Expat Travel Mom

What to wear when visiting the UAE is probably the number one concern for families planning a trip here, and one we get asked by all of our visitors. While it's worth being mindful of what you wear in certain times and places, it's not nearly as "scary" as many people assume...you get used to it. Here are my honest guidelines, built from actually living here. Now, remember, we lived in Al Ain first...much more conservative, and now moved to Umm Al Quwain while I work in Ajman...both also conservative. But our visits to Dubai and Ras al Khaimah are more relaxed. I've just thrown in some images here of us dressed on different days out.

The Basics

The UAE is hot outside for most of the year, April through October. Light colors and natural fibers do well in the hotter months. The malls, on the other hand, are seriously air conditioned, so a sweatshirt, shawl, or shrug tucked in your bag comes in handy more often than you'd think.

Dubai Festival City Mall

Respect, Not Fear

Dress modestly out of respect, not because you're forced to by law. Rethink the plunging necklines and high slit skirts. If someone points out discomfort with your attire, a simple thank you and course correction goes a long way, don't turn it into a confrontation, that's the kind of thing that can escalate to police involvement, and it's genuinely not worth it. You're a guest in their country.

Burj Khalifa

Knowing the Difference

There's a real difference between actual indecency, like wearing a swimsuit into a mall, which will get police involved, and simply wearing shorts that hit above the knee. Read your surroundings and adjust. Cover your knees and shoulders as a general rule, it's the safest, easiest guideline to follow across the board. If you're in a tank top or spaghetti straps, keep a shawl or scarf on hand just in case.

Ramadan Is a Little Different

During Ramadan specifically, dress a bit more conservatively, traditional guidance is ankle to shoulders covered.

When we arrived to Abu Dhabi during Ramadan

Mosques and Government Buildings

Women don't need to cover their hair anywhere except when visiting the Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, the Jumeirah Mosque in Dubai, or other religious sites, never their face. Men should wear trousers and sleeved shirts in these settings. The same more conservative standard applies at government buildings and hospitals, covered knees and shoulders.

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

A Few Other Notes

Skip offensive slogan or logo t-shirts. No underwear as swimwear at beaches or water parks, and people sitting fully clothed near swimming areas can actually draw suspicion from police, since it looks like gawking. Emirates do vary a bit in overall conservatism too, Abu Dhabi a touch more relaxed than Ras Al Khaimah, which is more relaxed than Ajman, Fujairah, and Umm Al Quwain, while Sharjah has historically been considered the most conservative of them all.

When you're in private clubs or hotels, the dress code drastically changes.

Al Ain Club

Hotel Brunch

Ras al Khaimah

In short, the UAE is a Muslim country, and while there's a huge population of non-Muslim expats living here, that doesn't give anyone permission to disrespect the culture. To this day, I keep tank tops and above-the-knee outfits limited to expat housing communities, the desert, beaches, and hotel grounds. Everywhere else, shoulders and knees stay covered, without exception.

Coming back to update: the core rule here hasn't really changed. What has shifted is enforcement, current guides consistently describe it as relaxed and rarely an issue in practice, especially in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, though the underlying expectation of respect hasn't gone anywhere.