The U.S Department of State notes that Americans should exercise caution when visiting countries in and around the Persian Gulf where Western targets are still the focus of terrorist organizations. Attacks in the past have included suicide bombings, assassinations, kidnappings and hijacking. Keeping a low profile is advised and U.S citizens are told to treat mail and packages from unknown sources with caution.
In recent years groups of expatriate sailers have ended up being detained by the Iranian Coast Guard after sailing into, or close to Iranian waters. Currently the UAE and Iran have territorial disputes over the waters around the island of Abu Musa. The U.S Department of State claims that sailing in these waters could result in the seizure of vessels and the detention of passengers and crew inside Iran. If this does occur, U.S citizens can receive consular assistance from the Swiss Embassy in Iran.
Crimes directed against tourists, both violent and petty are rare in Dubai, but they can happen. The U.S Embassy claims that its citizens should exercise the same precautions in Dubai as they would at home or in any other large international city.
If you break the law in Dubai, you could find that the penalties are more severe than in North America and Europe. In the past Americans have been arrested for things such as using obscene gestures, swearing at policemen or for kissing in public. Penalties for drug possession and trafficking are also severe, and you can expect to be given a long jail sentence if found guilty of such a crime.
Make sure that you research what type of prescription drugs are illegal in Dubai as you might unwittingly be arrested for possession of an illegal substance. Medicines that contain codeine for example are illegal in the Gulf city state. In the past tourists have also been arrested for possession of poppy seeds, which are also part of the UAE's anti-narcotics program. If caught with even small quantities of substances featured on the UAE's list of banned narcotics, you could end up with a long jail sentence of up to 15 years.
