Man and woman arrested in UAE 'for having conversation in car'

Abu Dhabi police arrested four people last week after a video emerged showing a man and a woman having a conversation in a car. 

The youngsters from the Gulf were detained after a video was published on YouTube, which was described as "offensive to Emirati culture".

The accused say they made a video to warn women about the potential dangers of getting into cars with men they didn't know.

UAE prosecutors took a negative view of the whole thing, and ordered the arrest of the man and woman seen in the video.

Two other men who helped produce the film were also detained last week for "reckless behaviour".

Men and women who aren't from the same family are banned from mixing alone - without a family chaperone - in the UAE. Couples are charged with "beautifying sin" if they are caught - even if no remotely sexual acts take place.

The recent video, apparently showing six minutes of conversation in a vehicle between the man and woman was condemned by Emirati authorities as "against the norms of UAE society".

The video has since been taken down.

Brigadier General Tariq Khalfan al-Ghoul described the video as "reckless behaviour" that could "harm society".

He urged people to inform police if they witnessed similar "unlawful" behaviour.

The UAE's "electronic police" hunted down the four suspects from the YouTube account which posted the video, according to local media. They have been referred to the public prosecution service and are awaiting charges.

— شرطة أبوظبي (@ADPoliceHQ) August 20, 2017" style="color:#fff;" class="twitter-post-link" target="_blank">Twitter Post #شرطة_أبوظبي تحذر من عواقب السلوكيات الطائشة المسيئة للمجتمع pic.twitter.com/Sbd3iulHJ2 — شرطة أبوظبي (@ADPoliceHQ) August 20, 2017

"#Abu Dhabi Police warns against reckless behavior that is offensive to society"