DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A heavily tattooed German man whose face is embellished with horn implants and more than 100 piercings said Sunday he was refused entry to Dubai without reason, forcing him to skip a planned appearance at a nightclub. 
 
 FILE- In this Saturday, Dec. 4, 2010 file photo, German Rolf Buchholz shows his face with 168 piercings as he visits the 20th Tattoo Convention in Berlin. A Dubai nightclub that hoped to feature Buchholz,... (Associated Press) 
 
 His look may have been a step too far for the Gulf's most liberal city, where a carefully cultivated reputation for tolerance and cutting-edge cosmopolitanism occasionally clashes with the region's conservative Islamic values. 
 
 Rolf Buchholz, 55, was traveling to the Middle Eastern commercial hub for the first time last week to appear at a circus-themed venue that woos partygoers with over-the-top attractions such as sword swallowers and burlesque dancers. 
 
 He told The Associated Press that immigration agents initially stamped his passport and let him through, but that he was stopped again before he was able to exit customs. He soon found himself in a room with other deportees. 
 
 The club said in an emailed statement that airport authorities cited "security reasons" in denying him entry. Buchholz said airport workers told him officials were concerned he could be a practitioner of black magic, though authorities did not say so directly. 
 
 "I got never an official answer," he said. "They are friendly but nobody answers your questions." 
 
 In addition to his body art and faux horns, Buchholz has a record 453 piercings, many of them on his face and genitals, according to Guinness World Records. 
 
 Airport and immigration officials referred questions to the police, who could not be reached for comment. 
 
 Buchholz, an information technology professional from Dortmund, Germany, had been scheduled to appear at the Cirque le Soir nightclub in Dubai's Fairmont Hotel on Friday. 
 
 The club opened in 2011 and promises a little bit of everything: "Stilt walkers, midgets, contortionists, tattooed dancers, jugglers, drummers ... magicians and fire eaters," according to its website. 
 
 Alcohol flows freely in Dubai bars and clubs, which are typically attached to hotels, and revelers dress just as chicly and skimpily as they would in the West. 
 
 But while Dubai is far more laid-back than nearby Saudi Arabia or Qatar, traditional Islamic values remain strong, particularly among members of the local population who are far outnumbered by foreign residents. 
 
 Actions deemed insulting to local values, including public displays of affection, public intoxication and disrespect for religion, can lead to fines and jail time. 
 
 Jad Lahoud, the executive director of Pragma Lifestyle, the company that runs the Dubai branch of the club, said it was "a shame that Rolf couldn't join us this time." 
 
 "Cirque le Soir Dubai always strives to bring unique entertainment and concepts to the UAE, however we will always act in line with the laws that govern this nation," he added in an emailed statement. 
 
 Buchholz tweeted shortly after he was ordered to leave that he would never come back to Dubai. 
 
 But by Sunday, he seemed to be reconsidering. He said he would be happy to return if he had government assurance he'd be let in — though he conceded that might yet be a long shot. 
 
 "I have two horns. I think that was also a problem for me in Dubai," he said. 
 
 ___ 
 
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 He may have more than 100 piercings on his face, but it wasn’t the metal detectors keeping Rolf Buchholz out of Dubai this weekend. 
 
 The tattooed German man, whose 453 piercings — 278 of which were around his genitalia, as of 2010 — earned him a Guinness World Record, claims airport workers told him that Dubai officials were worried he practiced black magic, the Associated Press reports. 
 
 Buchholz, who works in IT, was planning to visit United Arab Emirates to appear at a circus-themed nightclub scheduled for Friday when he was stopped before entering customs, but after having his passport stamped and approved. 
 
 “I got never an official answer,” Buchholz told the AP, which was unable to reach immigration and airport authorities for comment. “They are friendly but nobody answers your questions.” 
 
 Buchholz, who also has horn implants in his head, says he was ordered to never return to Dubai, though he he’d gladly come back — if the country ever allowed him. 
 
 [AP] 

 The most pierced man is Rolf Buchholz, from Dortmund, Germany, who had 453 piercings, including 158 around his lips, as of 05 August 2010. 
 
 
 
 
 
 He has 16 in his right ear, 15 in his left ear, 25 in his eyebrows, 8 in his nose, 94 in and around his lips, 2 in his tongue, 8 in the rest of his body, 3 in his nipples, 4 in his navel and 278 in the genital area. 
 
 
 

– The German IT worker who lays claim to the world's most piercings with 453—most of which are on his face and genitals—is also claiming he couldn't get through customs on his way to a night club in Dubai due to officials worrying he might be practicing black magic. Rolf Buchholz, 55, who also sports a set of horn implants on his head and is heavily tattooed, had set off for the United Arab Emirates' largest city last week to perform in a circus-like venue set to include burlesque dancing, sword swallowing, stilt walking, and so forth, reports the AP. Buchholz says he managed to get his passport stamped and approved, but was ultimately denied entry. While he claims black magic was the concern, authorities have not said as much directly, citing only "security reasons." Buchholz says that while he was told to never return, he'd gladly go back if the country lets him, reports Time. The AP notes that while Dubai is the Gulf's most liberal city, it still holds conservative Islamic values and people can still be fined or even jailed for actions including public intoxication or public displays of affection. (Recently banned in New York? Piercing and tattooing pets.)