Sex Toys On Holiday - Dubai took them :-(

Hi,

We've accumulated quite a variety of sex toys (Thanks Lovehoney ![](upload://ez5kOkpKXRZOxjavAURYmQxVTau.gif)). Living in shared accomodation we aren't always able to openely use them, so when we go on holiday they all come along with us.

So far we've taken them to Aruba, Mauritius, Turkey and Morroco - lots of fun had and we all made it back home fine.

We just went Dubai, upon arriving, they confiscated them all. We were made to feel bad and intimidated, making us sign to have them all destroyed - we couldn't even have them sent back home.

Now I know they're a muslim country but its not like we were planning on using them anywhere but in our own hotel room. And we've visited two muslim countries prior with no problems.

I've searched the web, UK gov website and also Dubai's gov website and cannot see anything 'official' that says sex toys are not permitted to be brought into their country. All appears more about public etiquette.

My questions, has anybody experienced anything like this in Dubai? Know of something I've missed. We've lost nearly £300 worth of toys and both my parter and I are still very upset by the ordeal and how judged and bad they made us feel.

LL

wow thats awful! especially if there isn't any information on it!

Hmm. That is an awful situation, I imagine. I would contact your local officials or maybe even your airline and see what they have to say about them confiscating and destroying your personal property without valid reason. xx

A google search brings up various conflicting reports, but the I am seeing a lot of outlets stating that bringing sex toys into the UAE is illegal. This is why I would always exercise caution. Just because you can't see anything that states it's not a problem - doesn't mean it's OK. A lesson learned the hard way :(

Sex toys are illegal in the United Arab nations, includes Dubai, although that's quite lenient in the country itself, people openly sell sex toys in Dubai, but I can see why they got confiscated, they're ellegal. You should always check before you go to a country with your toys whether they have any laws. Sorry for your loss though lol

love_lovin' wrote:

Hi,

We've accumulated quite a variety of sex toys (Thanks Lovehoney ![](upload://ez5kOkpKXRZOxjavAURYmQxVTau.gif)). Living in shared accomodation we aren't always able to openely use them, so when we go on holiday they all come along with us.

So far we've taken them to Aruba, Mauritius, Turkey and Morroco - lots of fun had and we all made it back home fine.

We just went Dubai, upon arriving, they confiscated them all. We were made to feel bad and intimidated, making us sign to have them all destroyed - we couldn't even have them sent back home.

Now I know they're a muslim country but its not like we were planning on using them anywhere but in our own hotel room. And we've visited two muslim countries prior with no problems.

I've searched the web, UK gov website and also Dubai's gov website and cannot see anything 'official' that says sex toys are not permitted to be brought into their country. All appears more about public etiquette.

My questions, has anybody experienced anything like this in Dubai? Know of something I've missed. We've lost nearly £300 worth of toys and both my parter and I are still very upset by the ordeal and how judged and bad they made us feel.

LL

I am not surprised that noone cared very much in Aruba and on Mauritius, Turkey is fairly conservative (a certain level of censorship sees to that), yet it has "officially" been a secular country ever since Atatürk's days (though nowadays, politicians that want to make it "more islamic" have been actually growing in importance), and Morocco has, together with Tunisia, grown closer to the EU countries through a number of economic ties and shared policies (and the king and the government have slowly been introducing more liberal reforms, too) and is therefore not that likely to be harsh on tourists from EU countries (though the country laws may not be too happy with sex toys themselves).

The UAE, however, rely on "full" sharia law and principles of the Maliki "school" that have a lot to do with pretty ancient customs and traditions that get implemented in more "modern" decisions as well. I don't want to be nasty but unless you are able to find a way how to use the Qur'an AND "the living traditions" they follow to back your statement that their treatment of you was unjust, you stand no chance whatsoever.

Eek I would be upset too. But I don't think I would have packed them because I know from previous friends trips that Dubai is so strict. In fact I doubt I will ever go there out of fear of doing something wrong

At least you have excuse now to buy more toys! X

I did read up and so those very same conflicting results and although I respect its laws, how can they expect every single person to have that level of understanding. Having no 'official' statement for sex toys or that of similar descriptions, like there is for the type of clothing to wear and alcohol in public, there appears to be no ease of 'official' clarity for tourists which makes the whole ordeal that much worse :-(

I'm thinking whether my travel insurance cover them, as I'm yet to find any legal binding sentence to state it not being permittted (unless someone is able to correct me).

Even when we asked them, they just said its not allowed, no attempt to make us understand or show where this is written for peopel who don't follow their religious text.

I'm stuggling to find the actual law but it very clear that they are illegal but some places do sell them anyway and there is a high demand

Hi there, I know that Dubai have some very strict rules in their country with regards to sex & intimacy etc, but I have had a look on the web and have not found anything 'official' about taking sex toys into their country for personal use in private. There are numerous sites that say it is frowned upon and they will possibly be confiscated, but nothing official that I could find.

I agree with Fillmeup and think the best idea would be for you to contact someone official, like the 'Embassy of the UAE' in London and have a chat with them and explain what happened to you, and see what their thoughts are and get some clarification. It won’t hurt to ask :) x

When you go to a country you have to follow their laws, that's how it is I'm afraid, it's a very strict country, and it's your own duty to find out before you go to avoid any problems. Surely you must be grateful they only confiscated them rather than taking it further?

Sounds horrid! :(

personally I wouldnt visit a country like that. I would be so worried I would do something wrong and end up in prison!

Yeah, maybe give those a go, see what they say - thanks for the input everyone ![](upload://ez5kOkpKXRZOxjavAURYmQxVTau.gif)

I always follow laws, but they have to be available for me to see in black and white so I can follow them.

Just hope I can get some answer, besides the obvious upset that's been caused, we don't have anything to make us forget anymore ![](upload://jokG3WtlbVccWAgGjeuPxY6tITM.gif)

I think the problem with trying to do anything about it in terms of claiming for losses is that (weather clear or not) as far as the Dubai officials were concerned you had broken their law by bringing the toys and as was said above, be glad that all they did was confiscate.

If i were you I'd be tempted to cut my losses and use the opportunity to think about which toys i wanted to re-buy exactly as they were and which to upgrade to newer models etc.

They may be able to clarify why they were taken but after just 5 minutes on google I can assure you it's illegal. It's also illegal to have sex outside wedlock or to have an affair

love_lovin' wrote:

I always follow laws, but they have to be available for me to see in black and white so I can follow them.

That's the European, "Western" way of thinking - it does not, however, mean that this is the way people in the Middle East think, too. And that's the main problem here. In some countries, the "do and don't" matter gets approached in a totally different way. They also have completely different standards when it comes to human rights or religious "righteousness". It is impossible to say it is better or worse than the stuff we are used to, it is just about a very, very different mentality.

I have a degree in international relations and diplomacy (and they made us look a bit into Islamic law schools) and recently I have gone through some classes on Islam (and pre-Islamic customs of the Middle East) at the theological faculty - what we call "normal" or even "logical" may not be seen in the same light by people with very different cultural backgrounds who have grown up in countries with different judicial systems.

You may ask British officials whether your travel insurance may cover your loss but trying to pursue the matter any further would only be a complete waste of time (and/or money). Be glad you didn't get imprisoned or something and save up for some new toys. Next time you feel like going on an exotic holiday, go to the Caribbean...

Just find it odd that they want tourism but haven't stated this subject as clearly as they have others - a simple line saying no sex objects permitted would do ![](upload://ez5kOkpKXRZOxjavAURYmQxVTau.gif)

I won't persue it to that extent, but for someone who knows and practices respect and understanding of other religions in daily life, just find it annoying that I get caught out on nothing in print.

Must admit, there was on point I thought we were going to jail, so I am thankful that they didn't take the biscuit to that extent. Just wish they had practice a bit of tact in their approach and being less aggressive.

wow that is really not a nice thing to read. Thanks for posting on here though as I will be making more frequent trips to Dubai in the near future (often travelling with family) so will refrain from taking anyhting with me. How embarassing would that be when travelling with my dear old mother!

You could try claiming on your travel insurance, though if you've gone with someone quite cheap, they'll try to wiggle out of it on the grounds that you'd broken the law (more expensive insurers are often more flexible about things, and spend less time trying to get out of paying out on a claim): did they give you a receipt etc? If so, you can try gathering up all your LH receipts, and submit that and your receipt from the UAE officials.

I knew that they were illegal, though I'm not sure how: I don't know whether it's anywhere in black and white, but I wouldn't imagine so - after all, I don't think any country provides you with a list of things you explicitly can't do in detail. You could try ringing the embassy and see if it gets you anywhere, but to be honest, a country that built - and continues to build - itself on slave labour is pretty unlikely to be transparent in anything else either.

In case you're choosing your next holiday destination - don't try taking your toys to Sudan, either.