GTA IV game banned in UAE

The UAE video game distributor for Rockstar Games has confirmed it has been stopped from distributing Grand Theft Auto IV (GTAIV) to stores in the Emirates.

Red Entertainment first applied to the UAE's National Media Council (NMC) - the body that censors the distribution of media products in the Emirates - at the end of April, to ascertain whether the game could legally be sold throughout the country.

The firm has subsequently been told by the NMC that it cannot distribute the title, in any console or computer format, to any retail stores within the UAE.

The ban appears likely due to the game's controversial content, which features strong violence and drug use and is therefore not in keeping with the religious, cultural, political and moral values of the United Arab Emirates.

Despite this ban, GTA IV appears likely to remain on sale at Duty Free outlets across the region, as these outlets through which consumers leave the UAE are not thought to fall under the remit of the NMC.

MORE FROM ARABIANBUSINESS.COM