Desert, Diamonds, and Doing It Solo: Is Dubai Safe for Solo Female Travelers?

Supercars, Sheikhs, and a shaky global reputation… are women truly safe in one of the richest cities in the world?

Understandably, many people have contrasting opinions surrounding Dubai, be it regarding their culture, religion, or ‘soullessness’. An in-demand destination for British expats, everyone and their grandma seems to know someone who has relocated to Dubai. But, due to the UAE’s position as an Islamic country governed under Sharia Law, questions have been raised countless times regarding women’s position within their society and whether they can truly be safe alone in the city.

Sharia Law is an extremely controversial topic in the current climate of the UK, but not many people know the actual definition or ins and outs. This issue stems from its rocky history of extreme punishment and attitudes towards women and LGBTQ+ individuals. In its most basic definition, Sharia Law is ‘the divine counsel that Muslims follow to live moral lives and grow close to God‘. This law is often in contrast to modern regimes and is the opposite of most Western powers.

When walking around the city, it is abundantly clear that Dubai’s culture and society are extremely different from those of the West and the UK’s cities. Modest dressing is one of these differences, seen through clothes such as burkas, hijabs and chadors. This is not a negative difference but merely something to be aware of – as a solo woman, it can make you feel slightly out of place when you are wearing your ‘typical’ Western clothes, even if your shoulders and knees are covered up.

Due to Dubai’s position as one of the more liberal cities in its region (due to the large expatriate population), tourists have no official dress code that they are expected to adhere to, but it definitely helps to be aware of expectations that locals may have. As concluded by an ‘Insure my Trip’ survey, Dubai was rated the best and safest city globally for solo female travellers – but is this safety highly dependent on whether you conform to their rigid societal rules and follow Sharia law? Dubai doesn’t strike me as a place for difference and uniqueness…

When researching about Dubai’s attitudes towards women, I wanted to speak to my peers about it. We are all women around the age of 20 and are all from different places and with different backgrounds. We all have travelled or have an interest in it and believe in women’s rights. So, what did they think about solo travelling in Dubai?

In terms of female safety, there are lots of measures put in place specifically with the aim of protecting women out in public. One of the main ones I noticed was ‘pink taxis’. Identifiable by their pink roof (the clue really is in the name!), the taxis are driven solely by female drivers and are a special service for women and their families to help them feel safe in public transport. They are equipped with special CCTV cameras and a GPS tracking system to offer women comfort and privacy in the taxi.

There is a similar system on the Dubai Metro – women and children carriages. A similar concept to the taxis, and men are not allowed in these carriages. The metro workers police these carriages closely and fine men for entering, making for a safe metro experience. But these carriages (introduced with the aim to crack down on sexual assault) have been criticised for ignoring the problem and pushing it under the rug, a concept so often mentioned when referring to Dubai.

When I was there (and whilst I did feel safe alone), it was hard not to notice the looks from Emirati men, who are so unused to seeing women outside alone, without a male. These stares are heightened if you are dressed in more ‘Western’ clothing, which I was. My feeling of safety remained, but it is very easy to feel like an outsider in Dubai, especially as a tourist.

I was very interested in the topic of general female safety when solo travelling, across the world and not just in Dubai. I wanted to understand someone else’s view aside from my own, so I interviewed Sophie Jarvis. Sophie is the Head of Travel for Newcastle University’s student-run newspaper, ‘The Courier’, and she has solo travelled extensively across Europe. Here is what she had to say.

As Sophie and I discussed, being “spatially aware of your surroundings and who is near you” is so important when travelling solo, no matter if you are in Dubai or anywhere else in the world. Her main recommendation was to “scope through all the experiences you want to do before you go” – this limits scams, and experiences tend to be more expensive, so you definitely don’t want to lose money here! It is important to “have confidence in your own safety” and trust your gut and decision-making skills.

So, are solo women safe in Dubai? Fundamentally in a tourist’s day-to-day, I believe yes, they are. But would I want to travel in a city where women’s autonomy is practically non-existent? No.

It is hard not to think of the worst-case scenario in countries like this. If I were to be raped in Dubai, would the authorities listen to me, a woman? Or would they, as they have done so many times before, prosecute me for extra-marital sex or consuming alcohol without a licence? It is not worth the risk, in my opinion. In 2025 women should feel safe in any space they wish to inhabit, irrespective of religion or global location. Dubai just isn’t the place for that.

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