If they didn’t allow bikinis at all hardly any Westerners would go..
‘Generally on streets, in shopping malls and in public places modesty is the watchword for women—no plunging necklines or slit skirts. Interestingly sleeveless shirts or tank tops are a No, No and if women expose their shoulders and ankles they are likely to hear passersby mutter the word, ‘Haraam’ (Arabic: حرام)—forbidden.’
**‘At public beaches the dress code is more relaxed and at hotel beaches (private) and around the hotel swimming pools, bikinis are acceptable. Some women go topless sunbathing on private hotel beaches in the UAE as is often the custom on the beaches of the Mediterranean. **It is difficult to know if such an act would be punished if police were on patrol or whether the private nature of a hotel beach somehow makes the area an international enclave.’
Am surprised any of the hotels allow topless sunbathing.. Obviously more liberal than its neighbours:
'Another complicating factor is the matter of regional differences. For instance the emirate of Sharjah has stricter laws controlling dress.
'The Decency Law of Sharjah throws the book at women of any nationality wearing “indecent dresses that expose the stomach and back, short clothing above the knees, and tight, transparent clothing that describes the body.”
**This law includes a proper wearing of the sari which must cover the whole body, stomach and back.‘’
**Source: EXPERIENCING THE EMIRATES: Bodies, Bikinis and Breast Feeding in the UAE