Building a Safer Path: Best Practices for Advocates Working on Adult Work in Dubai

Working in adult work in Dubai isn’t just risky-it’s illegal. But people still do it. Some are migrants fleeing poverty. Others are trapped by debt or coercion. And no matter why they’re there, they face violence, exploitation, and zero legal protection. If you’re an advocate trying to help, you’re not just offering support-you’re navigating one of the most dangerous legal environments in the world.

Understand the Law-It Doesn’t Protect Them

Dubai, like the rest of the UAE, criminalizes all forms of sex work. Prostitution, solicitation, brothel-keeping, and even advertising for adult services are punishable by imprisonment, fines, or deportation. The law doesn’t distinguish between voluntary workers and trafficking victims. If someone is caught, they’re treated as a criminal, not someone in need of help.

This means any advocacy work has to happen in the shadows. You can’t walk into a police station and ask for protection. You can’t file public reports without risking arrest. Even NGOs that work with migrants often avoid mentioning sex work outright. So your first rule: don’t assume legal systems will help. Your power comes from relationships, not paperwork.

Build Trust Before You Intervene

Many sex workers in Dubai have been burned before-by clients, landlords, even other advocates. They’ve had their documents taken. They’ve been reported to immigration. They’ve been told, "I’m here to help," and then left alone when things got dangerous.

Trust isn’t built with flyers or workshops. It’s built by showing up. Bring food. Ask how their day went. Don’t push for information. Don’t ask if they want to leave. Just be there. One advocate I know spent six months sitting outside a shared apartment building in Deira, offering water and snacks. She didn’t say a word about advocacy until someone finally asked her, "Why do you keep coming?"

That’s when the real work started.

Know Where They Are-And Why

Most sex workers in Dubai don’t work on the streets. They’re in apartments, rented rooms, or short-term hotel stays. Many use apps like Telegram or WhatsApp to connect with clients. Others rely on word-of-mouth networks within migrant communities.

Don’t assume they’re all from the same country. The largest groups are from the Philippines, Nigeria, Ukraine, and Bangladesh. Each group has different risks. Filipina workers often face wage theft and passport confiscation. Nigerian women are more likely to be targeted by gangs. Ukrainian workers may be fleeing war zones and are terrified of deportation.

Map the networks. Learn the names of the landlords who rent to them. Know which mosques or community centers offer free meals. These are your allies.

Focus on Immediate Safety, Not Long-Term Change

Advocacy in Dubai isn’t about policy reform. It’s about survival. Your job isn’t to change the law-it’s to keep someone alive until they can get out.

That means:

• Teaching them how to screen clients using code words
• Helping them set up a safety check-in system with a trusted friend
• Sharing emergency contacts for local hospitals that won’t report them
• Connecting them with free legal aid for visa issues, not sex work charges
• Keeping a list of safe transport options-drivers who won’t ask questions

One woman I worked with used a simple trick: she texted her friend the client’s license plate number after every appointment. If she didn’t send a follow-up message within an hour, her friend called the police and gave the location. It didn’t stop the work-but it stopped three assaults.

Use Technology-But Carefully

Phones are lifelines. But they’re also traps. Many workers use burner phones. Others share devices with roommates. Some have spyware installed by traffickers.

Don’t send sensitive info via WhatsApp. Use Signal instead. Teach them how to delete chat history. Show them how to turn off location services. Help them create a separate email for emergency contacts. Don’t assume they know how to do this. Many have never used a smartphone before.

And never recommend apps like Telegram groups for finding clients. Those are monitored. They’re traps for undercover police and traffickers alike.

Work With Migrant Support Groups-Not Against Them

Many charities in Dubai help domestic workers, nannies, and construction laborers. They’re not focused on sex work, but they’re often the only ones with access to food, shelter, and legal advice.

Partner with them. Don’t try to run your own shelter. Use theirs. Help them understand that the woman asking for a ride to the hospital might be a sex worker. Give them simple phrases to use: "She’s in danger. She needs a safe place. I can’t tell you why."

One organization in Bur Dubai started offering free phone charging stations in their waiting room. Workers came in for the charge-and stayed for the safety info. No one asked questions. No one reported anyone. Just a quiet place to rest.

Prepare for the Worst-And Have a Plan

Arrests happen. Raids happen. Deportations happen. When they do, you need to act fast.

Keep a list of:

• Lawyers who handle immigration cases (not criminal)
• Embassy contacts for key countries of origin
• Safe houses in Abu Dhabi, Oman, or Sharjah
• Flight options with airlines that don’t require ID checks at check-in (rare, but some regional carriers allow it)

And always have a backup plan for communication. If a worker is arrested, her phone will be seized. Have a secondary contact-a cousin, a neighbor, a coworker-who knows where to find her documents and emergency funds.

Protect Yourself Too

Advocacy here can get you deported-or worse. You don’t need to be a sex worker to be targeted. Simply being seen with someone who is can be enough.

Don’t use your real name. Don’t post photos. Don’t use your personal phone for work. Use encrypted apps. Rotate locations. Never meet in the same place twice. Assume your messages are monitored.

If you’re a foreigner, your visa status is fragile. If you’re a local, your family could be targeted. This work isn’t glamorous. It’s quiet. It’s exhausting. And it’s necessary.

There’s No Finish Line

You won’t end sex work in Dubai. You won’t change the law. You won’t get media attention. That’s not your goal.

Your goal is to make sure the next person who walks into a rented room doesn’t do it alone. To make sure someone knows their name. To make sure they have a way out-even if it’s just one night’s safety, one meal, one phone call.

That’s enough.