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?

@Factsareimportant - I didn't suggest there was no system and or there were no human rights. What I say is that it matters who you are, and who you know, and human rights are given to people who are permitted them, whatever is written down in their constitution.

Lawyers in this country wrote the Convention on Human Rights, gave it to the world and write laws in accordance with its demands. That does not happen in Dubai, still less does the law operate to guarantee the rights of people in the country.

I will not be tolerant of a country that criminalises homosexuality and does not afford women the same rights as men, no matter how much you try to defend it.

Yes. I agree. I will Never go there

The sort of people who holiday there are show offs/ insta huns anyway

@MagicSummer

Why do people make such a fuss about observing their laws if you visit THEIR country? I have been to Dubai many times (both before and after marriage) and we had no trouble at all not walking around holding hands or kissing every five minutes. It really isn't necessary - save it for your hotel room.

I followed all the laws and was very respectful. Still found it to be a horrid misogynistic place and have never felt such lecherous attention despite being fully covered up.

Never want to go back ever!

I've upset friends by saying I wouldn't go there.

It seems the most godforsaken tacky place. Ended up in Sharm El Shite once a place that is the arse of shite places to go.

I followed all the laws and was very respectful. Still found it to be a horrid misogynistic place and have never felt such lecherous attention despite being fully covered up

Never been to Egypt have you? Honestly think the Gulf is much better than the Maghreb and Egypt on that aspect.

But the sex imbalance in the Gulf (way more migrant male workers) does make one a bit nervous, even when nothing untoward is going on.

This thread raises many questions about which countries are and aren’t acceptable to visit.
North Korea? Heavily supervised trips are possible to the Hermit Republic. I would be fascinated to see it but the concept of human rights simply doesn’t exist there.

Should people have visited Russia in the days of the Soviet Union where the human rights abuses would take a whole thread to describe?

Cuba? So many people think it’s so cool but there are human rights abuses and terrible poverty. Is seeing poor people at subsistence level poverty porn or is tourist income useful to the country (or does it just go in the pockets of the big wigs?)

One could go on......

Should people have visited Russia in the days of the Soviet Union where the human rights abuses would take a whole thread to describe?

You mean now? If I went, I'd stay away from windows, stairs and tea.
I'm only half joking.

I meant about visiting during Soviet times, but yes, should people go today considering how Russia’s leader behaves?

Also, there’s so much hypocrisy surrounding human rights.
Apparently universities are happy to accept huge sums from China and Gulf states and yet they go about cancelling speakers who some of the staff and students don’t agree with.
I appreciate that last para is well off topic.

@PineapplePower

I followed all the laws and was very respectful. Still found it to be a horrid misogynistic place and have never felt such lecherous attention despite being fully covered up

Never been to Egypt have you? Honestly think the Gulf is much better than the Maghreb and Egypt on that aspect.

But the sex imbalance in the Gulf (way more migrant male workers) does make one a bit nervous, even when nothing untoward is going on.

No I have never been to Egypt. I don’t give a fck that Dubai is great compared to there, I’m talking about my experience in Dubai which was vile. I hated it. I don’t know why you are implying I should have enjoyed it simply because Egypt is somehow worse. Just because somewhere else might be worse does NOT mean I can’t comment on other places. By that rationale you should love Egypt because Syria is far worse 🙄

PineapplePower

I recognise your experience is your experience, it’s just surprising to me as the Gulf does not have that reputation, especially when you look at the rest of the MENA.

Dubai is very safe for women when you compare it to elsewhere in the Middle East, but of course that doesn’t mean that women have full rights, because they certainly do not. Safety and freedom are a bit opposing here.

Should people have visited Russia in the days of the Soviet Union where the human rights abuses would take a whole thread to describe?
The Soviet Union didn't exactly encourage tourism - it existed but very different to Dubai's tourism.

@Sometimesonly

Should people have visited Russia in the days of the Soviet Union where the human rights abuses would take a whole thread to describe? The Soviet Union didn't exactly encourage tourism - it existed but very different to Dubai's tourism.

I think modern-day China is a better comparison here, since human rights abuses have never stopped and have accelerated as of late.

But I still visit countries like China, Myanmar, etc because there is value in experiencing countries like that. It’s like saying you won’t visit America since they have the death penalty. Well, the average person hasn’t much to do with that, and you are really only limiting yourself.

You might even get value out of Dubai, since you can see the intersection between Islam and modernity, and how the demands of religion are balanced within their society.

Tbh I don’t like it, but it’s eye-opening for sure.

I agree there is value in seeing countries like that as you've explained. Unfortunately I reckon 90% of the people I personally know who love Dubai couldn't tell you anything about the place unless it's about their hotel, the beach, the glitz or glamour.

This is the typical Dubai recent headline grabbing business opportunity - luxury high net worth Covid vaccine holidays. It’s all about money not morals especially in a pandemic as it’s all about the opportunity to cash in!:

esmag.co.uk/stories/vaccine-queue-skipping/

[quote ResIpsaLoquiturInterAlia]This is the typical Dubai recent headline grabbing business opportunity - luxury high net worth Covid vaccine holidays. It’s all about money not morals especially in a pandemic as it’s all about the opportunity to cash in!:

esmag.co.uk/stories/vaccine-queue-skipping/[/quote]
Who cares?

If Dubai is anything like the rich Gulf state I live in, you can’t get the locals to vaccinate themselves (they don’t want it) so why not?

It’s rich, fat Westerners who need this vaccine in the first place ...