With the days still a bit steamy, it can often feel like the best time for a dip in the ocean is after dusk.
However once that sun falls below the horizon, you need to get out.
Why? Because swimming after sunset is actually against the rules, Dubai Municipality are warning beachgoers.
As part of a campaign to boost safety on the city’s coast, the civic body are reminding residents and tourists of the regulations you must abide by on local beaches.
And what’s more, flaunting them could cost you.
Dubai Municipality can issue rule-breakers with fines, and while there’s no one definitive list of penalties, some of them are pretty steep.
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If you litter, for example, you’ll be billed Dhs500. Start a fire on the beach? That’ll be Dhs1,000.
The main rules that the municipality are promoting are focused around swim safety. Beachgoers should refrain from paddling at night as there’s an increased risk of drowning, and keep an eye out for those flags (no swimming if a red one’s flying, and be extra vigilant if a yellow one is raised).
“It does not matter how good of a swimmer you are, sometimes things happen and one can drown,” Lieutenant Colonel Juma Ahmad Bin Darwish Al Falasi told Gulf News.
Swimmers should also stay within the safe zone, marked with buoys and ropes, and avoid rocky terrain.
Open Beach Instructions. #دبي #بلدية_دبي #Dubai #MyDubai #dubaimunicipality
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The campaign is also reminding visitors of some respectful rules to bear in mind – such as not wearing swimwear outside of the beach, and to keep those togs R-rated (so no topless sunbathing).
Fires and shisha are forbidden, and though it looks idyllic in films, there’s no sleeping on the beaches.
Should you get into trouble, the Dubai Police Search and Rescue team is on call 24/7 and have rescue boats, water bikes and police cars.
In case of emergency call the Dubai Police operation room on 999 and explain the situation and the location.
Image: Getty
