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Dubai: Many families in Dubai have been left outraged with social networking website Facebook after some users posted house party invitations on the site targeting teenagers.
The invites call on teenagers to attend parties where unlimited free alcohol is served to those who attend, most of whom are underage, it is understood.
Parents have said that such events are posted regularly on Facebook and most users are aware of it.
"Facebook must be monitored by the police here," said Ali, a father of four from Palestine. "It should not be open this way. Facebook is very popular here and many parents are not aware of what their children are seeing."
Police have said the parties attract teenagers of different nationalities and are organised by people without proper licences.
The organisers, some of whom are schoolchildren or university students, usually rent villas or penthouses for one night for the event, it is believed.
The parties are organised in areas like Jumeirah, Dubai Marina or Mirdif with charges for attending ranging between Dh100 to Dh200.
Lieutenant-General Dahi Khalfan Tamim, Chief of Dubai Police, told Gulf News that police had already contacted telecommunications company etisalat regarding monitoring the site.
"The issue is very serious and such parties are not licensed and are organised without the knowledge of the concerned authorities," he said.
"Such parties are also paid which is also not allowed.
"We will take action against those who post such events. We are now questioning some of those who posted house party events in Dubai," he said, adding that it was a serious issue and calling on all parents to keep a close eye on their children.
"Those who are caught posting such invitations on Facebook or anywhere else will face severe punishment," he said. "I will follow up the issue myself. I will keep my eye on the matter to be sure that it will never happen again," he added.
A 17-year-old boy said such events are common on Facebook and many go to the parties.
"They offer alcohol and there are rooms for couples to stay alone," he said.
Katy, who has attended such parties, said there were many organised on New Year's Eve.
"The authorities here said that no New Year celebrations would be held, but many people organised house parties and many attended them," she said.
She said most of the attendees were underage and from international and private schools in different emirates.
"They are of different nationalities and some are less than 15 years old. They drink, smoke and have fun," she said.
Ahmad Ali, a Palestinian grade 10 student from Sharjah school, said even people without Facebook accounts were aware of the parties through friends.
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