Yes, you can wear leggings in Dubai, but ideally not as your only pants. Leggings can be used to cover your legs, especially under short dresses or shorts. If you only wear leggings, it's probably best to wear a very long blouse on top.
There isn't a particularly strict Dubai airport dress code. Women can wear long dresses, tops, shirts, t-shirts, pants, hoodies, sweaters, and jeans. It's best to avoid wearing any sleeveless shirts, sleeveless dresses, mini-skirts, and short shorts.
Women tourists can wear anything they like in Dubai as long as it covers their shoulders and knees. You just have to be respectful to their culture.
The UAE is a Muslim country, and so there are expectations of how visitors should dress. For visitors that stay in resorts and hotels, the dress code is whatever you want to wear, but in areas where there are more local people, dress conservatively.
Dress code in public places in Dubai
Women do not have to cover their head, face and hair with a scarf or something similar in public, although Muslim women, particularly Gulf Arabs, do cover their hair, face and head with a scarf for cultural and religious reasons.
At public places such as hotel/resort
Most hotels will be filled with non-citizens or expats in Dubai, and you can again wear anything. However, going super-skimpy is not advisable. Shorts, skirts, dresses and vests are fine, but avoid super short and very low-cut clothes.
Can you wear flip flops in Dubai? There are no restrictions on shoes. Only in mosques, shoes must be off, so if you're heading there, it would be a good idea to wear socks as well.
Clubbing in Dubai: no hijab required!
Crop-tops, skirts, form-fitting dresses are all acceptable in Dubai nightclubs.
Around new areas such as Dubai Marina or Downtown it is not such an issue and men and women can wear shorts and sleeveless or strappy tops. If you are in some of the older areas like Deira or Bur Dubai then a little more respect should be shown and wearing a t-shirt and slightly longer pants is recommended.
Is there a dress code in Dubai? The dress code in Dubai is quite liberal. Usually, you can wear pretty much what you like, certainly in tourist places and hotels and their adjacent beaches.
It's perfectly acceptable to wear swimming trunks, bikinis or one piece swimsuits on the beach or by the hotel pool; but it's disrespectful to walk the streets in a bikini or in shorts and a bikini top. Gentlemen may admirably fill out their Speedos but keep them for the beach too.
Do not swear in public or use offensive gestures. Giving someone the finger or even just sticking out your tongue might be considered rude at home but can get you jailed in Dubai. This is particularly worth remembering when driving, since even a frustrated flap of the hands could potentially land you in trouble.
Paracetamol is not featured on the MoH's list of controlled drugs4, so you should be able to take it into Dubai. However, if you are ever unsure then check with your doctor. Codeine is a controlled drug in the UAE, so you will need permission to take co-codamol (paracetamol and codeine) into the country.
While it's great to have cash on hand for tips, taxis, and bargaining in the souks (markets), you won't need to carry wads of notes for larger transactions. Major credit cards including Visa, MasterCard, and American Express are widely accepted in Dubai's hotels, shops and restaurants.
Although you won't really get into trouble with the police in Dubai for wearing something with a bit of cleavage, it is important to respect the local culture when out and about in Dubai. The general rule is that your body should be covered from your shoulders to your knees when you are on the street.
Dress code
Clothes should cover the tops of the arms and legs, and underwear should not be visible. Swimming attire should be worn only on beaches or at swimming pools. Cross-dressing is illegal.
Holding hands is fine as long as you don't go any further. I often see ex pat Westerners and Asians people doing this, even traditionally dressed Arab couples sometimes, although that isn't common. This applies in most places, but certainly not at a mosque or other traditional environment.
There are certain things you can't do in Dubai and PDA is one of them. In Dubai, holding hands, hugging, and kissing in public is considered socially unacceptable and if caught indulging in such acts, you might land up in jail.
Women dress code in Dubai
Wearing what you want has never been more fashionable than when visiting Dubai! Short sleeves, strapless, and off the shoulder are all acceptable styles for women to wear there.
What happens if you dress inappropriately in Dubai? Residents and tourists who dress "inappropriately" in public places can face up to three years jail time and deportation for "harming the country's public morals", legal experts have warned.
So, if you are wondering about the dress code in Dubai for men, this is what to know: What is this? Men can wear western clothes, like jeans, sweatpants, and shorts. They can also wear singlets, flip-flops and summer clothes.
Swearing in public is completely prohibited in the UAE, with the use of the F-word being a crime, as it “disgraces the honor or the modesty” of a person, according to Article 373 of the UAE Penal Code. Swearing is punishable by up to a year in prison and a fine as high as 10,000 dirhams.
Women can wear a maxi dress with sleeves, or a top or shirt with a long skirt, pants or jeans that aren't ripped. Men can wear a shirt or collared t-shirt with jeans or trousers (no shorts or ripped jeans).