Some Emiratis acknowledge that their laws have not kept pace with a rapidly changing society.

“It is unreasonable to expect a country to warn each and every visitor about its complete set of rules and regulations in place,” Essam Tamimi, a Dubai lawyer, said in an email. “In a short period of time, Dubai has greatly developed and has become one of the world’s most diverse melting pots. That being said, laws in general are made to accommodate the society’s needs and the U.A.E., like most other countries, still has some changes to make.”

Dubai officials did not respond to requests for comment for this article.

Critics complain that the Emirates’ legal system is stacked against foreigners, and both Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have accused the country of arbitrary detention and abuse of prisoners.

Mr. Haigh, a former managing director of Leeds United Football Club and a partner in Ms. Stirling’s law firm, said he was jailed for 22 months and tortured repeatedly in an attempt to force him to sign a confession, but never managed to see a copy of the charges to which he was supposed to confess.

Mr. Haigh had gotten into a business dispute with a Dubai bank, GFH Capital, that owned a stake in the team. He said he was tricked into coming to Dubai to resolve their differences, then jailed on arrival for breach of trust and held for several months without being allowed to see a lawyer.

While in jail, he was charged with posting an offensive Twitter message, though he says he had no phone or internet access. For that, his sentence was increased by seven months. He was eventually acquitted of the Twitter charge, but not until he had served another seven months on top of his original 15 month sentence.