Undercover police are strolling beaches and manning watchtowers to crack down on topless sunbathing, nudity and other forms of indecent behavior in the Persian Gulf tourist haven of Dubai.

Nearly 80 people have been detained in recent days in a campaign that reveals a clash of customs in this traditional Muslim city-state that attracts thousands of Western partygoers.

The campaign against indecency on the beach was sparked after police detained a British man and a woman who were allegedly discovered having sex on one of Dubai's sprawling shores earlier this month.

Over the past two weeks, police have detained a total of 79 people for "disturbing families enjoying the beach" with their behavior, Zuhair Haroun, a spokesman for
Dubai's Criminal Investigation Department said.

Crackdown: Dubai authorities are reminding tourists of what it considers proper behaviour

As a result, Dubai has embarked on a public awareness campaign to remind Western tourists and foreign residents that the city may have flashy hotels and glitzy skyscrapers but it also is located in a Muslim country with traditionally conservative values.

The city is installing signs warning tourists in Arabic, English and several other languages not to sunbathe topless or change clothes in public, said Abdullah Mohammed Rafia, an official with Dubai Municipality whose office is overseeing the public awareness campaign.

Police have installed watchtowers and dispatched undercover officers to patrol the beaches, which also will be lit up at night to curb "inappropriate behavior."

First-time offenders may be issued a just warning, but if caught twice, tourists could be referred to the public prosecutor for possible criminal charges, authorities say.

Authorities are "taking action in response to numerous complaints" filed by people who visit the city's beaches, Rafia said.

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Complaints have ranged from families "offended by displays of nudity" to women sunbathers who say groups of men stare at them while at the beach.

The police campaign also will target people who harass beachgoers with acts "deemed offensive, immoral or disrespectful," including loitering and voyeurism, said Dubai's acting police chief, Maj. Gen. Khamis Mattar al-Mazeina.

Unlike elsewhere in the conservative Persian Gulf, tourists in Dubai are often seen wearing skimpy bikinis on public beaches and walk the city's streets donning shorts. Alcohol is freely available in hotel bars and restaurants in this regional businesses and entertainment hub.

But many Emiratis and Arabs visiting from other Gulf countries increasingly feel Dubai's ambition to become a cosmopolitan metropolis and tourist destination is overrunning their own traditions and contradict what they feel is culturally acceptable.

Thousands of European and Asian expatriates live and work in Dubai, where native Emiratis make up only about 20 percent of its estimated 1.2 million residents.

Shopping malls and fast food restaurants have replaced traditional Arab houses, and English has overtaken Arabic as the emirate's lingua franca.

Some tourists who were enjoying Dubai's simmering sun Monday said the new campaign left them confused about what is considered indecent in Dubai.

"I understand that I have to respect the rules of the country," said John MacLean, a British tourist who is on holiday with his girlfriend.

"But I am not sure if I can kiss her or touch her in public because of the new campaign," he added.