[Week 10] Part 2: A few facts about UAE

1. UAE is ranked as one of the safest places in the world:
   
   Is number one for the lowest level of violent crime*
   Has the lowest homicide rate*
   
2. Almost 90% of people living in UEA are immigrants
   
   To me, two above facts are strongly connected. Being in UEA you feel safe. Women are treated with great respect. Pickpocketing, stealing, assaults, rapes etc are not common as sharia is strict. All foreigners, without exception, are severely punished, so people do not want to risk. On the other hand, UEA men citizens are usually treated with privilege. Even if they commit a serious crime they get inadequate low punishment.
   
3. UEA taboo is “modern slavery”
   
4. Has the lowest undernourishment rate*
   
   In UEA we can observe what people often call modern slavery. And it’s not about Arabic women, but about immigrants. There is a huge number of people from Asia working on lowest paid jobs over a doze hours a day. They live in poor conditions, are often intimidated and humiliated, with no prospects for better future in UEA. They can always go back to their country (if they can afford it), but it would mean a failure for them, which is hard to admit. That is the price of fast development. However at the same time you cannot see poverty: there are no beggars on streets, people have a place to sleep and what to eat.
   
5. Despite religious strict rules, alcohol is easy to get in UEA
   
   There are 3 major ways to get alcohol in UEA (which I heard about). First, buy it in a restaurant, a hotel or a club. However you need to be over 21 (not 18 like in Poland). Second way is getting a license, which allows you to buy alcohol in a shop. To get it you have to be over 21, you need a signed agreement from your employer and you can’t be a Muslim. If you get such a license, all your alcohol shopping is registered. As far as I know these shopping is also limited to max 10% of you monthly salary. Third way is to buy alcohol on a desert where there are no limitations at all. However it is a little bit risky as in some emirates even possessing alcohol without a license is strictly punished.
   
   
   
   
6. Is number one in the world for treating women with respect*
   
7. Women in UAE are better educated than men
   
8. Has the highest rate of enrolment in the secondary education*
   
   In fact women life in UEA is different than stereotypes. Arabic women work normally. They can do almost every job they like and you often see working women in a traditional outfit. However they aren’t forced to wear abaye and sheile. Usually they are proud to do it – especially young, rich or middle class. What is important, women are also allowed to vote.
   
   The one thing, which I really like is that there are special privileges for women such us: separate lines in public places, a special compartment in buses and trains, taxies only for women etc. It doesn’t mean that women must use it, it only means that men cannot. Women can use also male parts, but the special ones are less crowded (there are a few times more men than women living in UEA – in Dubai proportion is 5 to 1). In addition, in cities there are organized for women lady’s nights in clubs and restaurants – however they are organized mostly for non-Arabic women. Every day there are various places often completely free for women.
   
9. In UEA outfit rules are not so strict as it is said so
   
   People usually think that going to UEA women need to cover legs and shoulders. In fact nowadays people do not respect it so much. You can see a lot of foreigners in public places wearing shorts etc. Usually it has no consequences, but from time to time it may finish with an argument with local people, a police threat (and then a huge fine) or just simply the security will throw you out of a place. Personally I tried to respect these rules, as I wouldn’t like to be offensive for anyone.

There are many other things, which are typical for UEA and unusual or unknown for Europeans, for example, as in all Arabic countries weekend means Friday and Saturday (Sunday is the first day of a working week) or 30 minutes after time you are not even late. I have just chosen a few facts, which were completely different than my expectations.

*According to the report created by a team of international economists led by Professor Michael Porter of Harvard Business School, as part of an initiative launched by the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council.

Questions:

What is your general opinion about Arabic culture?
Would you like to live in an Arabic country? Why yes/no? Would it be difficult for you to live there?
What stereotypes you know about living in Arabic countries? Do you think all of them are true?