Shady Massage Services Cause Alarm

DUBAI - Residents in the country are used to seeing business cards dropped at the doorsteps everyday by pest control companies to packers and movers.

By (Mary Nammour and Amira Agarib)

Published: Sat 26 Dec 2009, 10:43 PM

Last updated: Wed 19 Oct 2022, 12:18 PM

But residents of apartments in Dubai’s International City are amused and some concerned these days at getting an increasing number of cards brazenly offering on-call massage services.

The cards, usually in pink or red, have love signs like hearts and arrows and other designs.

Already alarmed by the recent busting of prostitution dens in more than one cluster in International City, residents termed this new practice of offering massage services, that too on call, as shady and dangerous.

The cards invite customers to visit massage centres but when one calls any of these numbers, the person on the other side gives a more convenient offer — that they can give the service in the comforts of the caller’s home.

“I had lots of cards and all of them read Massage Centre,” said an Egyptian engineer residing in China Cluster.

“Out of curiosity, we called the numbers on the cards and came to know that there were no centres but they are ready for ‘room service’.”

An Arab woman and her boyfriend tried to call a number they found on a card. “When a Chinese woman, who could hardly speak English, heard the voice of the lady, she was reluctant to speak,” the Arab woman said.

When she persistently asked whether they offer massage to men, the lady on the other side on the phone said, “No, it is only for ladies”.

Asked about their location, the Chinese woman said they offered only room service.

The same lady, who talked reluctantly to the Arab woman, became talkative when the latter’s boyfriend called her on the same number and asked her about their massage service.

“It costs Dh200 for one session. We will come to you,” the woman said.

She was ready to come to his place in Discovery Gardens.

“Our room service covers all of Dubai,” she added.

Though this woman quoted Dh200 as the price, the standard for most of the ‘centres’, some were ready to offer ‘discounts’. “I asked about the price and a woman told me it is Dh150 per one-hour session for men and women. She said it is a specially priced home service only available for International City residents,” a British executive said.

Asked if there is any discount or special price, the Chinese woman said it is already a special price.

Another man who lives with his family in the community expressed concern at the risks such businesses might involve. “If it turns out that the service is not purely massage and professional, then it would be nothing but mobile brothels. It is not safe for our children or our families,” he said.

In November, rivalry among Asian gangs led to the death of one gangster and serious injury to at least another Asian. The police conducted raids and arrested several people indulging  in prostitution.

Major Jamal Al Jalaf, Director of the Criminal Control Department of Dubai Police, acknowledged that several so-called massage centres operate in  the emirate.

He said massage centres staff have to be licensed and must abide by the conditions specified by the Dubai Municipality with regard to hygiene  and decency.

“There are regulatory conditions specified by municipalities across the UAE to control these massage centres. According to standards set by the Dubai Municipality and with respect to the UAE social values, women have separate massage centres. Opposite sex massage is not allowed. In other words, woman should massage a woman and the same applies to men,” Al Jalaf said.

Usually and on a regular basis, the Dubai Municipality conducts inspection at massage centres to ensure that they are abiding by the rules  and regulations.

“Strict action would be taken against the violators and if they repeated the offence, the centre could be shut down,” the officer said.

Referring to people offering private massage services at the customers’ homes, he said, “The police could not trace all individuals who practise massage illegally, because they may put advertisements or visit people homes to do massage.”

Allowing Strangers In Could Be Dangerous

Major Jamal Al Jalaf, Director of the Criminal Control Department of Dubai Police, urged the public to be careful and not allow strangers to come into their houses, as some may have criminal intentions. “Among these could be people who have entered the country illegally and have no records. If they commit any legal act, it would be difficult to trace them,” he warned.

He gave the example of a Yemeni businessman who was murdered by somebody who visited him in his home for giving massage service.

He said some people offer sex in disguise of massage service. “If the police receive any complaint on such illegal activities, all individuals involved will be referred to the court. “Those who want to get massage should go the massage centres that have acquired the necessary licences. Otherwise, they would have to face possible safety and legal risks.”

In the last few years, many cases were examined by courts in which defendants who posed as masseurs to the clients ended up killing them. They were accused of premeditated murder. At least two such murders happened in International City. In one case, a Gulf citizen invited an Asian delivery boy of a supermarket in the same neighbourhood and asked him for massage service. The boy allegedly killed man after the latter tried to sodomise him.

In another case, an Arab man was allegedly murdered by an Egyptian man who visited the latter’s house in Al Qusais area offering  massage service.

Email: amira@khaleejtimes.com, mary@khaleejtimes.com