People should not go on holiday in Dubai

[MariaAngustias]

After reading and hearing about the treatment of women in general and, in particular, what has happened to Princess Latifa how can people go on holiday to Dubai? Also her sister, Shamsa, allegedly abducted by her Father in the UK, drugged and taken back to Dubai. WTF is wrong with people who can go to Dubai for a freekin holiday whilst this is happening.

I totally agree....however, I don’t understand why anyone would want to holiday there in the first place.

Agree 100%. There are others too but the OP specifically asks about Dubai.

@Poorlykitten

I totally agree....however, I don’t understand why anyone would want to holiday there in the first place.

Tel Aviv is another really popular winter sun destination. Never see anyone complain about that on here. It’s always about Dubai

But Dubai is hot and soulless.

It’s the ideal holiday destination.

@Hopdathelf

I personally chose not to holiday in NI a few years ago because of their appalling abortion rights. Would do the same now with Poland.

Then you're just reducing tourism income and prosperity for a place where lots of people don't agree with the extremist, partisan politics. We've been held hostage by them (and their terrorist factions) for decades; staying deprived and depressed economically hardly helps.

Honestly if you’re going to take outrage to every single country’s unsavoury parts then the only place to left live would be the moon.

@GrumpyHoonMain I’ve heard those Clangers are right nasty bastards

I definitely judge people who choose to go to Dubai. It's a despicable regime, and anyone who brags about holidaying in such a place is an ignorant arsehole.

@GrumpyHoonMain there is a massive boycott of Israel and Israeli products - perhaps you don't see it on here as it is not such a popular holiday destination as Dubai but a lot of us have tried to avoid buying Israeli products for years.

There is indeed a lot of what-about-ery on here but given that Dubai has been in the news so much (a place I never ever would have visited anyway, along with Saudi) I specifically asked about it!

These threads reek of snobbery.
People who don’t want to go to Dubai because of their human rights record actually don’t want to go to Dubai anyway.
No one is saying you have to go anywhere, I have zero desire as a woman to visit parts of India given their treatment of women and the subject of rape.

Actually Israel is becoming very popular amongst people I know- way before the pandemic

Then you're just reducing tourism income and prosperity for a place where lots of people don't agree with the extremist, partisan politics.

I’m not under a duty to prop up the economy by having a mini break there. If the economy is suffering due then it’s for citizens to effect change to promote freedom and incidentally or otherwise encourage tourism.

Yanbu.

Someone on here said certain people would go to North Korea if it marketed itself as a luxury beach resort. I tend to agree, sadly.

[quote MariaAngustias]@GrumpyHoonMain there is a massive boycott of Israel and Israeli products - perhaps you don't see it on here as it is not such a popular holiday destination as Dubai but a lot of us have tried to avoid buying Israeli products for years.

There is indeed a lot of what-about-ery on here but given that Dubai has been in the news so much (a place I never ever would have visited anyway, along with Saudi) I specifically asked about it![/quote]
Tell that to the people packing into cheap holiday packages to tel aviv. It’s so popular the London to Tel Aviv route is now a budget route. Plans (before covid) were packed.

Yes I mean the UK is great isn’t it. We have thousands of people resorting to food banks because they don’t have enough to eat. Women who are raped have little to no chance of justice (I was one, reported and it went nowhere). DV is illegal but we still have women killed every week by their partners.

We may not have the same issues as some other places but we’re hardly a shining beacon of light when it comes to women’s safety and well-being. You could find reasons not to visit any country. I personally have no desire to visit Dubai, it’s not my kind of place. But let’s not pretend there aren’t significant issues on our own doorstep.

I agree. I am a very well travelled person. I’ve lived in 5 other countries. The most uncomfortable I’ve ever been is in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. You can show your shoulders or elbows and try people watching i.e. looking at an Emerarti just out of interest and see what kind of hideous looks you’ll get. I used to work in international recruitment and had to move people from there at the drop of a hat due to the DH getting involved in some serious sleaze or someone had done something very minor and had to leave immediately as they’d pissed off a local or someone in their work.

Nice weather. Totally pretentious and hideous place.

Can’t show shoulders that should be.

@GrumpyHoonMain well said!!

@GrumpyHoonMain there’s been an ongoing massive boycott of Israeli goods for ages. I wouldn’t go there either. Of course people will visit where they want to visit....even if there weren’t these issues with Dubai I wouldn’t want to go, looks awful.

Aside from political views, everyone has their own view - a safety or comfort threshold - about where they are prepared to go. Personally I’m now a holidaymaker rather than a ‘traveller’ so (In non Covid times) my mantra was that I don’t want to go anywhere substantially less comfortable than my home or where you need special immunisations. On the safety/ political front I wouldn’t go or take my daughters to anywhere the police are corrupt, or to states which apply Sharia law, have leaders which tell women to ‘know your place’ or have ‘blasphemy’ laws. I see this as akin to boycotting travel to South Africa during the time of apartheid. If your word as a woman is worth less than that of a man and arbitrary detentions are common, I don’t want to go there.

@MyOldSelf

I agree. I am a very well travelled person. I’ve lived in 5 other countries. The most uncomfortable I’ve ever been is in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. You can show your shoulders or elbows and try people watching i.e. looking at an Emerarti just out of interest and see what kind of hideous looks you’ll get. I used to work in international recruitment and had to move people from there at the drop of a hat due to the DH getting involved in some serious sleaze or someone had done something very minor and had to leave immediately as they’d pissed off a local or someone in their work.

Nice weather. Totally pretentious and hideous place.

As you lived there then you would know that direct eye contact is a sign of sexual interest in many countries (including Japan and Korea) not just the UAE. That’s why it helps to try to get to grips with other cultures before you go on holiday.

I go to Dubai many times for work and always wear sleeveless as do most of the women I work with - never experienced any issues. I guess you must have been trying to walk the streets in a bikini which would be considered inappropriate in the UK too.

I agree.

I personally don't travel to countries which conflict with my morals (usually human rights related), I love traveling and I am sad I won't visit some countries I'd really like to, but I won't fund ill treatment of people.

I completely agree OP. To me, as well as the issue you mention, it’s a place that represents almost everything that’s wrong with the world.

People can choose to holiday wherever they please.

Dubai isn't your cup of tea for a range of reasons and that's fine, it's not mine either.

But YABU to think you can impose your own morals/opinions on other people, who are free to make their own choices.

Agree about Dubai. But also can’t understand why anyone would want to go to an all inclusive resort compound in the Dominican Republic or Cancun either.

Having a "wonderful time" in Dubai? Not if you accidentally come across a public beheading.