DUBAI: Three men in the conservative Muslim Gulf state of the United Arab Emirates have been sentenced to a year each in jail for dressing as women, local media reported on Wednesday.

The men were arrested while browsing for women's clothes in a shop in the Ras Al Khaimah emirate, one of seven that makes up the UAE, the Gulf News reported. 

"The suspects, dressed like women and carrying bags full of female clothes and accessories after a round of shopping, triggered suspicion of the shop owner," the English-language daily said.

The relatively-liberal emirate of Dubai, which is also part of the UAE federation, is aiming to position itself as a global tourism hub.