NO SEX IN THE FASTEST GROWING CITY

Foreign nationals from all walks of life make up 80% of Dubai’s population.
The emirate has become the fastest-growing city in the world, and a regional center for tourism and business.

But Dubai is still an Arab Emirate, and aside from respecting the Islamic traditions that are strongly revered by its native population, I am sure that they have to be very careful about upsetting some of their rather fundamentalist neighbors.

Dubai Studio City has been wooing major studios to attract world audiovisual productions, but it comes as no surprise that permission to film parts of the sequel to the Sex And The City movie in the emirate has been refused.

Explicit sex scenes are always cut from movies shown in Dubai cinemas, despite being rated for adults, while Arabic subtitles tone down the sexual language. DVDs are also censored, and access to Internet sex sites is blocked.

The script was referred to the relevant authorities to review "by taking in consideration the multicultural fabric of the society and its perceptions," a DSC statement said.

The vague statement appears to show that the movie, including its title, would be too much to swallow for the Muslim nation, where the first edition of the film, starring Sarah Jessica Parker, was banned from showing in cinemas.

Kader Khan
Editor
info@yummie.co.za