Tourist accuses Abu Dhabi nightspot of refusing him entry because he has multiple sclerosis

Tourist says bouncer was going to let his friends in but not him, however, manager denies allegation.

Inside the Yacht Club bar and restaurant at the Intercontinental Hotel in Abu Dhabi. Lauren Lancaster / The National

ABU DHABI // A holidaymaker who has multiple sclerosis says he was denied entry to a bar in the capital last week because of his disability.

John Elias Dabis, a 35-year-old Palestinian-American, was visiting the Yacht Club at the Intercontinental Hotel on Wednesday, March 12 with friends, when he claimed he was stopped from entering by the manager.

The manager denies the claim.

Mr Dabis has limited movement in his legs and uses a walker, on which he can sit if he gets tired, to get around.

Despite this, he leads an independent life and owns and manages a bar in Palestine.

He and a group of friends visited the Intercontinental on a Wednesday evening, a popular “ladies’ night” at the establishment during which women get discounts on drinks.

“The bouncer at first said I couldn’t go in because I may be at risk of choking from the smoke, which I said wasn’t an issue because I’m a smoker anyway,” he said. “The bouncer then went inside to ask the manager, so in the end it was his decision.

“The head of security also told me it was a policy to not allow injured people inside but I am not injured, I am disabled.

“I hadn’t had one drink that evening and I was adhering to the dress code. I had dressed up.”

Mr Dabis’s friend, Lucas Lavina, who was with him that evening, agreed with his account.

“What we couldn’t understand is why they said we could get in, but John could not,” Mr Lavina said. “What were we supposed to do, go in and leave him outside?”

The manager of the venue denied the claims of discrimination, and said that Mr Dabis’s friends would not have been allowed in without him because they did not have a reservation.

“We do not discriminate against disabled people,” said Jivko Jivkov, manager of the Yacht Club Bar and Galley, who said he remembered the incident clearly.

“I knew the guest was upset and we offered him alternatives in the other venues at the Intercontinental. I know it is a sensitive issue – but we did not tell his friends they could get in, but he could not. We certainly did not say he couldn’t get in because he was disabled.

“We didn’t grant him access because it was guest-list only. We get very busy on Wednesday night and the guest was not on the list.

“The policy is we only authorise people on the guest list and couples on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.”