

• No Cross-dressing - Under the laws of the Dubai govt. Visitors must dress according to their own gender, if found dressing inappropriately, they might be punished under the 358 of the UAE Penal Code.

• No drinking in public - Drinking in public areas or transport is punishable under the penal code.

• No photography without consent - Refrain from taking pictures that include anyone in the frame and if you want or need to, ask for the person’s consent before proceeding.

• Non-Muslim ideology - Distributing or preaching non-Islamic religious material is illegal in Dubai and is punishable by law.

Driving and Travelling Laws For Women in Dubai

Many female travellers have this question: can women drive in Dubai? Well, Yes! Before the month of June, 2018, females were not allowed to drive past midnight until 4:00 AM in the morning, which was finally lifted by the Emarat Al-Ihsan Society for Women's Welfare after gaining the local authority's support and were since then, allowed to go on drives past midnight. Now, let's also cover the question “Do women drive in Dubai?”. As per the latest updates that was published in April 2024, 25% of the total woman population that reside in Dubai ride and travel from one place to another on a daily basis, so you will definitely be accompanied by another female driving on the other lane.

If you are planning for a Drive-away, you can freely proceed  as Dubai is safe for women and you can have complete fun at car rides or experience riding in the night-time in Dubai.

Note : Make sure to read the latest Rules for tourists in Dubai from official sources at all times to resolve confusion and travel with ease.

Safety Tips For Female Travellers In Dubai

Remember, the Laws for women in Dubai are for maintaining a same and better environment for people of all ages, here are some safety tips for female travellers that can come in handy at the time of travel. 

• Dress Modestly -  It is very important to dress well in places packed with people such as the Dubai Mall or any other location where you see the presence of the public.

• Keep Your ID Handy - Keep a National ID available with you at all times for unforeseen circumstances.

• Respect Local Culture - Do not pass any discriminating exchange of words and respect local culture at all cost even if it doesn’t fit well with your way of thinking.

• Avoid Lonely Locations At Nights - Although Dubai is a safe location and destination for female travellers, you must be alert at all times to avoid any inconvenience to yourself.

• Avoid Alcohol - Alcohol might get you into serious trouble if you are drunk-driving or even drinking in a public place or transport.

• Keep Emergency Number Available - Find and save the emergency services number - just in case.

Disclaimer - The information provided on this page can change at any point in the future from the date it has been posted on and we kindly request you to check the latest rules from the official websites. Also, we strongly condemn gender discrimination and through this post, we do not aim to disturb or hurt anyone’s sentiments. We are a team of visa providers and we strive to provide information on latest trends to ease your trip to Dubai.