What happens after someone is arrested in Dubai, and how do family visits work?

The early sequence is more structured than it feels from outside. After arrest, the police take a statement and must refer the person to the public prosecution within a short initial period — generally 48 hours. The prosecution then questions him and decides: release, release on bail, or detention pending investigation, with detention orders renewed at intervals by the prosecution and later by the courts as the investigation proceeds. The case carries a number from the prosecution stage onward, and that number is how everything is tracked. The most useful step the family can take is appointing a lawyer immediately: a lawyer can find out the charge and case status, attend prosecution sessions, apply for bail where appropriate, and tell you what the realistic timeline looks like — information that is very hard to get informally. Visits are arranged through the detaining authority once you know where he is held; Dubai Police and the prosecution have permit procedures for family visits, and his consulate can also assist if he is a foreign national. Two practical points: he should not sign statements in a language he does not understand without interpretation, and the family should write down every date and document from day one.