A Daily Mail special investigation published Sept. 5 reports a clandestine sex trade operating in Dubai’s luxury hotels and private residences, and says women who sell sex told the reporter that British men are among those paying for sexual services.
The investigation focuses in part on the Elite Byblos Hotel in the Al Barsha neighbourhood, a five‑star property that markets 337 rooms, a rooftop pool and sweeping views of Palm Jumeirah. The hotel sits opposite the Mall of the Emirates, home to Dubai’s indoor ski slope, and amid designer boutiques, international coffee chains and gated villas that command high rents. The report says women working in and around such hotels described encounters with clients and identified who they said were paying for sex.
The story frames the clandestine activity against Dubai’s carefully cultivated image as a safe, ultra‑luxury destination for tourists and expatriates. It notes the close physical proximity of conspicuous wealth — high‑end retail outlets and affluent expat villas — to ordinary expressions of faith, such as the nearby Shareefa Al Attar mosque, from which the call to prayer sounds five times daily.
The United Arab Emirates criminalizes prostitution, and those engaged in the practice can face arrest, deportation or other penalties under Emirati law. The report describes how sex workers operate discreetly amid the city’s hospitality sector and private rental market, and portrays clients meeting them in hotel rooms and private apartments.
The investigation presents accounts from women who said they sell sex and described encounters with clients, including men from the United Kingdom. The article reports that these women provided details about the arrangements and payments involved. The piece does not provide independent confirmation of the nationalities of those who allegedly paid for services beyond the witnesses’ statements.
Dubai authorities regularly stress the emirate’s commitment to law and order and to protecting public morals, while also promoting tourism and investment. Past high‑profile incidents involving expatriates have led to arrests and deportations, and the government enforces strict rules on public conduct. The Daily Mail report places the alleged clandestine trade in the context of the city’s booming tourism industry and large expatriate community.
The investigation underscores tensions between Dubai’s global luxury brand and hidden illegal economies that can develop in major tourism hubs. The report did not include an on‑record response from Emirati officials. Representatives for the hotels and individuals named in the story were not quoted in the published article.
The Daily Mail’s reporting follows broader international coverage of illicit sex markets in major cities, and the article calls attention to challenges authorities face in policing illegal activity while maintaining a high‑profile tourism sector. The paper says its findings derive from interviews conducted on the ground in Dubai and from conversations with women who described their experiences selling sex in the city’s hotels and private properties.