MGM Lion: Your excuses for that (I reiterate in ♠♠) filthy-mannered incurably addicted old sod

Firstly, how on earth do you know his sexual proclivities? Or were you perhaps intending to type "sot" rather than "sod"? :-)

Secondly: I've worked in a number of Middle Eastern and African countries, some where alcohol is technically banned, some where it's restricted and some where it's fairly liberally available.

In the countries where it is technically banned (eg Saudi, Sudan) the fact is that the authorities usually turn a blind eye to its discreet consumption. Locals can (and do) pretty well consume with impunity, as long as they don't flaunt it. Foreigners have to be a bit more circumspect but the likelihood of being caught, or if caught of suffering any penalty other than having to bribe the local police, is extremely low. There's huge hypocrisy between the technicality of the law and its observance/ enforcement.

In such case people can get lax, arrogant, or indiscreet, which is what this guy appears to have done. Pissing off an influential local can have the same effect.

Even in more "liberal" places such as UAE, there are many laws on the books which are not enforced at all, except where the authorities or someone influential wants to make an example. For instance, I've seen people kissing publicly at Abu Dhabi airport many times. This is technically illegal, but the only time I can recall anyone being prosecuted for kissing in public was a couple where the bloke has pissed off one of his Emirati neighbours over a parking dispute.

Similarly, in UAE you technically can't co-habit or even just share an apartment with a member of the opposite sex unless you are married. But I know a number of people who live in "mixed" apartments in Dubai and AD. They have to be careful to keep on the good side of their neighbours though. Again, I know of one case where a local who'd been upset by someone "dobbed them in" and the people were gaoled, fined and deported for it.

You tend to be much more careful in the strict countries than in the apparently more lax ones, though, which is why you occasionally see stories of people in UAE being prosecuted for offences that are in fact very common there....so common that a lot of expats aren't even aware that they *are* offences.

I think the guy was a knob, but the hypocrisy in terms of how laws are applied out there is massive, so to state that anyone who breaks the law out there is "asking for it" is actually very simplistic, given the actual "conditions on the ground".