"Show Me A Woman Part" ...

When back home in the United States, friends and family ask me all the time, "is Dubai and the United Arab Emirates a safe country to live in?” Absolutely, I tell them! I feel safe in Dubai and in the 'almost" one year I have been living in the United Arab Emirates, I have found the people living here to be obedient and very little mischief takes place.  There are millions of people living in the United Arab Emirates; the majority of us are expats from all over the world. Dubai is probably the most international cities in the world.

So because of that, you would think....with all the different mixes of people, countries and cultures, there would be a lot more problems and/or issues. In fact it is the opposite - the crime per capita is very low, at times almost nonexistent. The reason ...people are obedient to the laws of the land. In the past year the crime rate has even fallen 24%. Don't get me wrong, there are problems, but definitely not like you hear about in other countries.

The consequences when caught are swift, tough and expensive. Even for minor offensives, you can receive jail time, a heavy fine, deportation or if you are unlucky, all three. Some of the expats think the rules are little "kooky" but if you don't obey them you will find yourself sitting in a jail cell, waiting to be sent home in shame - on the other side of the law.

I was recently at the Dubai Airport waiting to pick up my husband from his business trip to the country of Qatar. I was standing in between the segregated women's and men's waiting areas. A Dubai police officer walked up to me and said, "For your safety you must wait in the women's waiting area". Okay, no problem and off I wandered to stand in the women's waiting area. There weren't very many women standing in the waiting area, maybe 5-6 of us total. The men's waiting area on the other hand was packed - always is.  Right after I walked into the women's waiting area, a man walked in and stood behind me. He must not have been there 1 minute when a policeman walked up the man and said, "You are not allowed in the women's waiting area, go stand with the men." The British man started to argue with the police officer, stating all the reason why he was not moving.

Now, anyone that has been here long enough knows, that you don't argue with the police officer or question why things are the way they are. The Dubai officer then said, "Show me a woman part and you can stay in the women's section" - wow, I had to see this. All of the women in the women's section turned around to see what was going to happen next. The British man continued to argue with the officer and said "I am all man!”  In the next couple minutes two additional police officers showed up. One of the police officers raised his arm and said, "Enough - you have insulted all these women, you are going with us". Oh no, the British man was now in trouble. They hand cuffed him and took him away. Just like that! He probably was taken to jail, booked, fined and possibly deported. Hmmm-he must have forgotten the rules on how to live successfully in the United Arab Emirates.

I would recommend before leaving your country and traveling to another to work or play, you read up on the customs, the rules, the do’s and don’ts.  Do your homework and just because you can do something in your home country it does not mean it is acceptable in another. That is one of my lessons learned in one year being away from my home country.

In the United Arab Emirates it is simple, you only have to follow a few basic rules and life in the United Arab Emirates is pretty easy living. This is what I have found:

• Obey the laws of the country
• No swearing - especially to a police officer
• No public displays of affection (canoodling as my daughters call it). That goes for married and unmarried couples.
• Dress modestly. There are reminder signs of dressing modestly EVERYWHERE, but people just don't get it.
• No co habitation with a person of the opposite sex, which includes no sex outside the bounds of marriage.
• No alcohol consumption - except in designated areas or if you carry a red card.
• No writing of bad checks. You need to keep your accounts current.
• Obey traffic laws, including no running of red lights.
• No drugs allowed - period!

The local newspaper, The Gulf News, runs stories of people that have found themselves on the bad side of the law from violating one or more of the basic rules listed above. It seems a little silly to many and trivial at best, but it is what it is. If you think you won't be able to obey the laws of the country then you better go home, because you will most likely end up being sent home courtesy of your local Emirati constable. Free transportation to the local exit will be included.