Dubai denies entry to Israeli tourists over his 'feminine appearance'

An Israeli tourist in his twenties was denied entry to Dubai after a border control officer deemed his appearance too feminine, citing his long hair and earring as grounds for refusal.

The tourist, identified only as N., arrived with two friends but was stopped at passport control while other travelers passed through. "The border officer looked at me and explicitly stated I couldn't enter Dubai because I have long hair and an earring, and look like a woman," N. told Israeli news site Mako. "He did this in front of all the Israeli passengers. I felt completely humiliated."

After being denied entry, N. was forced to spend the night at the airport before flying back to Israel. "Beyond the emotional damage, I lost thousands of shekels," he said, referring to prepaid vacation expenses.

The incident occurred as thousands of Israelis continue to visit Dubai following normalization agreements between the countries. "From the start, it seemed he was anti-Israeli," N. added, describing the border officer's attitude.

According to N.'s account, he was the only traveler denied entry from his flight, noting that another passenger initially held for questioning was eventually allowed to enter the emirate.

The denial of entry comes amid Dubai's push to position itself as a leading global tourist destination, raising questions about selective enforcement at its borders.

Mako contributed to this article.