'Las Vegas of the Middle East'

Dubai has been called the Las Vegas of the Middle East, with its carefully cultivated image as an oasis of liberal entertainment set amid an expanse of conservative countries like Saudi Arabia.The Saudis ban alcohol and require even foreign women to wear enveloping black robes in public. In contrast, alcohol flows freely in Dubai's hotels and women can wear bikinis on city beaches.But what most foreigners don't know — and what the government is not advertising — is that beneath the liberal facade is a legal culture based on Islamic laws and tribal rules that looks a lot more like Riyadh than Las Vegas.While the laws are not always enforced, it is illegal for couples in Dubai to hold hands, hug or kiss in public — much less have sex on the beach.