Friday March 29th, 2024
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UAE Army: No Tattoos Please

As the UAE announces compulsory conscription for all male nationals aged between 18-30, business is booming at tattoo removal clinics.

Staff Writer

An unlikely industry is getting it's time in the UAE's financially glorious sun as hundreds of men pour into dermatology clinics to have their tattoos removed. The surge in the popularity of these procedures comes of the back of military conscription being introduced in the Emirates as body art is forbidden in the army there. “Usually it is young individuals who are in their mid twenties to thirties who have had those tattoos applied during their teenage years and now they would like to remove them, either for religious reasons or due to the nature of their work,” said Dr Hassan Galadari to The National about the boom he's seen at his clinic. 

Though not illegal, like many Arab and Muslim countries, the general consensus regarding getting inked in the UAE is a resounding haram. However, with the influx of Western culture to the region and the financial ability to travel abroad of many Emiratis, it is not unusual to spot body art on even the most traditional of nationals.