HIGH PRICE TO PAY FOR BREAKING DUBAI'S STRICT DRUG RULES

GOLDEN beaches, seven-star hotels, non-stop nightlife and endless
sunshine make Dubai seem like the perfect party destination.

It's just a seven-and-a-half-hour flight from Glasgow but zero
tolerance towards drugs means there's a steep price to pay if you
take even a step wrong in this Persian Gulf paradise.

As show-stopping nightclubs bloom in the desert, the tiny city state,
which is considered one of the most liberal countries in the Gulf,
has become the hottest gig available for the world's top DJs.

But last year 59 Britons were arrested in the United Arab Emirates on
drugs-related charges, according to the Foreign Office.

This year eight Brits have already been detained.

The latest is Radio 1 DJ Grooverider, real name Raymond Bingham, who
was yesterday jailed for four years after Dubai customs officials
found a small amount of cannabis in his pocket.

His arrest has prompted legal charity Fair Trials International to
put out a warning to the one million British tourists predicted to
visit Dubai this year.

Fair Trials chief executive Catherine Wolthuizen revealed customs
officials were using new, highly sensitive equipment to search travellers.

She said: "So many people now travel to Dubai and, as we're seeing,
many have no idea what risks they're taking or their vulnerability to
this very strict approach. If they find any amount - no matter how
tiny - it will be enough to attract a mandatory four-year prison sentence.

"What many travellers may not realise is that they can be deemed to
be in possession of such banned substances if they can be detected in
their urine or bloodstream, or even in tiny, trace amounts on their person."

Now the charity, which helps those facing trial abroad, is urging
travellers to make sure they are completely free of any substances
prohibited by the country they are visiting.

In Dubai that vigilance doesn't stop at drugs which are illegal in
the UK. A Swiss man was reportedly jailed for possessing three poppy
seeds left over from a bread roll he ate at Heathrow.

Painkiller codeine, a common ingredient in flu and cold medication,
is also banned.

And Big Brother TV executive Cat Le-Huy is facing four years in a
Dubai jail after a tiny trace of cannabis was found in his bag
earlier this month.

The 31-year-old was arrested on touchdown in the Middle East after
what officials claim is 0.001 grammes of the drug was found with
pills and an over the counter anti-jet lag health supplement
melatonin. In 2006, US hip-hop music producer Dallas Austin was
sentenced to four years in jail after he was found in possession of
1.26 grammes of cocaine and other banned substances.

The composer, who had come to Dubai cone for a three-day birthday
party for British supermodel Naomi Campbell, was pardoned by Dubai
ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashed al-Maktoum immediately after his
sentence was pronounced.

But respect for a different culture is the key to a trouble-free time
in Dubai according to Colette Doyle.

The 42-year-old magazine editor from Glasgow moved there four years
ago, attracted by year-round sunshine and a tax-free salary.

She said: "It's not Benidorm or Ibiza and drink is not part of the culture.

"Alcohol is actually forbidden by the Koran. Brits are allowed to
drink and buy alcohol if they have a licence.

"But in order to have that freedom, you have to respect the Islamic
culture and our hosts. That means not being drunk in public. You
could actually be arrested for being drunk in public.

"Even small quantities of drugs are banned and you'll end up in jail."

That respect even extends to not eating in public during the hours of
daylight when the Muslim festival of Ramadan is being celebrated.

"One thing that makes me cringe is when you go to a shopping centre
and see Western tourists standing eating sandwiches in the middle of
the day," said Colette.

"It's only for a month and you're asked to observe the custom which
is not to eat, drink or smoke in public during daylight hours.

"It's just a small thing but it can make a big difference. As
residents, we don't want to damage the relationship we've built up.

"We enjoy great freedoms compared to other Middle Eastern countries
such as Saudi Arabia and we don't want a backlash."

But if you can live within these restrictions, working in Dubai can
be a ticket to a luxurious lifestyle most of us in the UK can only dream of.

There's a thriving Caledonian Society in Dubai which held a Burns
Supper last month.

Colette made a point of treating herself to a stay in the seven-star
Burj Al Arab hotel, which is shaped like a giant sail and where every
guest has their own butler.

"I'm a sun worshipper," she admitted. "I love hot climates. It can be
a very luxurious lifestyle. Many people have a live-in maid, which
unless you are loaded in the UK you could never afford to have.

"Petrol is very cheap so a lot of people splash out on a lavish car.

There's a pool on the roof of my building and a gym. It's fantastic.

"But Dubai has become more westernised even since I arrived.

"You need a liquor licence to buy alcohol in shops which only
non-Muslims can enter. They used to be closed on Friday, which is the
Muslim holy day. Now they're open.

"Jumeriah, which is where the magnificent five-star hotels are, has
become more of a playground as it's down on the beach. There's a
greater degree of tolerance down there and the hotels are a bit like
a fantasy world.

"And there are more coming. The Western hotel is opening in March and
things are changing every day."

Three mammoth, palmshaped artificial islands have risen from the sea
and scores of five-star hotels and futuristic skyscrapers are being
built. Visits by celebs such as Kate Moss and P. Diddy have helped
make Dubai a top holiday destination.

But Judge Ali Al Kaladari's stern warning to a local English language
newspaper should echo in the ears of anyone even considering jetting
off to Dubai.

He said: "These laws help discourage anyone from carrying or using
drugs. Even if the amount of illegal drugs found on someone is 0.05
grammes, they will be found guilty.

"The penalty is a minimum four years if it is for personal use. "The
message is clear - drugs will not be tolerated."

The judge added that the penalty for dealing in illegal drugs was
life in jail or even the death sentence.

Despite all its luxury and sunshine, Dubai can quickly turn from
heaven into hell for those who break its strict laws.

'Even if the amount of drugs found on someone is 0.05 grammes, they
will be found guilty and jailed'