Believe it or not, smoking shisha in Sharjah could land you a 500 dirham ($136) fine.
That's right, one of the region's favorite pastimes has been restricted by the emirate, but not completely.
Shisha smoking and barbecuing has been restricted to designated areas and cannot be done in public parks and green spaces.
"Despite intensified awareness and instruction signboards people ignore and violate the rules particularly during this time of the year. In 2015, the municipality fined 330 violators for Dh500 each," director of the city monitoring department at Sharjah municipality Faisal Al Mulla said, according to Khaleej Times .
Citing environmental and health concerns, Mulla also explained that many residents dump coals on the grass or sand, leaving a hazardous mess.
Sharjah is expecting an uptake in violations due to pleasant weather. However, they are intensifying patrols of public spaces to deter the practice.
The emirate has previously been known to take a tough stance when it comes to substances seen as detrimental to one's health.
Last August, Sharjah banned the sale of energy drinks in all cafes and restaurants, citing health concerns.
So by all means, continue to smoke shisha, just make sure to keep it within the designated areas.
Unless you want to be set back 500 dirham ...
