holidays to the Costa De La Luz

12:35pm Wednesday 5th May 2010 in Holiday Information

Journey Your Way To Jail In Dubai

Popular destinations for the summer have previously included areas such as cheap holidays to the Costa De La Luz or Zante in Greece, but more and more people are heading further afield to more exotic destinations such as Dubai. In some cases the culture difference is proving to be an issue.

Two Brits, a woman and a man have been sentenced to jail in Dubai after being reported to police for kissing in a restaurant.

A marketing executive Ayman Najafi, 24, and a pretty blonde tourist, Charlotte Lewis, 25, say the kiss was innocent and was nothing more than a mere peck on the cheek whilst sharing a drink at the swish Jumeirah Beach Residence.

However, a local woman alleged that she and her children saw the pair kissing on the lips and rubbing each others backs, flouting Dubai's strict decency laws and causing the Muslim woman such outrage, she called the police.

The stunned Brits were arrested in November at packed Bob's Restaurant, accused of breaching the Muslim's state's strict honour and modesty laws.

Both Charlotte Lewis and Ayman Najafi were sentenced to a month in prison followed by deportation from the Gulf state, after being convicted last week of kissing and drinking alcohol at a beachside restaurant.

Judge Ebrahim Khalil Abu Shamma threw out the couple's claims that Ayman just kissed Charlotte's cheek.

As well as receiving a month jail-term, they were also fined &pound180 for drinking, even though they were only a quarter of the British driving limit.

Their prison sentence and deportation were suspended after they appealed against the conviction for kissing. The Brit pair were bailed but had their passports seized to prevent them from absconding.

Their date of appeal has been pushed back to the 14th April, when they will hear their results.

A legal source close to the couple said: "The couple cannot believe what has happened to them. They are desperate to persuade the court that they meant no offence."

This case is just another example of the culture clash which lies between the carefree, laidback British and the emirate's strict Islamic laws, which dictate severe punishments on indecent behaviour.

So... when looking at booking Dubai holidays with your lover, decide whether or not you can keep your distance throughout your entire holiday, because if you can't, go somewhere else! Head to the sparkling swimming pools in the stunning Jamaica, book cheap holidays to the Costa de la Luz to discover an unspoilt corner of Spain whilst soaking yourself in soaring sunrays or laze along the laid back, golden sands of Gran Canaria.