The United Arab Emirates (UAE) declared on Sunday that it will no longer censor films released in cinemas, latest effort of the country to improve its image as a liberal hub that attracts foreign visitors. Rather than censoring sensitive sequences that may offend traditional Islamic sensibilities, the Emirati Media Regulatory Authority will create a new 21-year-old category for viewers.
In a tweet, the authority stated, “The movies will be presented in cinemas according to their international version.”
Censors in the United Arab Emirates, like elsewhere in the Middle East, have long deleted scenes from theatre releases that depict nudity, homosexuality, sex, or other content deemed unacceptable and inappropriate.
In the federation of 7 sheikhdoms, foreigners outnumber locals by about nine to one. The diverse religion and culture of a tourism-dependent country has at times clashed with its Islamic laws and traditions.
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