Lieutenant-Colonel Mohammed Rashid bin Seray, Director of the Tourist Security of the General Department of Criminal Investigation, told Khaleej Times that the force represented in the department is working towards building “clean tourism” and devising ways to imbibe inner respect in tourists for the country’s values and norms.

“We do not want to force tourists to abide by the country’s laws for by way of punishing for indecent behaviour and crimes. We want them to do that out of respect. Anyone who is indulging in indecent and immoral behaviour is actually affecting his or her self image.”

Defended the principles of freedom and economy, tourists and cultural opening policy adopted in the country, Lt.- Col. Bin Seray assured that moves such should not contradict with the society’s values and its solid principles which can comprehend the good and reject the bad practices that negatively affects and disfigure its image.

“We do not want to deprive people of practising their freedom, but we want them to take into consideration the importance of not respecting people’s feelings. Intimately kissing and hugging in public is a violation of the law of the country and the values and norms of society,” he stressed.

“The department’s guidelines and advisory booklet, which prepared in different languages and distributed to toursists at different service facilities has included a special message in this regard. Out of respect and decency, people should not come up with unwarranted behaviour,” he stressed.

He said that the department has coordinated with the Italian, German and French embassies to make available the guidelines and such advisory to the tourists via different channels including the Internet to give them a clear view on the rights and obligations before their arrival.

The different entities agreed to maintain the country’s norms and culture and to open to the world with high level of awareness and sensibility.

The deparment called on the public including citizens and tourists to complain to the department through the toll free number 8004438 about any practice or behaviour that negatively affects and disfigure the “clean tourism”.

Acording to Lt-Col Bin Seray, last year, an Egyptian man was arrested for intimately kissing his girlfriend on the street. It was proved that he was under the influence of alcohol and was bidding goodbye to his girlfriend who was leaving for the airport at that moment. The man was taken to the court on the grounds of morals accusation violation. This was the only case that was reported by the department’s staff.