Demand for law on UAE dress code

The UAE Federal National Council (FNC) is set to demand a new law on the dress code in the Emirates to ensure that local culture and sensibilities are respected, UAE daily Gulf News reported on Monday.

During Tuesday's session FNC member Hamad Ahmad Al Rahoumi from Dubai will be quizzing Abdul Rahman Mohammad Al Owais, Minister of Culture Youth and Community Development, on the issue, the report said.

According to Al Rahoumi, the law will mainly target expatriates and tourists.

“There has to be respect for the people in the UAE. Residents and tourists should dress modestly and not spread their bad habits for our children to see and imitate,” the paper quoted Al Rahoumi as saying.

“I am not demanding that visitors and residents wear our clothes, but their dress should be respectful and not revealing,” Al Rahoumi said, stressing that women wearing revealing clothes are against the UAE’s culture and offend local sensibilities, the report added.

The FNC representative also suggested that the law also tackle other 'unacceptable behaviours' such as kissing in public.

“These behaviours affect our children, who learn from what they are experiencing,” Gulf News quoted Al Rahoumi as saying.