British teacher faces a year in jail for having lunch with married man in Abu Dhabi Expat caught having glass of wine with Syrian man Crime for unmarried women to socialise with men A British teacher faces up to a year in an Abu Dhabi jail after she was arrested for having lunch with a married man. The unnamed woman was introduced to the Syrian man by a male colleague, who ate with them but then left them alone in the man's house in the oil-rich Arab emirate. But when the man's wife, who had been arguing with her husband, discovered that he was dining with another woman she demanded that the pair be prosecuted. Modern: But a British woman in Abu Dhabi has appeared in court for socialising with a married man over lunch and a glass of wine The British expat appeared in court on Wednesday, charged with being alone in the company of a man other than her husband or close relative, and drinking alcohol without a licence. The case highlights the paradoxical nature of life in the United Arab Emirates, which has a reputation as the party capital of the Middle East despite its strict Islamic culture. Abu Dhabi Misdemeanours Court heard that the woman visited the Syrian man last Friday in the company of a colleague. The trio ate lunch together, then the male teacher left the house and the Syrian and the Briton enjoyed a glass of wine after the meal. Soon afterwards, police arrived at the house to follow up a complaint by the man's wife that he had kicked her out of their home. Traditional: The United Arab Emirates is still governed by sharia-inspired law The day before, the couple had apparently had an argument which led to the husband ordering the wife to leave. Police arrested the British teacher and her host for being alone together and drinking alcohol illegally. The man's wife insisted that officials press charges when she was told that her husband had been drinking with another woman. If found guilty under the strict legislation, which is inspired by Muslim sharia law, the teacher could be imprisoned for as long as 12 months. 'She is looking at anything between a month in jail or a year for being alone with a man who is not her husband,' a UAE legal expert told the Sun. As in so many alcohol cases, it only becomes a problem if someone makes a complaint to the police and they are obliged to act. The Syrian man will not be punished for being with the Briton, as it is not a crime for men to socialise with women, but he faces other charges.