DUBAI

[Question10]

I have booked a holiday to Dubai in a 5 star hotel on the palm. The plan is to stay in the resort for the week & enjoy the pool etc. AIBU to worry about going to Dubai? One of my friends has told me that she would never go there because of their strict laws and she’s got me worried. I’ve done some googling and I’m still a bit worried. Will I be able to wear a swimming costume at the pool? Do I need to cover up? If you have been to Dubai before, I would really appreciate your opinion.

Still better than some other tourist popular places. Here it can be done to save the woman (medical reasons), in quite a few countries even that is not allowed.

Necessary though!

i was listening to LBC and there was a gay man who used to live with his partner there and he said it was tacitly accepted and people turned a blind eye and he was fine in the uae and loved his life and there was an undercover gay scene, he compared it as stark contrast to other gulf countries like qatar and Kuwait. Obviously I wouldn’t want to speak over him but it’s pretty evident you couldn’t be as a gay couple in the uae as you could here but the uae isn’t really a pda place, so perhaps there’s that

Years ago we went to Egypt & there was a young girl waltzing around the pyramids with her shorts stuck up the crack of her arse 🙄 I wouldn’t dare as apart from respecting laws, they greedily stared at my ankles like I was naked. Although I don’t have massive tits, I’ve never known anyone stare at them so much whilst talking to me either.

Soz OP, I’ve gone through the airport many times but never fancied it. Whilst the heat’s unbearable, the AC’s brutal.

I was told once that I couldn't open a bank account for my child and my husband had to do it. That's the only other one I've found and it felt like a legacy rule I could have challenged if I really cared.

Interestingly I've faced a lot of misogyny in Dubai but never from an Emirati.

Dubai Marina is extremely touristy. We usually stay elsewhere but went to have a look and thought I suddenly was in Spain or something.

I've seen similarly dressed people trying to go to church in France.
Istanbul was an eye opener tbh. Especially Sultan Ahmet tomb. It's a mausoleum, people really need to have some resoect and not prance around uncovered. My jaw dropped at people arguing in mosque about wanting to wear shoes and few wanted to come up into the specified prayer area so they can get better pics🙄

Are you staying at Atlantis on the Palm? It’s a fantastic place to stay, we loved it. I felt very safe in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, both great places.

Avoid the cooked breakfast!

I wouldn’t put a penny of my money into the coffers of oppressive countries. Dubai would be an absolute no for me as would any religiously oppressive or blatantly mysogynistic country.

What’s wrong with the cooked breakfast? I could seriously go just for the breakfast at InterContinental Festival City (or dinner). It is fantastic, absolutely fantastic!

But what exactly is religiously oppressive or blatantly misogynistic here in Dubai? You have been here so you don’t have firsthand experience. Can you highlight the exact oppression a non-Muslim woman would face here? Spell it out.

Hi, I am visually impaired, and went on my own to attend a conference a couple of years ago. Yes, wearing a swimsuit by the pool is fine, they were serving beer at the conference, so I guess in the hotel it’s fine. I don’t drink, so I don’t worry about that kind of thing though. There is plenty of air conditioning, and there are also ladies taxis, so I took one of those and felt very safe. The drivers are also ladies. There was a cockroach in the taxi as well, but maybe she was also, a lady, I just wish she had kept out of my shoes…

You win the thread😂
What happened to her?

I’d suspect that’s more whose visa the child was registered with. My kids are on my visa so I am the one who signs off all decisions, my husband needs to get my permission to enroll into school, apply for government things for them. And our shared bank account has me as the primary holder (as I’m the higher earner) so all banking comms comes to me.

It is too hot there now.

Which hotel?

Honestly, it’s completely fine. Don’t walk around getting drunk and shouting and swearing and you’ll be fine.

Went a few years ago. It's fine. The people are friendly and welcoming. Not all restaurants sell alcohol. (Didn't bother us)
Very western with McDonalds etc.
Lots of very rich people around and VERY expensive shops.
Went to a huge shopping mall which had a large ice rink. My son loved it 😁

I used to live there and please don't worry at all. No need to wear maxi length unless that's what you like to wear. What I would advise is that you choose natural fabrics. You'll be much more comfortable. I always wore skirts because I also found them cooler and take a pashmina as indoor spaces can be chilly. The cinemas were always Arctic.

The UAE is miles safer than the UK.

There are signs at the airport that says No public displays of affection. And signs at some restaurants on the doors going out No alcohol or something similar.

And do under any circumstances take photos of UAE in traditional clothes drinking alcohol at hotels, even if they are in the background (at least not in the less touristy hotels).

I couldn't enjoy myself in a country where it's illegal to be gay. I would feel sickened to fund its economy.

This ^^

mumsnet does make me laugh when it comes to Dubai. The hypocrisy is quite laughable! Hope all these posters don’t live in the UK because women are treated far worse and are in much more danger here than Dubai.

OP I’ve been to Dubai many times, wear what you like no one will bat an eyelid and you will be very safe. Crime rates are low. Everyone is friendly but keep to themselves. Kids are safe (even if alone, no need to worry they’ll get snatched unlike here!). The UK might as well be a lawless country. Stabbings, rape and abuse by the police let alone civilians, child abduction and abuse, erosion of women only spaces and all this transgender nonsense..the list goes on

• I can walk down the street without being leered at/catcalled
• I can also walk in public alone at night without worrying about being raped
• I can go into changing rooms/toilets and not worry that anyone with a penis was in there with me
• I can send my DD to the shops day or night and also not worry about her being abducted or raped. (Whilst I wouldn’t do this I saw many young emirati children in their nighties getting a milkshake from McDonald’s etc unaccompanied by an adult)
• I don’t need to worry about being mugged or having my belongings stolen at knifepoint
• If I’m eating out and need to nip to the loo I don’t need to take my phone etc with me. I can leave it out on the table and know it will be there when I get back
• I feel safe knowing there are strict laws, the crime rate reflects this

^ guess where this list is describing..the UK or Dubai? And that’s just at the very top of my head!

I am NOT saying Dubai or any UAE country is perfect and have no human rights issues. But the truth is, as a woman I am FAR safer in Dubai than in the UK and so are my children. Every time Dubai is mentioned on mumsnet, posters fall over themselves frothing at the mouth denouncing it and anyone who goes and it’s just ridiculous. I hope they have all packed their bags and left the UK as issues are far worse here, especially for women. If you opposite the entire list above, that is describing the UK so please don’t go on about human rights issues and feminism/oppression. Utter rubbish and Islamophobia dressed up.

It's fine. I was quite paranoid before we went. Bought lots of new clothes as my usual holiday wardrobe wasn't appropriate.

There are guidelines for what to not wear in certain places. At the pool or beach u wear normal beachwear.

I often covered my shoulders and wore longer dresses but I did still notice getting daggers from locals when we were out in public 🤷🏻‍♀️ despite that lots of other young women were in little tops and hot pants etc. Plenty of folk just wear what they want and ignore guidelines or rules.

At the time I wasn't married to now dh and sharing a room at hotel was fine. No questions asked or anything. They also don't care about what ur wearing in the hotels. They want the tourism so often turn a blind eye.

Nope. I am the visa sponsor for both my kids and my husband. My husband wasn't working at the time and so didn't have an employment income so they wouldn't let him set up an account for the kids either.

It absolutely was a female thing and will be about who can have guardianship over children's funds. I ranted about it a lot to the poor bank person (who was a woman and clearly agreed with me!) but then decided I didn't care enough to fight it.

I know 99% of the time the 'misogynistic' things people complain about come down to needing permission from your sponsor and women often being on their husband's visa. This one was definitely straight sexism.

FYI if you don't know, be careful with the shared bank account. If one of you dies they will freeze funds in it whilst probate is sorted out. DH and I don't have a shared bank account for that reason.