The Gulf states’ tough stance on drugs, alcohol and indecency mean that more holidaymakers and expats are detained there than in more popular destinations such as France or Greece.

In the past year an unmarried British couple, Michelle Palmer and Vince Acors, were sentenced to three months in jail for having drunken sex on a beach in Dubai.

An English mother, Marnie Pearce, also spent three months behind bars in the Arab state after being convicted of adultery.

The Foreign Office warns travellers that they could face more severe punishments abroad for behaving badly than they would at home.

Chris Bryant, the Foreign Office minister, said: “Researching the local laws and customs before you travel could avoid time in a foreign jail.”

Overall, 6,919 British nationals were arrested or detained abroad between April 2008 and March this year.

In the top 10 countries there were 5,266 arrests compared with 4,603 for 2006-7, but the Foreign Office says a new automated method of recording the data means the figures are incomparable.

The most arrests were in Spain (2,290) and the US (1,534) but proportionately the most were in the UAE (294), which has fewer British visitors and residents than many Western countries.

Of the arrests in the UAE – a federation of seven oil-rich states in the Persian Gulf including Dubai and Abu Dhabi – 48 were for drug offences.

Although the area is now home to 55,000 Britons and a further 1.1m UK tourists visited its resorts and shopping malls last year, Islam remains the official religion and strict punishments are meted out to those who break its rules on temperance and modesty.

The new British Behaviour Abroad report also shows that 5,629 Britons died overseas in the past year. Many were from natural causes as well as accidents or murders.

A further 3,146 Britons required hospital treatment, with officials claiming that many cases resulted from drunken falls off hotel balconies or moped crashes.

Around the world, 116 UK nationals reported they had been raped (most in Greece and Spain) while a further 154 said they had been sexually assaulted (the most in Spain, Turkey and Egypt).
In addition, 29,774 needed help from their local consulate or embassy after losing their passports or having them stolen.

Countries where most Britons were arrested, 2008-9

Country British residents and tourists Arrests

Spain 17,761,000 2,290
USA 7,178,000 1,534
UAE 1,155,000 294
Greece 3,018,000 237
Cyprus 1,359,000 205
Thailand 853,000 202
France 14,200,000 193
Germany 2,487,320 148
China 1,247,988 129
Australia 1,970,000 120
Source: Foreign & Commonwealth Office (Via Telegraph)