United Arab Emirates ends cinema censorship, adopts 21+ age rating for movies

Censors in the UAE, like elsewhere in the Middle East, have long removed scenes in cinematic releases that show nudity, homosexuality, sex and other content deemed inappropriate, sometimes leading to plot holes.

Dubai: The United Arab Emirates has announced that it will no longer censor films released in cinemas, the country's latest effort to boost its brand as a liberal hub attractive to foreigners.

Instead of cutting sensitive scenes that could offend traditional Islamic sensibilities, the Emirati Media Regulatory Authority said that it will introduce a new 21+ age category for viewers.

“The movies will be screened in cinemas according to their international version,” the authority said in a Twitter post.