How do women square holidaying in Dubai with the lived reality of UAE women?

[Bouncealot]

Never understood a friend raving about the luxury, lack of crime, cleanliness, attentiveness of hotel and retail staff, when I had watched documentaries on slave labour, especially Philippine and Pakistani people denied passports, sleeping on kitchen floors and UAEs refusal to give stats on FGM to WHO. Just listened to Woman’s Hour discussion on the Princess Latifa case. It seems not a subject for discussion when people are planning ‘sunshine breaks’.
IABU judge other women’s holiday choices and experiences?

How can anyone? It’s not a gendered issue from our perspective is it? How can men from our society find it anymore acceptable than women? How can anyone think going to those places is acceptable as essentially by going there you are funding the anti-women laws.

Threads like these tend to see posters joining mumsnet just to tell us that Dubai is the best place they've ever lived as a woman, the safest you could ever be, don't believe what you read in the media, blah blah blah...

I do see the questions you've posed being raised and usually it comes down to "I'm alright Jack" and "you have to respect the abusive laws of the places you visit, who are you to judge them".

Some people don't care, some people feel uncomfortable at having it pointed out to them that they're financing abuse and then become defensive.

I think so many people are blinded by the ‘glamour’ and because the human rights issues are not something that are immediately obvious there, they continently ignore them.

DH went before we got together and point blank refuses to go again.

You're right, OP. I've never understood this.

*conveniently

YANBU. I would never want to visit Dubai in the same way I wouldn’t want to visit Saudi Arabia or anywhere else that threats it’s women so badly.

I think it’s totally natural for that to put you off somewhere!

I’d never travel there because of this, not even for work! Glad I’m not alone in this way of thinking, OP

Denial. Ignorance. Don’t really give a fuck.

Take your pick

Yep, I wouldn't want to go there. I keep getting an advert on Youtube where a woman says something about 'an place like no other' and all I can think is - yeah, cos everywhere else I have been I have equal rights and can drive!

Threads like these tend to see posters joining mumsnet just to tell us that Dubai is the best place they've ever lived as a woman, the safest you could ever be, don't believe what you read in the media, blah blah blah...

I do see the questions you've posed being raised and usually it comes down to "I'm alright Jack" and "you have to respect the abusive laws of the places you visit, who are you to judge them".

You forgot: "Lots of places have problems. The UK isn't perfect either." I'm sure we'll see that trotted out!

I’m so relieved to hear someone else say this.

I think it's part of human nature to gloss over the uncomfortable parts that don't directly affect us because there are benefits to us personally. So in the case of Dubai its neighbours, people ignore the human rights breaches because it's other people who are suffering (FGM, racism towards Asians) whilst the individuals themselves only see the positives (high wages for Europeans, low crime). It's the same doublethinking that means people are happy to fly off on holiday whilst simultaneously being horrified by the damage flying causes to the environment, the same logic that allows us to be irritated by all the other people on the road making unnecessary car journeys (because their own one is obviously necessary).

Humans are inherently selfish - that's how we have thrived as a species, we are able to use resources to our benefit whilst not worrying too much about the impact our activity might have on others - whether that's other people now, or in the future.

Sorry, the advert is for Saudi. No, I don't want to holiday in a place where a woman has been imprisoned and sexually assaulted by her captors - all for the sin of wanting to drive.

A typical argument I have had was hat I have visited other countries around the Med and further afield that also abuse women. I aldo feel that it is being legitimised by big government contracts. My DP has refused ££££ work contracts in the Middle East for these reasons.

@AnyFucker

Denial. Ignorance. Don’t really give a fuck.

Take your pick

Absolutely this, plus the Insta likes.

It's so depressing.

Either:

They simply do not care.

They cannot process what the issues are due to limited intelligence/social awareness.

Maybe same way there are women who watch porn.

Only thinking about number one.

They don’t care. It’s as simple as that. Dubai has a horrifying human rights record - yes the hotels are spectacular, but they are built with slave Labour. But people will turn a blind eye because it’s a cheap sunshine holiday and that’s more important to them.

Why judge only women though? Men are equally as culpable for making the place tolerable, even aspirational, to visit.

I have turned down lucrative high level work where I was told I would need a male "secretary" to represent everything I said, moving there, holidays there and get my husband to second guess his desire to work there as well. I find it Amoral

I worked out in Qatar for a couple of years and had to visit Dubai several times.

I would never go back to any country in the gulf.

When I landed back in the UK I cried with relief. It's not until you experience countries who treat women and workers like shit do you really appreciate your own democracy.

I was working for a decent company out there but as a woman I couldn't sponsor my own child because ya know only men can do that.

Awful place

I spent some time in India and Burma last year. I'm sure MNers would frown at that too for different reasons.

The answer re Dubai is that people are more interested in a cheap hot holiday than underlying social injustice, funnily enough.

I've never been but my DB and SIL love it and often exclam how marvellous it is that you never see beggars or people sleeping rough. Which means there is no poverty

Bless.

I have refused to go there every time the suggestion is made. I couldn't bring myself to.

I completely agree. I would never go there. It should be unfashionable and unacceptable to visit.