The Dubai Nightlife Scene
Dubai Nightlife - The Dubai Nightlife Scene by Dubai City Guide Summer 2008
Visitor or resident, on Thursday night, everyone in Dubai is hit with a dilemma – where to? Nightlife in Dubai is centred within the hotels, because only hotels are allowed to serve alcohol. Every luxury and regular hotel in Dubai features a nightclub, disco, pub, lounge or bar and has built up a regular clientèle over the years. The large expatriate community has contributed heavily to the nightlife scene in Dubai, because it’s evident most nightspots are created and designed to suit the preferences of different nationalities. Themes vary and the exact boundaries between dance clubs, discotheques and bars may blur at times, but overall, Dubai has a fantastic nightlife.
The legal age for entering nightclubs in Dubai is 21 years. Identity proof is usually necessary and every nightspot has its own dress code and if you don’t adhere to it, you might be left standing outside. The safest dress code is to wear smart attire – no shorts, t-shirts, sandals and sneakers. Jeans are alright, as long as the outfit is properly put together (no sporting wear).
All Dubai nightclubs are legally obliged to close by 3:00 am and most have a ‘couples only’ policy, which means couples and single women are allowed, but single men are not. Most clubs have an entrance fee for single men, which can be quite high. These regulations are built-in to the nightlife scenario, mostly because singles of the opposite sexes mixing is not seeing favourably according to Dubai’s culture. Ladies are given first preference over many things and Dubai’s nightlife is extremely great for the partying woman. Special nights out for the ladies-only are common in Dubai.
Wild and crazy nightlife is common in Dubai, but all of it’s located indoors, within restricted areas only. Some relatively strict guidelines apply to both the visitors and nightlife establishments.
