A Local Expatriate

Should I start writing again??

2011-06-28T23:19:00.001+04:00

I am not sure.

Should I start writing again?

OR

Should I shut down this blog once and for all?

Bye Bye Dubai

2010-03-20T10:42:00.003+04:00

My blog has not been updated in a long time. It's pretty much dead. Sort of like how I feel some days.

In July it will be exactly 4 years since I graduated from University and came back to Dubai. I have exhaustively analysed my time here. Evaluated all my options . Hell I have even tried mediating on it to see what my 'inner spirit' might be telling me. Unfortunately, they all seem to lead to one conclusion.

I must leave!

I have made up my mind. Dubai might feel like home. I might want it to be my home. But the city doesn't want me. The country doesn't care about people like me.

I need to move to a place where I have rights. Where I can secure my future. Where I can settle down and start a family.

Bye bye Dubai. I hate to admit but I have given up on you. Sad thing is you never gave a damn about me. It took me this long to realize it.

I love the recession :)

2009-04-04T14:53:00.004+04:00

The recession is the best thing that could have ever happened to Dubai..... It's like this big, brash egoistic drama queen who thought he could do whatever he wanted has finally been punched in the face and brought down to reality.......

About time...

" But!! People will come while the money is flowing. Once an economic depression sets in ( and that is bound to happen Dubai has just been evading it for a long time) they will be the first to leave. You need to have people in this country who have more than a materialistic and financial attachment to this land." Localexpat, 1st November 2006

Resurrection

2009-02-08T20:58:00.003+04:00

2008 has been an absolute roller coaster ride.

One of the toughest, most demanding and challenging year in my life.

Its great to revel in the calm after the storm.

2009 is going to be great. I truly deserve a break.....

Am I the only one who feels like this?

2008-09-27T16:41:00.004+04:00

Dubai oh Dubai...

My oh my have you changed. There is not a single aspect of you that has remained the same. You have mushroomed from a little town into a major international city. In the process you have lost your identity and character. Worst of all you have lost your soul. You are just an amalgamation of concrete, roads and hordes of people eager to make their fortune in this land.

You have lost touch with the people who truly care about you. The sons and daughters of this city. They have now joined the rest of the people in this city spell struck by money and blinded by the chance of making it big in the fastest growing city in the world. But step back and think about what you are doing to yourself Dubai. You are blasting ahead in the name of success and progress but oblivious to the things that are being neglected. Or maybe its just me. Maybe I have lost touch with you; with my home. For each day that passes you feel, sound and look less familiar and more distant. I feel I have lost my connection with you.

Am I the only localexpat that feels like this or are there other localexpat(people who grew up here) who feel the same?

Our Special Ramadan Offers

2008-09-23T17:18:00.002+04:00

Is it me or has Ramadan become too commercialised this year?

Here we go all over again

2008-09-01T08:03:00.003+04:00

Thought I'd repost something I wrote about Ramadan last year, as it is applicable to ever Ramadan I have been through.

The chill out month.

That is what I call it. And I am not referring to month long stay in Amsterdam 'chilling out’ at their ‘Herbal Cafes’. I am obviously referring to Ramadan. This is a month where every thing gets chilled out. Your work, your social activities, your daily routines even your driving. I sure do enjoy the atmosphere .

It is month when people are that extra bit more charitable. When spirituality momentarily overtakes materialism in peoples lives. When people spend more time among family and friends. And it’s also a time when shisha cafes make a fortune off people like me who spend countless hours after iftar smoking their lungs into oblivion J

But it is also a month of hypocrisy.

I see it everywhere I look. Among friends, family and colleagues. It is a month where most people also become that extra bit more religious or conscious of religion to be precise. I know many people who live a very liberal life throughout the year. Engaging in all sorts of activities that are considered to be forbidden in Islam: Drinking, clubbing, not praying, engaging in sexual activities e.t.c. Then the holy month starts and initiates a complete transformation in people’s behaviour. I know people who only for the month of Ramadan they :-

Stop drinking from 40 days before Ramadan and then have a reservation ready at Trilogy (a nightclub in Dubai ) for the first day after the end of ramada.
Decide not to have sex with their partners during the holy month. Some even go to the extent of not having any form of physical intimacy with their partners.
Give up listening to ‘western music’ and viewing ‘corrupting shows’ on TV and focusing on Quran recitals.
Wear the Hijab.
Pray regularly ( 5 times a day)
Donate to charity

The piety list goes on and on and on. The remarkable thing is not the nature or the intention of the act, but its duration. And the blatant hypocrisy I see. Personally I an atheist and rather liberal in my religious views and a secularist at heart. What I am advocating is not an orthodox extremist view that would require people to maintain their religious fervour throughout the year. Nor am I advocating the opposite extreme end of the spectrum: not participating in any rituals of organised religion.

Choice and consistency.

If you want to practice your religion you are free to do so as long as you are not physically or mentally hurting others. Your level of devoutness is your own choice. Whether you go to a mosque 5 times a day or a brothel 5 times a day, I have no right to judge which is more excessive. You choose. And whatever you choose, be consistent. What is the point of giving up drinking or wearing the hijab just for one month. Keep drinking. You will never see a devout Muslim taking a off their hijab just for a month to go clubbing with you. If you don’t want to drink for a single month out of fear of insulting god, then what about the other 11 months of the year? You really think he wouldn't notice?

Don’t change your behaviour, either way, just for a month. Chose and be consistent.

The black dog

2008-08-24T21:13:00.003+04:00

'The Black Dog' is what Winston Churchill called. It is dark, hollow, tragic, mysterious, crippling but worst of all its soulless.

Depression can affect most of us. It strikes when you least expected it. You probably don't even realise that you are going through it for a while. For some of us the only time we get any attention is when people finally hear our cry for help.

The cry may be a cut, a wound, a jump or drowning your sorrows in a handful of medication. But worst of all its how Middle Eastern society treats you. How you become stigmatised and branded for the rest of your life. How society judges you to be a danger to your self and every one around you. As if once you go crazy, you will never go back.

But there is a light at the end of the tunnel. You can penetrate the over enveloping darkness and reach for the flickering light in the distance until eventually radiates and douses you with a warm glow that brushes away all the pain and sorrow. The hardest part reaching out for it.

LEAVE IT ALONE!

2008-06-18T16:26:00.003+04:00

STOP IT! STOP! STOP!!

STOP destroying the very soul of the city.

STOP tearing down all my memories

STOP demolishing all my past

Why do you have to change every single part of the city? Leave me something that I can connect with. Something that I can relate to.

Back to looking for work!

2008-06-04T16:33:00.002+04:00

Why is it so hard to find a job in a boom town?

Is it because of my education, personality, nationality, skin colour, age or is it just that I don't know the right people???

??

2008-05-03T09:08:00.005+04:00

It is really strange how time changes so many things. I look back at my life upon returning to the UAE and fast forward almost 2 years to the present. A lot has changed.

I arrived eager and full of optimism. At peace that I was finally home. Adamant that I will make it my home. Hopeful that I will be permitted to consider it my home. Keen to start a new career in the most dynamic city in the world. Excited to be in a land where anything seemed possible. Where no idea seemed too audacious and no feat was unachievable. A place where I could make something out of my life.

When I look at how far I have come from stepping off that plane and walking through Dubai airport, and how much of my expectations have come true, I have to admit that I am left utterly and thoroughly disappointed. Two years down the line and I haven't achieved a lot of the goals I had set myself. Mind you, my life isn't a living nightmare nor am I hungry and homeless. But I feel like I am running out of steam; tired of trying to establish a life here. I guess Dubai is not everyone's cup of tea. Even if you lived your entire life in it.

Maybe i should just leave??????

2008-04-19T14:09:00.002+04:00

I’m tired.

I’m tired of being treated like an illegal alien.
Unwanted and unappreciated.
Put through shit just to sort out my visa, just because of the nationality stated on my passport!
Paid less than others just purely due my nationality.
Considered an unwelcome temporary worker.

I am fed up of trying to cement my future in a land which will never recognise my rights.

I am starting to seriously reconsider my decision to come back ‘home’. Maybe all these people who keep saying ‘ if you don’t like it just leave’ do have a point.

I am just so tired of trying to be recognised... Maybe I should pack my bags and leave.......

Truth is ... there is nothing...

2008-04-19T12:18:00.002+04:00

I am an atheist and ‘my god’ does it feel so good to finally say it. ;-)

Fitna

2008-03-28T00:46:00.004+04:00

"Fitna is a film by Dutch politician Geert Wilders, leader of the Party for Freedom (PVV) in the Dutch parliament. The movie offers a critical view of Islam and the Koran. The name comes from the Arabic word fitna which is used to describe "disagreement and division among people", or a "test of faith in times of trial"." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fitna_(film)

For those of you not familiar with the issue, Wilders has caused a huge international controversy with an apparent attempt at insulting the entire Islamic world with this movie that he just released on the web a few hours ago. Having watched it online, I honestly don't see what is the big issue.

Why don't we in this part of the world just ignore this person by not getting angry at such petty attempts to ridicule a religion? To insult someone, it is not the act itself that instigates it but the persons perception of that act, ie it is you who is getting insulted and not the person insulting you. Why don't we just view this as an attempt by a lone soldier trying to bring down the entire army of Islam? Is the Islamic world so weak in their beliefs and values that a 15 minute video could put a scratch on centuries of Islamic culture, heritage and civilization?

It really doesn’t matter whether you agree with Wilders views or not. As Evelyn Hall said "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it".

What has made Dubai into such a major Arab and international city ?

2008-03-24T20:09:00.001+04:00

"What has made Dubai into such a major Arab and international city ?"

That is a question that I am asked quite frequently by people and I also often ask myself. It usually ignites a long heated debated that rarely comes up with a clear answer. Then again, such a question cannot be answered in a simple sentence. Or can it?

I still clearly remember how on family holidays in Europe most people had no idea where Dubai or the UAE was. We would usually resort to mentioning its more famous neighbouring countries when questioned on its geographical location (mind you, mentioning countries like Iran and Saudi Arabia doesn’t always give people in Europe a good first impression). This is referring to the mid 90s and not a bygone era! Having witnessed its transformation from a small town into a major metropolitan city I have come up with multiple, complimentary factors that have catapulted Dubai into the international limelight. However, I personally believe that two factors stand out from the rest.

The UAE has stayed out of the international tit-for-tat bickering that have consumed most of the Arab world’s resources. Their efforts are introverted and focused on economic expansion and development. They are not infatuated with petty international political rhetoric typical of most Arab governments. They mind their own business and are more worried about the things going on in their backyard rather than being preoccupied with what’s going on over the fence.

Even more crucial than this is its miniscule local population that have lessened the social issues that have overwhelmed all other Arab countries. After all, looking after two children is a lot easier than taking care of twenty ?

Anonymous Poetry

2008-01-22T08:52:00.000+04:00

A few lines left as an anonymous comment to this post

A little poetry ?

“Where are you from?”

I come from a place so hypocritical but mine
A place where life was built on a desert of ghosts
Where I used to run free on a clean clear beach
And go camping in lonely mountains under the stars

My childhood memories no longer exist
They are but a dream to a place I cannot claim as mine
This little city, so small which I could hold in my baby hand
Has been snatched away from me in a sweep of pathetic modernization

“But this is my home!” my ears burn and my voice yells
So why is it fair to look at me like an ignorant tourist?
A westerner so easily fooled to believe this place is first world!
Money is your only right here and that is all

I have been disowned by a home which was never mine
An international airport for business matters only
In the past, everywhere I would look, peaceful, quiet spaces
Now all I see are buildings, injustice and superficial faces

Thanks Anonymous January 20,2008 10:51Am

The public education system

2007-11-19T14:11:00.000+04:00

The public education system is an aspect of the UAE society that I have always said needs immediate attention and a drastic overhaul that has been long overdue.

Most people have no idea about what goes on in the public schools here. The list of the system’s shortcomings is so long that I don’t even know where to being. To summarise:-

Most schools lack adequate, modern facilities. E.g., labs, computer equipment, sport facilities e.t.c .
The curriculum is still based on the rote learning and memorising with hardly any emphasis on critical thought and understanding.
The teachers are not trained and updated on the latest teaching methods.
The teachers are salaries are terribly low. You pay peanuts, you get monkeys.
The system is not structured in order to output students that are suited to job market requirements. This is a big factor in why many expats view locals as incompetent, lazy workers.

To give you a picture of how poor the standards are, I clearly remember a friend of mine who graduated from a public high school in Dubai and then went on to the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) to study finance. HCT is a government funded and organised tertiary education institution serving the local population. During that time I was in my final years of schooling and I had chosen Economics as one of my subjects in A’ levels ( the British high school system). What was thought to my friend in his 1^st year economics subjects at university, was covered in my final years of high school!!

This entire unemployment issue among locals and the resultant emiratisation drive, could be have been reduced if a proactive approach had been taken. Locals who attend public schools are put through an outdated, inefficient system that does not provide them with the right tools and knowledge to meet the requirements of the UAE’s booming job market. I’m just glad that Shiekh Mo has finally addressed this by ordering a complete revamp of the Ministry of Education and the curriculum. Better late than never!

Don't eat infront of me. Can't you respect my religion

2007-10-29T15:36:00.000+04:00

I should have written this during Ramadan but for some reason I never got around to doing so.

When I was too young to fast my mother/aunt/grandmother would prepare my meals for me and chase me around the house in an attempt to make me eat my lunch/breakfast etc. But once we were outside before iftar I was continuously reminded that I should not eat in public for my actions will insult others who are fasting. If this confuses a child then you can imagine how as an adult I am still perplexed!

Why is it illegal to eat in public during Ramadan? More importantly, is there any mention in the Holy Scriptures regarding this restriction? I have been through the Quran and the Hadith ( sahih bukhari) but I still haven't found any references to this. If I have missed something PLEASE do refer me to the right sections/paragraph/text/book.

Are peoples faith so brittle that they will be tempted to break their fast just because someone else is eating in front of them? Is the mother that prepares lunch and breakfast for her children tempted to break her fast? Definitely not.

Will fasting be an impossible feat to achieve if people ate in public? Then the millions of Muslims in India, Europe, North America who do not have this luxury must have thrown in the towel.

Is the act of consuming food during daylight hours really an attempt to mock a Muslim's efforts and entice them to succumb to their basic instinct to eat?

Or is it a way to control the masses and ensure that Islamic principles are adhered to and that deviance from it does not manifest itself on a macro level?

I am still confused!

WHAT! did this place exist back then

2007-10-23T13:22:00.000+04:00

"So you've been here your whole life. WOW! I didn't think people came out here twenty five years ago" LOL ;-)

That is pretty much the reaction most people I meet through work have when I tell them how long I've been here. On a corporate level it fascinates me that an outright majority of people I interact with have moved here within the past few years. But the funniest is when they talk about the good old days of late 90s. I just crack up and laugh when they think that was a long time ago and how they know how the 'real' Dubai was like loool.

Utopia! Impossible but we can still dream about it.

2007-10-07T09:32:00.000+04:00

Dubai has, what I think, the highest concentration of half-castes anywhere in the world. I do apologise if any of you got offended by the term half-caste, it was only recently that I found out that I could be considered as a derogatory term. But I have never considered to be so and in fact did not know of any other words that I could use. This is one indication of the multi-ethnic aspect of the city. This characteristic of the society is also extended to the dating scene. In school, and even now, I knew a lot of people who were dating someone who are not from a similar backgrounds, be it religion, nationality, ethnicity or a combination of them. Personally, I have never dated someone from similar scio-ethnic backgrounds.

Some end in a break up and some eventuates into a marriage. But what do you think would happen if we spice up this typical scene. What if a female emeriti were to date a Subcon. What if, they wanted to get married? I asked the same question in a previous entry but here is one response from moviemania, a female Emarit blogger, on her blog:-

“

.....we were just discussing this and my mom said mixed culture marriages never work.

"Well, they are difficult, but I mean.. It's easier if an Eastern person marries someone from another Eastern culture. Like, I could marry an Indian person, I don't see their culture as too different from ours." I added.

"What? No, never! I would never allow that to happen! Indian? Are you kidding! They're different!" my mom snapped back.

“

In fact this behaviour, albeit it a xenophobic, is not limited to one ethnic group. I have notice a similar pattern across the sociological divide in Dubai. This conflict seems to extend from the cultural gap that exists between the generations: Parents who moved here decades ago and their localexpat children. These kids, just like me, have probably attended an ethnically diverse school where in some cases you had students from over 50 nationalities attending the school. I still remember how race and ethnicity had a small influence on who you would date (or wanted to date) at school. The main factor was ‘’popularity’’ and “coolness’’, typical of most high school kids around the world ;-) Growing up in such an environment has left its mark on me even to this day. I have rarely considered race, ethnicity, skin colour or religion to be an issue when selecting my dates, friends, colleagues or any individual that I have to interact with.

Mind you, I am not ignorant of the fact that culture and background does have a significant influence on the relationship between people. But what it shouldn’t do is be the sole determinant or as one of my friends put it: The filter. The vast majority of people have a filtering system whereby they prejudicially filter people they interact into ‘good’ and ‘bad’, ‘like’ and dislike’(also called negative stereotyping). Here is a scenario typical of numerous companies in UAE:-

At work

Assistant 1:Hey, I just got this application for the vacancy we have in the office should I show it to the boss

Assistant 2: They meet the criteria?

Assistant 1 : To me he does.

Assistant 2: Where is he from?

Assistant 1: Syrian.

Assistant 2: Oh don’t bother. You know that the first thing he will consider is the nationality and then reject the application without even bothering with his qualifications just because he can’t stand Syrians.

As much as I recognise how ubiquitous prejudice and negative stereotyping is among all cultures of the world, I can’t help but hope and believe that this should not be the case. I believe that prejudice and negative stereotyping should not play a role in forming first impressions or relationships. I hope that this will be so.

Because even I recognise that what I am preaching is truly unattainable.

CHILLLLLLLLLN MAN!

2007-10-02T16:11:00.000+04:00

The chill out month.

But it is also a month of hypocrisy.

Stop drinking from 40 days before Ramadan and then have a reservation ready at Trilogy (a nightclub in Dubai ) for the first day after the end of ramada.
Decide not to have sex with their partners during the holy month. Some even go to the extent of not having any form of physical intimacy with their partners.
Give up listening to ‘western music’ and viewing ‘corrupting shows’ on TV and focusing on Quran recitals.
Wear the Hijab.
Pray regularly ( 5 times a day)
Donate to charity

The piety list goes on and on and on. The remarkable thing is not the nature or the intention of the act, but its duration. And the blatant hypocrisy I see. Personally I am rather liberal in my religious views and a secularist at heart (for those ignorant people, this DOES NOT mean that I am an atheist or anti-religion). What I am advocating is not an orthodox extremist view that would require people to maintain their religious fervour throughout the year. Nor am I advocating the opposite extreme end of the spectrum: not participating in any rituals of organised religion.

Choice and consistency.

Don’t change your behaviour, either way, just for a month. Chose and be consistent.

And the award for the funniest joke of the year goes to...

2007-09-11T09:35:00.000+04:00

Ladies and gentlemen.

It is my honour to present to you the winner of the funniest joke for the year 2007, Mr. Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) for his hilarious article called:-

Salik System is clear success, says official

A big round of applause for the biggest joke of the year!

I wonder...hmmm

2007-09-04T12:01:00.000+04:00

I wonder what would happen if a female Emarati married a Bangladeshi ?

Blood, Sweat and Tears

2007-08-27T12:56:00.001+04:00

The human rights watch report on the abuses of labourers rights in Dubai provides an insight into the conditions suffered by hundreds of thousands of people. Where statistics and numbers have failed, aljazeera's documentary has managed to take it one step further by not only providing a visual representation of this injustice but, more importantly, providing a human and personal touch to it.

Part 1

Part 2

I have to say that I was really touched after seeing this.

BRB

2007-08-17T18:06:00.000+04:00

Be Right Back=BRB

I have decided to take a bit of a break from blogging for the next few weeks. But I will be back into it within a months time.

I've been tagged!

2007-07-19T20:31:00.000+04:00

So there I am one fine sunny day, minding my own business and casually checking my blog WHEN evil rosh decides to TAG me! Now the thing is I actually didn't know what it meant until I had a look around the net. I guess I have to state my '8 simple pleasures' , so here I go:-

1) Driving off into the desert and watching some of the most beautiful sunsets in the world.

2) Sitting at one of three cafes that actually serve great espressos in Dubai with a cigarette in one hand and typing away a new blog entry on my laptop with the other.

3) Walking through the old souk at Al Ras-Deira. It is the only place in Dubai that hasn't been completely transformed since my childhood.

4) Reading four different news websites every morning( BBC, Al Jazeera, GulfNews, 7 Days)
as well as the plethora of blogs that I read on daily basis. It is my equivalent to having a cup of coffee in the morning.

5) Chocolate!!!!!!! I am a self confessed chocoholic. Dubai actually has an acute shortage of places that sell exceptionally good chocolates and pastries. My favourite has to be French Bakery near defence roundabout. Amazing cakes, chocolates and icecream YUM!!

6) Dancing. People paint or sing to relax, I love dancing. I used to dance a lot more before I started working. But with the right music you can leave me all alone in the corner of a dance floor in my own 'dance bubble'. But nothing beats dancing with a girl whom you can grace the dance floor together in perfect harmony.

7) Meeting new people from different backgrounds is a necessity for me. If I am stuck with the same group of monotonous, routine, narrow-minded individuals for a significant period of time I will go insane! :-) I guess every time I do meet someone from a different culture, not only do I find it adventurous and exciting to meet someone who doesn't think like me but, more importantly, I find it extremely educational.

8) JABAL AL NOOR! they have the best juices, the funniest names for those juices and some amazing sandwiches. Amazing food for dirt cheap prices. The countless number of times we have been broke and the only thing we could afford was cafeteria food. You can never go wrong with Jabal Al Noor ( tranlated into English : Mountain of Light ahahha)

You know you lived in dubai long enough when

2007-07-02T09:30:00.000+04:00

You know you have been here for a while:-

You remember playing games in Sindbad
Dixie Cola was a rival to Pepsi. In fact coke wasn't around when i was a kid.
You remember Al Ghurari Centre and how it was the only shopping mall around
You remember the opening of the first McDonalds at Al Ghurari Centre and the crowds that flocked to it
You remember Naif as a residential area and not a 'Black Market'
Trade Centre was a TAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAL building and could be seen from miles around
Chicago Beach!! and the was stretches of open beach right next to it. Now its Jumierah Beach Hotel and the Madinat Jumeirah complex
The Shindagha Tunnel would often leak and they would regularly close it down for repairs
When you'd travel abroad NO ONE knew where Dubai was and you would always have to say things like: " Its next to Saudi or Iran"
Sharjah was the happening city and families would go there for their parks
Sharjah had that flyover right at the beginning of the city onto wahda street which would make me and my friends 'stomachs tickle' every time you would cross it. We nicknamed it 'tickle bridge'.
Dubai Sharjah highway had a very famous and popular site now dwarfed by all the construction. The KFC and Hardeez restaurants which became a family hangout spot.
You know you are a kid from dubai if you remember the biggest toy store back then: Dhadabai ( dunno if i got the spelling right) . There was a huge store located opposite present day Hamarain Centre/ JW Marriott.
channel 33 used to air a hindi film at 10:30 on thursday nights
there was a falcon roundabout just as you come out of shindagha tunnel and a flame roundabout near present Danata
The expo centre in Sharjah was the most happening place in the late 70's and 80's. Everyone would come from all over to watch the circus, shop, eat, the ice creams.
All the local TV channels would have "prayer intermission". A notice which would appear for a few minutes on the screen before the daily prayers.
The cartoons, remember Grundaizer & Jungar and Captain Majid
Sharjah fish and vegetable market pretty much remains unchanged thru the decades.
Al Ain fun city was Disney land! Al Nasr Leisureland ( and you could ice skate) was next, followed by Al Jazeera Park in SHJ.
Gulf News back in late 70's was in the format of today's tabloid section.
Junior news and Young times? I used to love Young times!
Hardrock cafe was the first and ONLY 'sky scraper' on SZR you saw when coming from Abu Dhabi
The road to Abu Dhabi was two-lane and had speed humps
Desert Springs Village was in the desert and had a licensed bar
It took 15mins. from Deira to Safestway via Shindaga
Safestway was originally called Safeway but had to change its name

Continue the list people... i will add them from the comments

Poor thing, at her age she will become a SPINSTER!

2007-05-30T19:54:00.000+04:00

Hmmm what should I make of this:-

"Up to 50 per cent of Emirati women face Maryam’s fate(a spinster), says Eman Abdullah, president of the International Women’s Cultural Forum in Dubai."

And the reasons for this:-

"Khalfan Al Mhriz, Family Counsellor at the Dubai Courts, said one solution is for women to be willing to be taken as a second wife."
"Raya Al Mhrzi, a sociologist in Abu Dhabi’s Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Department and a member of the Marriage Fund, blamed fairy-tale ideas about marriage.
Women, she said, have become too demanding, and high dowries, lavish ceremonies, clothes and jewellery become prohibitive."
Get ready for the most ridiculous :-
"Dr Mohammad Wafeek Eid, a psychiatrist at Al Musa Medical Centre in Dubai, said most spinsters suffer from anxiety, depression and multiple psychosomatic complaints, including headaches, epigastric disturbances, abdominal gases and discomfort. "They tend to be suspicious and they make those around them uncomfortable. They are somehow viewed as abnormal because they do not go through motherhood – spinsters are the object of social pity. They feel they are unfulfilled, incomplete," he said."
Almost as ridiculous as the previous one:-
"Eman Abdullah, president of the International Women’s Cultural Forum in Dubai, said spinsterhood is a "dangerous" phenomenon.
It waters down the Arabic language, destroys local customs and traditions and creates an unstable and unhealthy family life, she said."

OH MY GOD! Almost every single reason stated places the blame on the solely woman's shoulder. Call me a new-age-pussy-whipped-metrosexual-male version of a feminist if you want, but this is one of the most insulting articles about women I have ever read.

What about the men? To me its seems this is a classic example of a change in sociological role of the sexes, resulting from the modernisation and liberalisation of the society. Female Emarati roles have changed in society, however male Emaratis "prefer the traditional image of a housewife whose only role is to run the house, take care of her husband and children and nothing else". This is perfectly summed up by

"The marriage I want should be based on equality, understand-ing and love – something I haven’t found with the men I have met. Sumaia, 38, Emirati businesswoman"

Additionally I DETEST the word spinster. The horrible connotations attached to those words conjure up images of desperation, failure, an anomaly in society that people pity. Women do not HAVE to be married to have a successful life in a financially developed society.

And one more thing:-

"Legally, Emirati women are allowed to marry foreigners, but UAE traditions discourage them from marrying expats – only 500 Emirati women married expat men in the last seven years, according to a recent forum."

Yes that is correct. But that is ONLY 1 of the reason. If a female Emarati marries a non-Emarati:-

Her husband will never be granted the citizenship
Her children will not be granted the citizenship and will not be legally considered as Emarati
Her children and husband are not entitled to all the benefits of being a national.

Its an epidemic

2007-05-25T22:31:00.001+04:00

A few months back I wrote about the intricacies of the job market in Dubai for graduates. I had a gathering a few days back with some friends from high school and everything I had said in that entry seems to have come true for most of them.

It has been almost a year since most of us have graduated, if not more. Out of 12 people there(excluding myself), only 4 of them had found full time jobs! From those four people 2 are working in the family business and the other 2 found jobs through wasta! What's even more shocking is that most of them studied at some of the top Canadian, US, UK or Australian universities.... All of them had, at some point, experienced discrimination from at least one company during the interview process.

These are people who spent their entire lives here. Yet, not a single one of them was able to find a job based on their potential and abilities.

I don't know the answer to this one

2007-05-15T14:14:00.000+04:00

why is society so segregated based on culture and ethnicity?

I can't believe this

2007-04-28T17:20:00.000+04:00

This has got to be one of the most ridiculous things I have ever heard of:-

"An Indian man in his early 20s, ripped open his stomach in a suicide bid after his sponsor refused to send him home."

"A case will soon be filed against Kumar for trying to commit suicide, police said."

WHAT THE????? oh well its Sharjah after all.

link

I must be halucinating!

2007-04-14T17:25:00.000+04:00

I can't believe this! After all these years of every tom, dick & harry ( in our case: Jasim, Abood, Abdulla) tell me that my views are too extreme, irrational and immpractical:-

"The demographic figures ( of UAE) alone are frightening and raise serious issues regarding national identity, citizenship, residency, multiculturalism, sustainability and, ultimately...."

"Coexistence strategy could well be a new social contract whereby the local Emirati minority willingly accept to share power with the overwhelming foreign majority.

The first step is to grant residency which will eventually lead to a permanent citizenship...........with brand new national identity that is neither Arab nor local but rather multicultural and global in essence."

Dr Jamal Al Suwaidi Director of the government-run Emirates Centre for Strategic Studies and Research (ECSSR)

AMAZING... seems like i needed a PHD for people to take me seriously

good bye everyone( April Fools)

2007-04-01T10:10:00.000+04:00

I have had a great time writing in cyberspace and an even greater time reading your responses.
However, I have to stop writing.

An incident took place recently that involved the authorities and I have offered to end my blog in return for my safety and security. Unfortunately, I cannot elaborate on it any further.

Take care everyone.
(have a look at the comments section)

Put yourself in their shoes for a sec

2007-03-28T12:34:00.000+04:00

OK! I have had enough! I am really fed up of ‘local-bashing’ in every single medium of communication that exists in this society.

I have nothing against serious constructive criticism being provided or engaging in a mature and respectful debate . It’s when I hear random racists outbursts which have absolutely no purpose other to incite pain and hatred and further deepen the dark and murky pool of ignorance, bigotry and prejudice that I wonder whether its just a selfish effort to empty out ones closet full of psychologically disturbed and irrational thoughts.

I have nothing against talking about what an individual perceives to be a serious issue with regards to the citizens of this land. By all means please bring them into the open so that we can recognise them and, more importantly, resolve the issues. Some readers of my blog might accuse me of being a hypocrite and claim that I am racist towards emaratis as well. I beg to differ! If you read my blog and cannot tell the difference between random rants of hate and anger and constructive criticism then there is no point in trying to argue my case ;-)

What many people don’t do is to place themselves in the other persons shoes. EMPATHY! EMPATHY! EMPATHY! EMPATHY! EMPATHY!EMPATHY!

Emaratis have a lot of issues to deal with. I of all people love pointing them out. But I don’t hate them. Half of my social network is made of emaratis.

Racism is an amalgamation of a lack of education/information and lack of desire to educate oneself.

So next time you start saying “ All emaratis are fucking lazy bastards who don’t want to work”, ask yourself: “ why is that?” And then realise that there is a difference between that statement and its much more mature minded cousin: “Why does a stereotypical emarati have a tendency to be work less than a stereotypical expatriate?”

One aggravates the blazing flame of racism. While the other has an educationally inquisitive nature which will set you on a path of cultural understanding that will dowse that blazing flame of racism within.

If you still don’t get what I am say, then I give up ;-)

Love conquers all. ( yeah right!)

2007-03-03T22:41:00.000+04:00

Arab version of Romeo & Juliet ..... I just hope it doesn't end like the play.
I found this to be a really touching story.

Side note: can you imagine having a Gay Mardi Gras like the one in sydney in the arab world? LOOL it just cracks me up every time I try to imagine the reaction people on the street would have

Residency Visa-Its been a while since i wrote something ;-)

2007-02-27T10:01:00.000+04:00

Well as promised another controversial entry! To be honest, I am starting to run out of really shocking things to lambaste the conservative, artificial and controlled bubble that most people in Dubai live in. But here goes

The current system which allows non-UAE nationals to live in this country basically revolves around a sponsorship system. To those who are not familiar with this, it basically means that to live in this country you will either need to be directly or indirectly ( through your working spouse/father e.t.c) sponsored by company or UAE national. Almost all companies (except for ones based in free zones but I am not going to talk about them for the sake of simplicity) are either completely owned by UAE nationals or at least 51% of it. Your existence in this country is connected to some UAE national or another.

Furthermore, the UAE has some really ridiculously draconian laws regulating the labour market. Im not going to bother listing all of them as it will take up too much of my time(UAE Labour Laws ). To put it shortly, UAE labour laws have granted employers a metamorphic rod to whip workers in any way they please. Labour has minimal rights. They are basically slaves in the hands of their employers. Additionally, because it is a legally cumbersome effort to change your job, there is minimal labour mobility. A lot of the problems with worker not being paid for months at a time or being abused by forcing them to work in hazardous environments could be easily resolved in most other countries. You would just quit your job and go to somewhere better! Here you have to suffer through it, complain to the Labour Department and hope that someone in there wakes up on the right side of the bed and is willing to take your case (one of 100s submitted daily) seriously.

How about evolving the system?

Get rid of the sponsor system. I have seen SO MANY injustices being made due to this system.

In its place issue residency visas that last the same duration and needs to be renewed in the same way as current employment visas. The residency visa is issued by the Immigration Department and is not attached to a single company or UAE national. The Department will decide who to let into the country based on the shortage of particular labour that exists in the nation. This visa entitles you to work at any company and entitles you to full job mobility. Since we know one of the main reason we have the sponsorship system is so that this country does not have to bear with unemployment issues, the residency visa will be nullified if someone is unemployed for 6 months. Currently there is minimal unemployment in a working population of 2.7 million people ( 1.33% or 15% if compared to the UAE nationals working population of 240,000 -according to FT ). These people unemployed are only UAE nationals as any expat that is unemployed will loose their visa and either leave the country or find another job ( if they are not blacklisted!).

OK bring it on with the comments!

HEY!! where the hell have you been?

2007-02-21T09:52:00.000+04:00

I have to apologise to all of you if I haven't posted anything new for the past two months. what's my excuse? Basically, I have started working in a job which pretty much takes up most of my time.
I am hoping to write up some more controversial entries in the coming days

Nice Comment!!!

2007-02-20T15:21:00.000+04:00

This is a comment made on the previous post. I just found it so fascinating that I think it deserves to be posted as an entry.


SevenSummits said...: Dear All,
Certainly Local Expat was not asking for a terminology debate and in addition I believe that his quest was indirectly quite clear. So assuming we all got the point, the second part of the question would be: Do you really tolerate an honest response?

First of all we all know about stereotypes and of course are all aware that not every UAE national "has the same character". However it is generally accepted that certain societies or nationalities have special "general characteristics", such as in development policy we can identify something like a "special African culture", certain aspects that are common to all "black" African societies in Sub Saharan Africa. (To all anthropologists - please cool down! We are not into details here) "Individualism", "existence of civil society", "gender equality", etc. are just a few keywords of this debate.

Here are just a few honest observations I made and of course these are still subject to further investigation:

First most striking aspect one will notice as a tourist:
As a typical "lonely planet" traveler, one of my favorite pastimes is to go out there and explore different cultures. The best recipe to learn and understand all those positive and negative curiosities about a different society is to mix with "locals". Now with an open mind going to e.g. Brazil, Ghana or Singapore it will take you less than 24 hours to interact with "them" and exchange your different viewpoints. In Chile you can read a huge signboard "a tourist is a friend" and it seems to be true, the average Chilean will welcome you with open arms and will proudly say: "You came such a long way to see my country?"

You will experience the exact opposite, if you will visit the UAE. The segregation aspect was already mentioned and the average tourist will certain not have any chance to get into contact with the real "locals". He/she will also not have a chance to learn and see anything about Emirati culture or find e.g. a real "Emirati cuisine" restaurant. The picture in fact is distorted and "belly dancers" as well as "shisha places" will give a completely wrong impression. On the other hand one will also get the feeling of outright "hatred", especially from local women. Honestly something I have never experienced anywhere in the world. Certainly being a tall blond German, I have received many curious and astonished stares during my travels and with a not so glorious past even had a few clashes in the States with non-forgiving Jewish citizens. (However dialog has often worked wonders)

So to answer your question: As a tourist the image of a UAE national and the culture is highly distorted. (and therefore not so positive!)

As a foreigner that has professional contact with highly educated UAE nationals (Ph.D.), I have come to the following conclusions.

Each and every "male" UAE national I encountered up to this point was very polite, friendly, considerate, helpful, etc., but even thou they stay in contact I never felt the closeness of real friendship, as I have with many other colleagues from around the world. (from Niger to Iran)
Deep inside, I feel that I am the just tolerated "foreigner" - I still need to explore this phenomenon and analyze, if this is just a general superficial attitude or a sign of serious intolerance?

However the most outstanding characteristic I noticed among UAE nationals was "the pretence" – double standards all the way. Maybe in general it can be considered a characteristic of Arab societies in general, but in a way I felt that the UAE are the hotspot of this. (Kuwaitis for example seem to be much more open minded) Maybe it is a sign of a "lost society" – a society caught between dysfunctional cultural traditions and an artificially induced modernity that did not bring the necessary socio-cultural development with it.
This notion certainly brings me directly to the next point: DENIAL!
Nowhere I heard the sentence "No, this is not true, not us" as many times as in the UAE. (Anyone who doubts this, just have a look at some of the answers to certain blogs – especially when it comes to taboo topics)
Or if it is not complete denial – we can move to "BLAME".
Another standard response in the UAE is to find someone else to blame: We all know the usual suspects – no need to go into details! I keep on being told that "the Hollywood lifestyle" …. - don't people get the message that this is just fiction, an artificial movie dream world – often sarcastic - that has nothing to do with real everyday Western life? Maybe the educational system should start to introduce the idea of "creative individual thought – to question the public opinion"

Finally "lack of curiosity" should be mentioned: When you take a longer bus trip in Peru for example and the seat next to you is empty, other customers will takes shifts to sit there and to torture you with all those questions they always wanted to find an answer to. This is good and broadens our horizon! But in the UAE people don't seem to have any questions or maybe they already have a stereotyped answer in place.

Now in the UAE you can take a bus ride (from e.g. Al-Ain to Dubai) and find interesting people to talk to from Pakistan, Philippines, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, etc. – they all have exiting stories to tell, just like from every taxi driver. However better not ask them this same question.

My wish would be that you guys would really mix with the rest of us. The world is more beautiful when cultures intermingle – need a proof – go to Brazil!

Emirati woman:
You would not even want to know – I am still recovering from the shock! (Will take some time!) Anyhow I don't believe that was the question and that you were referring to Emirati males.

So what defines a Local?

2006-12-29T14:30:00.000+04:00

What would you say defines a Local? Or more specifically, What factors defines the Local identity?

Go on, I know you are answering the question as you read this. So write it down in the comments

This is not a local bashing contest so any blatantly derogatory and/or racist comments will not be tolerated.

WOW! that is all I can say..WOW!

2006-12-06T18:28:00.000+04:00

I have rarely seen a speach that comes from the heart like this one.

A bit too lefty-secular-anti-religion-feminist for this part of the world.....don't think she was invited to the Arab Strategy Forum held in Dubai.

And check this out. Never thought anyone could say such things against Islam. OUCH! Double OUCH!

Any one of us could have told you all that.

2006-12-05T12:35:00.000+04:00

Hey Human Rights Watch! I could have saved you alllll that trouble of interviewing 70 odd people, talking to ministers, spending days walking the streets of dubai, countless hours of typing up the report etc. etc. You should have come to me ( or any other long term resident for that case) and I would have saved you ALLL THAT TROUBLE(800kb). :-)

Although I was already very familiar with the contents of the report, It is a MUST READ! Especially for all of you who think Dubai is all about glamour and glitz!!

The most interesting thing they have managed to do is to conceal the plight,misery and anguish of around 20% of the labour force! You can live here for years and not even notice construction workers ( let alone get a glimpse of their miserable lives).

'20% of the population ' celebration day!

2006-12-03T14:26:00.000+04:00

Happy belated National day to all…

The development this country has made is astonishing and unprecedented. Congratulations to all the citizens of this land( whether you have the papers to prove it or not).

I wish I could also celebrate this festive occasion…but then again how many ‘expats’ do you see waving a UAE flag, have their cars covered in the national colours or taking part in the festivities? ‘Its not your country’!

Homosexuality...its a sin...how dare you even talk about it!

2006-12-03T13:55:00.000+04:00

Over the past few years, along with the development of the country, another hidden aspect of almost every other society is flourishing in Dubai. It seems to me that each year this subculture gets larger, bolder and more evident. A few years back it was so secretive and concealed that it was virtually non-existent to the average Joe( ‘average Jasim’ would be more relevant to this part of the world).

Homosexuality seems to be a flourishing subculture in Dubai. Their numbers and willingness to be just that extra bit noticeable is on the increase. I have personally met more gays in the past year then I have met in the past two decades combined (though I am yet to meet any lesbians in DXB)!

The most stereotypical gay people in Dubai are Filipinos. I don’t know why they have this reputation but it has reached to such an extent that as soon as you mention a Filipino hair dresser, people immediately made homophobic remarks( I am not saying all, most or a large number of Filipinos are gay so don’t start getting pissed of and save your insults for some else). There are also a number of western homosexuals that are openly expressive of their sexuality through their femineity and sense of style. I guess I have something that is exclusively innate to homosexuals: Gay-dar. Even my gay friends abroad were amazed at how as a heterosexual I have a refined, though not perfected, ability to identify a homosexual. I personally don’t know much about the gay subculture. The little information I do have is as an outside observer. So I would appreciate if you would contribute to this discussion and shed some light on this subculture.

One aspect of homosexuality which amazes and dumbfounds me is the gays/lesbians among the local population.” WHAT they exist??” Come one don’t be so naïve. Unless you just got of the boat or lived a very isolated life in Dubai you’d know what I’m on about. Throughout the years I have asked around and spoken with many of my local friends who have attended public schools here and found out that homosexual activity is rampant in schools. Boys and girls do engage in homosexual activities. These are predominantly physical relationships with hardly any being an emotional relationship as well (much less among girls). In all cases that I have heard it usually has the following form. There are always a group of macho-testosterone-pumped-aggressive-mischievous guys who pray on more femininely incline boys. Females seem to have a more emotional connection and physical interactions are less dominating character of their relationships.

However, homosexual activity and behaviour does not necessarily relate to being a homosexual. Allow me to explain.

From my observations and understandings very few of these relationships are truly of a homosexual nature. This is specially the case with purely physical relationships. It appears to be that pent-up sexual frustrations coupled with a lack of interaction with the opposite sex and an inability to sexually express themselves has forced them to use this avenue to temporarily alleviate their ‘pressure’. There is also the dominating, he-is-my-bitch factor involved. You know what I just realised? This is a social situation that is very similar to prison! A person might not be homosexual in nature but due to pent up sexual frustration he/she needs to release his/her ‘stress’. And due to the dominating nature of some individuals there will eventually be a prison-bitch to satisfy their cravings… Interesting similarities !!

I personally know very little about the homosexual subculture and most of the information I do have does not come from the horse’s mouth (unlike when I was talking about the ethnicity of the local population) rather from other people who have had a greater interaction with the gay subculture.

I would love if any homosexuals out there could shed some light on this issue.

Once again if there are any obvious fallacies in my entry please inform me of it so I may be able to correct them….

( note: i am not homophobic nor am I attempting to condemn or insult homosexuals. I would just like to learn more about this subculture in Dubai.)

There i go dreaming again!

2006-11-24T15:53:00.000+04:00

"I have a dream that one day my four little children will grow up in a nation where they will not be judged by their ethnicity or citizenship but by their patriotism and identity." LocalExpat, 2006.

I was so naive

2006-11-20T16:38:00.000+04:00

It has been almost five months since I got back from my spell abroad and , except for the first month, I have been actively searching for a job in my field of study. For explanation purposes lets just say that I have studied something which is highly sought after in this city.

Now the interesting thing is that I haven’t even had an interview yet, let alone finding a job. I am not about to debate my shortcomings in my search for employment but I would like to shed some light on the politics, racism, nepotisim and Wasta involved in this process.

It was a complete eye opening experience for me. Even though I have lived my whole life in this city and I have always heard people around me complaining about the situation, I never truly realised its seriousness until I personally encountered it.

I have always known Dubai is an openly discriminatory society but no amount of preparation cushions the impact of a tonne of bricks crashing down on you.

What have I realised? :

Some industries are run by particular nationalities and have a huge preference for their own kind. Eg. the advertising market here is predominantly run by Lebanese. HP in Dubai is full of Egyptians. Gold market is dominated by Gujratis (Indians)Etc.
A lot of companies do not even consider you PURELY on the fact that you hail from XXXX and they just don’t like people from that country. I had a meeting a recruitment consultant at a very reputable recruitment agency in Dubai and she mentioned how she regularly encounters HR mangers who explicitly state that they do not want Indians, Lebanese, Iranian e.t.c
Nepotism.
Do I need to say more?
Wasta.
If you have lived in Dubai for more than a week you will have already become very acquainted with what used to be a very foreign word. If you do not have wasta in the job market you are going to find it VERY VERY hard to get a shot at anything.
Acceptance of graduates.
Unlike other major international cities, Dubai is not very acceptant of graduates. For e.g there are only 5 companies that I know of who have a graduate recruitment/placement program. The impression I get is that most companies perceive graduates to be someone who has a lack of experience and needs training. Basically an expense. In the major international city where I studied, graduates where viewed as a ‘clean slate’ that can be moulded to perfectly suit a company. Basically an asset.

I was rather naïve in thinking that I can get a job purely on my merits and abilities. I guess I was wrong.

So what do you like about Dubai?

2006-11-17T19:02:00.000+04:00

I have decided to place a slightly more positive entry this time round.

Towards the end of my stay abroad Dubai started to make a really big name for itself. From time to time I would meet people who would ask me: “What is so great about Dubai?” Well I never managed to give one single answer nor was I able to give the same response twice. I guess what makes Dubai so special is a million little things.

Shawarma- only when you leave do you realise how precious it is.

You can hear the Azan and the music from the nightclubs- its your choice which tune you decided to groove to.
Hearing people speak English, Arabic, Hindi, Urdu, Farsi and many other languages in a single visit to the souq.
Meeting people from ALL over the world in a single city. Most private schools in Dubai have students from 40+ nationalities. No matter what culture you hail from there is a good chance you will find your own kind here as well
Your ability to interact and immerse yourself in the abundance of different cultures representing the ethnic make up of Dubai.
A short car ride from Bastakiya to Sh.Zayed Rd and you are blasted from what I call Old Arabia to the Modern World.
The desert! My GOD if you ever feel down or just need to escape…there is no other place in the world more beautiful and serene then the desert during sunset ( I might have been a Bedouin in a previous life).

So what about you guys? What do YOU think makes Dubai so special?

Shoo? matkalem 3rabi?

2006-11-15T17:52:00.000+04:00

Another interesting comment I hear from the local community is that expatriates don’t seem to have any interest or make an effort to learn Arabic, even though they are in an Arab country.

Well I think this is a very valid point to make. And it would be amazing if most expats could speak Arabic.

BUT, and now the problems start, it is VERY hard. Why you ask:-

1) In most private schools, although it is compulsory to teach Arabic, absolutely no emphasis is placed on teaching the subject effectively. So much so that most people I know who went to private school here have no clue about the Arabic language even after studying it for years.
This I know from personal experience and from people around me

2) The few expats who pick up the language eventually forget most of it. Why you ask? Well picture a typical day in Dubai(picture it from an expat point of view)?. Think about what you do from the time you wake up and go to sleep. How many times do you need to or actually speak Arabic? Rarely!

3) Even if you want to learn Arabic at a private institute, it is still difficult. I had a friend who attended Arabic language classes after work 3 times a week. And he said something very interesting. He is learning and speaking the language in class but once he steps out of the classroom he rarely has an opportunity to use it in his daily life. It’s like he is learning Arabic in a non-Arab city. He has to actively go out of his way to encounter situations where he will have to use Arabic. And most time when he actually starts to speak the language people easily notice that he is not a fluent speaker and start conversing in English with him.

This friend of mine eventually went to Jordan for a year to learn the language. He learnt more in a year there then in 3 years studying in Dubai. Mainly because he had to use it every single day.

4) Even my fluency of the language is deteriorating. Purely on the fact that I don’t use it that often.

I know expats who have lived here for 30 + years and still cannot speak more than few words in Arabic.

I guess what I am saying that the blame cannot be placed wholly on expats shoulders. The entire society functions this way.

The Degree of Racisim is Negativly Corelated to Education Levels.

2006-11-13T02:46:00.000+04:00

Just the other day I was talking to my friend about the lack of understanding and social segregation that exists among expatriates and locals in Dubai. And the single biggest reason that we both reached was education.

Now I don’t mean an individual’s attempt to inform themselves about the culture but a more holistic and systematic approach. I am talking about the education systems that exist in Dubai.

The present situation segregates the society by default. Locals go to public schools (there are a minority that attend private schooling along with expatriates) and expats to schools that offer their choice of curriculum. Theses children spend 12 years of their life with minimal contact with expats/locals at school. And by the time they graduate, they already have a biased opinion of expats/locals due to the misinformation they receive. And once they do come into contact with expats/locals in the workforce the biased image they have is already so deeply ingrained into their psyche that it will take another 12 years to alter that( if it even happens).

Children are least susceptible to bias and racism. If the two communities are placed in the same education system and have contact with each other from a young age a significant proportion(I am not saying all ) of the misunderstandings, malice, bias, racism and out right animosity will be cease to exist.

I mean how many of you actually have a serious social relationship with a local/expats? How many of you have been invited into a local/expats house and had a meal with them, played with their children, been on social outings with them?

I say racism is almost directly correlated with education. The more a person knows about a culture the less he will be susceptible to forming false impressions purely on what the media and society throws at us.

What you guys think… have an education system where locals and expats are attending the same classes? I am not saying it will solve the entire issue but it can help.

I knew I would have this situation!

2006-11-10T00:16:00.000+04:00

OK I think I might have given the wrong impression to some people who have read this blog. I understand why some of you might have misinterpreted my blog to be offensive, obnoxious, rude e.t.c

Let me start by saying this:-

1)I DO NOT HATE THIS COUNTRY. I repeat, I DO NOT HATE THIS COUTNRY

On the contrary I LOVE THIS LAND. IT IS MY HOME. AND I WILL DO ANYTHING IN MY POWERS TO PROTECT IT and more importantly IMPROVE IT.

2) I am not a revolutionary nor do I seek to change the way society functions here. I am not interested or ever will be interested in actively entering politics or placing my self in a situation whereby I or people around me could possibly be harmed.

3) I have nothing against the ruling families other than pure and true admiration for what a miraculous achievement they have accomplished with this land in the space of 50 years.

4)What I have mentioned in this blog are only my thoughts and opinions. That is all. I do not expect anything to eventuate from it. I just like discussing it.

If you do not like what I am saying them please tell me in a respectful and mature manner. Do not throw insults at me, for I haven’t done that to you personally. And if you feel that I am talking ‘rubbish’ you are entitled to express your opinion (in a decent manner) and not read my blog again. BUT DO NOT INSULT ME PERSONALY OR ANYONE ELSE IN THE COMMENTS SECTION. Vulgarity and obscenity will NOT BE TOLERTED. Discussions will be!

Ethnicity of the Local community in Dubai

2006-11-06T15:31:00.000+04:00

What I would like to discuss, and I do hope that I get some comments and feedback from UAE nationals on this, is the composition of the local community in Dubai.

Most expatriates think that all locals originate from Dubai. Well from my experience I have found this not to be the case. Locals, who make up 20% of the UAE population( check the 2006 UAE census ), are composed of basically the following ethnicities:-

1) Bedouins and native arabs

These are people who have been arab as far as their ancestry can be traced back. From my perceptions they form an actual minority within a minority

2) Iranians

There is a large and significant number of Iranian locals. A lot of people will know of the Bastakiya area in Bur Dubai. Well that name is derived from the early settlement of a large Iranian community originating from the town of Bastak in southern Iran. The Iranian locals are mainly the descendants of merchants and, thus, you will notice them running a lot of the big business in the souq. Galadari( originate from the town of Galadar in southern Iran), Bartwai( a big construction firm which was very active in the 90s), Al Gurg are three famous business families , to name a few, who originate from iran. You can also ascertain their Iranian background from their last names. The Al Awadhi name ( e.g the head of One TV ) are a community originating from the town of Awaz in southern Iran. Minavi is also another community here that originates from the town of Minab .

The Southern Iranian community has a long established commercial connection with Dubai dating back to the 40s.

3) Yemeni

From my knowledge, they also make up a significant proportion of the locals. Their mainstay is in the police force.

4) Balushi

The Balushi family name is an indicator of a local’s Baluchi origin. Baluchis are an ethnicity that is spread across the south-eastern region of Iran and south-western region of Pakistan.

5) Zanzibar

Zanzibaris originate from the region of Zanzibar in Tanzania. This region has centuries of trade relations with Gulf arab states( namely Oman and Yeman) and was ,for a period of time, ruled by the Sultan of Oman( im not sure if it was Oman of Yeman).

A lot of the dark-skinned locals with an African physical complexion are Zanzibari.

6) Palestinians and other arab countries

I personally know of two local families were Palestinian refugees who settled in this country in the early 70s and have received the citizenship.

Well that is what I know about the ethnic make up of the local community. If I have made a mistake anywhere please inform me so that I can correct it. Additionally, I would also like you to contribute to this discussion and see if there are any other ethnicities that make up the local identity.

Newspapers finnally have the balls to say it!

2006-11-06T11:14:00.000+04:00

Well seems like I got some statistics to back up what I have been saying about discrimination in this land ( and what we dubians knew all along).

AND, I thought I would be the only one talking about constructive criticism.

And they wonder why people drive like animals here

2006-11-03T15:25:00.000+04:00

Ok that is IT!!! i have officially had it now...and i am SOOOOO pissed off. How do you expect the country to learn how to drive properly WHEN the BLOODY POLICE HERE ARE AS BAD!
They cut you off, don't signal when changing lanes, SPEED ( and not only when their emergency lights are on), don't wear a seat belt... the list goes on! I just got cut off by a car, which is normal here, and I didn't get to me at first. But when i realised its a cop!!!!! AAHHHHHH

Come on be realistic! You can't do that!

2006-11-01T15:23:00.000+04:00

A further comment on the issue I introduced in my first entry ( refer below), I sincerely think that this system implemented in Dubai and the entire UAE is bound to fail. A minority’s rule over a majority has been historically proven to be a flawed ideology

Look back in history and name me a single civilisation, country, city, town, village or community that was able to sustain its existence for signification period of time without an imminent downfall. If you can, please correct me with a comment to this entry.

You currently have an entire generation of dubai residents who have grown up not knowing any other homeland. That generation is now all grown up. I am not even going to start mentioning the ‘local’ arabs who are officially not part of any country in the world. I call them paperless arabs. Yes my dear reader you read that correctly. And if you asked yourself : “ You mean there are ‘locals’ who do not have any citizenship”, then you are correct. Back to my original statement; now this generation along with its descendents will form a bigger and bigger segment of the society. A segment whose voices are not heard and rights not kept. An entire generation who are considered ‘guest’ in there own homes. Wanted, if they can keep a job and bring money into the country. Thrown out the door like a cheap whore after a lousy shag, as soon as you are not economically useful anymore.

This country has to recognise this. And its only a single, minuscule facet of the complications that will arise if this system of US and THEM, GUEST and LOCALS, LORD and MASTER is not altered. No! Allow me to rephrase that last word. DESTROYED.

The least thing that the UAE should do is have a naturalisation programme. When people talk about the fact that locals need to protect their identity and culture. YA HABIBI you think that the culture they practise now hasn’t been completely distorted from what they used to practise 40 years ago? The problem is most expatriates have no clue whatsoever about the local culture. They are just outside observers and only seeing the tip of the iceberg. There has been such an alteration, evolution, change, transformation of the local culture and identity that I think that argument is completely futile. How do I know this? Well lets just say that I have one foot placed in the expat society and the other one in the local community. Let me give you an example. Picture a stereotypical image of a local….go on think about it…… There was a time when a stereotypical local was renowned for its hospitality( just to name a few great attributes). And now.. I can bet you myright leg that a majority of you had at least one of the following characteristics in mind:-

1) Brash

2) Obnoxious

3) Driving an expensive car in an insane manner

4) Ignorant

5) Lazy ( my god how this was so not true a few decades ago !)

6) Rich

7) Egoistic

8) Self centered

9) Chase anything with two tits and a pussy

And you want to tell me that they have to maintain and protect their culture…. It has already changed my dear reader( thank money for that)

One more thing. What about the enormous benefits of officially including a whole population into your country? Let me name you just one. Do you know how many people have left Dubai to immigrate to Canada, US, UK, Australia e.t.c because they can’t cement their future in this place? How many skilled workers have left and taken their talents along with them. Why not keep them here? Why not use their talents for the betterment of this society and not somewhere else? I bet some of you are thinking well if they leave we will just get other worker to come here. But!! People will come while the money is flowing. Once an economic depression sets in ( and that is bound to happen Dubai has just been evading it for a long time) they will be the first to leave. You need to have people in this country who have more than a materialistic and financial attachment to this land.

My next topic is going to shed some light on the composition and origins of locals. Most people think that all locals originate from Dubai or the UAE. Wait and see :-)

I have a dream. Then realised that was all it was. Just a dream

2006-10-31T16:10:00.000+04:00

"I have a dream that one day my four little children will growp up in a nation where they will not be judged by their colour of their skin but by their content and character."

How interesting to see that almost 50 years ago one of the greatest human beings to walk on the face on this earth mentioned this in an American context, only to see it equally applicable to Dubai. Just think about it for a second and you will see what I mean.

Oh and who was this person who said this? Martin Luther King

Welcome ;-)

2006-10-31T15:59:00.000+04:00

My first entry… The world of cyberspace be warned! I wonder, can you handle my thoughts, views and emotions? Will this environment of anonymity enable me to vent out what has built up inside of me without having to suffer the repercussions? I wonder…..

Well where do I start? I guess with who I am and what I intend to write in this blog. For reasons that will become obvious, I need to maintain a sense of anonymity for my safety and the safety of others. I am a young, Middle-Eastern individual who has lived his entire life in Dubai( a whole quarter of a century). I have pursued my tertiary education in a western country and have recently returned to my home, Dubai, only to realise that a lot has changed and I wasn’t prepared for it.

My blog will be a place where I will talk about and discuss everything and anything that is considered taboo Dubai. I guess with the safety blanked of anonymity that cyberspace provides you that is what most bloggers do.

So what is my first topic?

Well here I go. I will be explicit as possible.

You live your whole life in a country and it is the only place that you know of that is home and, more importantly, feels like home. It is the only place where when you put your head on your pillow to sleep you have an inner sense of calm and security. Just like a young child when it is rocked to sleep by its mother. It is the only place where you have a sense of belonging and acceptance. It is the only place where you would like to welcome your newborn child, your own blood, into. This is what I consider home.

But Dubai’s very different. I have lived here my whole life and the entire part of it I was systematically considered and continuously reminded of my origins. In fact the whole society works like that. There is an officially set line that separates us from them. Furthermore, society does not let you down in brainwashing you into understanding, believing and accepting that you are not from this country and you never will be. So I grew up, just like every other ‘expatriate’, identifying myself with the country mentioned on my passport.

It was only when I went to study abroad that my entire identity was shattered into pieces. Why you ask? Simple let me give you an example:-

Me: Hi my name is XXX

Friend: Hi I am Sam. Are you new at this Uni?

Me: Yes. I just arrived from Dubai

Friend: Oh so you from Dubai.. that’s in the UAE right?

Me: Well no. I am from XXX but I have lived my whole life in Dubai

Friend: So have you ever lived in XXX

Me: no

Friend: so you have lived your whole life in Dubai and yet you consider yourself from XXX, even though you never lived there. That is strange? I don’t get it. I mean …..

Me: well let me explain dubai to you and how the system of expatriates and locals work…

Now this situation would repeat itself every time I would meet a new individual. Eventually it got me thinking.

I don’t feel comfortable in XXX, my so called homeland, in fact I feel like a tourist there. And even in this country I was studying I was welcomed but it just did not feel right. That feeling deep inside, that emotion inside was not aroused. Then it hit me. No it smashed into me. It smashed into me like a truck roaring ahead at breakneck speed. And it shattered my perceptions and identity. This happened on my first night back during a summer holiday in Dubai. That first night when I rested my head on my pillow to go to sleep, I felt this strange sensation.

A feeling.

An emotion that filled up a void.

An emptiness.

Created from the time I left Dubai.

I felt like a young child being rocked to sleep in its mother’s arms.

To all the people who still don’t get what I mean…let me put it this way: How can I be considered a foreigner when I have lived and contributed as much as the ‘locals’?

One more thing. I hate that word : Local. It is a title self imposed by a minority in this country that implies supremacy and authority over the minnows. In fact I would compare it to the middle ages where nobles were born into their status and wealth although they form a minority, they ruled over the rest of the peasants. It also denotes a form of segregation. NAY, apartheid! ( now I think I have pissed off enough people reading this article). The fact that one group of people are superior to another purely based on their ethnicity, allowed to own land and businesses and countless other privileges that if I start mentioning all of them it would take up a whole page.

Being a ‘local’ is not a title that is should be granted through hereditary lines. It shouldn’t even be a title in the first place. It shouldn’t be a symbolic way in which one could achieve a false sense of superiority. It should be a sign of patriotism, belonging and most of all contributing to society. I have contributed as much to the development of this country as much as a ‘local’(I hate using that term!).