I would not.

https://www.humandignitytrust.org/country-profile/united-arab-emirates/

In addition to potentially being captured by laws that criminalise same-sex activity, trans people may also face prosecution under the Federal Law, which criminalises a ‘male disguising as a female’ with a maximum penalty of one year imprisonment and a fine.

https://action.allout.org/en/m/403a2f25/

In May 2025, Armenian trans human rights defender Lilit Martirosyan was traveling from São Paulo to Mombasa, with a layover in Dubai. She never left the airport. She never sought to enter the UAE. Yet she was detained, interrogated, denied hotel accommodation, and told: “You are a trans person – you cannot enter Dubai.”

She was kept for 14 hours without food, water, or rest with her passport confiscated.

They did let her leave the country rather than imprison her.

If you pass, aren’t GNC, your documents match your anatomy, maybe. Otherwise see: https://www.ynetnews.com/article/b1zoodznze They don’t like some meds, either. From how you describe you and her, I wouldn’t risk it.

As others have said, absolutely not.

To give you a helpful suggestion, there are plenty of direct flights from Helsinki, Finland that you could transfer through and is a safe country.

Absolutely not

Dubai is quite possibly one of the worst places you can go to as a trans person.

I'm currently trying to get out of the Middle East because of it's human rights violations. I absolutely wouldn't it even if it was just a layover. There are probably other ways to visit Japan without a Dubai layover.

There are non-stop flights from London to Tokyo, about 14 hours.

I've heard that connecting in Beijing really isn't a bad experience and may be less expensive.

No absolutely not. I'm going on a plane today that is more expensive, just to avoid DXB airport (and for that matter, avoiding AUH, DOH, JED, even KUL as well)

It costed me a few hundred bucks extra, but my freedom is worth much more.

you probably could via Germany or Austria or Switzerland too, or Istanbul, or Hong Kong or Singapore

man skip that hellhole. both for safety and integrity

Middle eastern countries are notorious for human rights violations, especially against queer people

I would not risk it.

Even if it was safe, you shouldn’t be giving any money to Dubai or the UAE. They’re funding a genocide in Sudan.

Find literally anywhere else to have  a layover, pointedly not a place where it would be legal to just murder you. 

My partner and I also want to visit Japan and other places. We won’t be risking anywhere who isn’t explicitly safe for queer and especially trans people.

I wouldn't risk it - 90% of the time you might be fine, but the chances of it going very wrong are too high.

British Airways flies direct from Heathrow to Hanada.

I’d avoid the Middle East in general, especially if your documents don’t match what you present as. There are some direct flights but you can also have layovers in other Asian countries

I am a trans woman and visited Dubai a few years ago without any concerns. I also visited Abu Dhabi (separate trip). I tend to think that the extreme beliefs people have here about what it's like are fear mongering more than they are reality. Imara Jones has also talked about going to Dubai and feeling safe there.

That said, my documents lined up with my presentation and I don't really ring a lot of alarm bells. I'm not going to tell you everything is great there, but I don't think a Western tourist is likely to face problems. 

On the other hand, have you read about what the UAE is doing in Sudan? I had a great time in Dubai, but I don't think I'd go now. Yes, they've been doing some shitty things for a while, but the RSF is another level.

I was passing through Dubai airport last year without any issues. I would not dare to enter the country though. Rather sit in a café and wait for the flight at the airport.

As an overnight layover I would say you are at much higher risk as you would have to actually enter the UAE via immigration and therefore are subject to local laws regarding gender expression and decency.

If you are able to, you’ll be at a far lower risk if you remain “in transit” on a short layover, meaning you stay at the airport, airside specifically so you don’t enter the country. You will need to make sure your luggage transfer is included so you don’t have to go landside through customs.

I’m not saying it’s completely risk free since corruption is a thing obviously, but remaining in transit means you aren’t actually entering the UAE.

You’ll have to do a fair bit of research tbh regarding what flights are available. Yes in an ideal world we wouldn’t be giving money to the UAE but if you have to fly via Dubai then it is what it is.

Don't even think about it

Not even for a connecting flight

Just no

Are you cis?

I just looked it up and you can go via Canada. Otherwise for around the same price you can go to Mexico and then Japan. This time of year I'd do Mexico because it's very nice.

I’m a GCC citizen, and would like to tell you if your passport matches the way you look which it does you will be okay and the fact you’re a tran man not a woman they’re much less likely to give you trouble( if )they know you’re trans as i know how misogynistic our countries can be. The fact that you’re from UK a western country they can’t do sh** to you at worst case scenario/rarely they deny you entry

If you're just transiting and your documents match, no problem. If you are leaving the airport NO

NO

at the airport itself you should be rather safe, especially if you put some effort into both looking as cishet as you can, i don't recommend leaving the airport tho so maybe try to find a flight where you don't have to sleep there but only spend a few hours at the airport.

It all depends on:

1. does your passport say you are male? If not, could you try to pass as a woman for the flight and pretend like you and your wife are friends or siblings?
2. have you had top surgery? If you have to go through security at the airport there and you wear a binder while passing as male the TSA scanner might flag your chest for further inspection.

if you don't feel confident in your ability to pass as cishet try to find a flight with a layover in Turkey or somewhere else in Europe instead of UAE.

i went through security at an airport in Qatar last year and was fine but i am post top surgery, my documents list me as male and i pass as male (edit: and i did not leave the airport).

But at the end of the day those airports market themselves as huge international travel hubs so while you may encounter difficulties if you have to go through TSA there you will probably not be arrested on sight if you lay low and _don't leave the airport_

Absolutely not