UAE style

[imeanwhy]

I am going on a work trip to the UAE soon and will be in Dubai and Sharjah mostly. I have read the official advice on what not to wear - basically in Sharjah it would be best to have covered shoulders and nothing above the knee is advised. I want to respect local customs but also look stylish and professional. Does this mean a-line midi skirts are ok as long as they are under the knee? Is it ok for the ankles and part of the shin to be visible? I don't have any properly long/ floor length skirts or dresses... How about loose ankle length linen trousers? And short sleeve t shirts? Or is it best to go with a long sleeve?

Any tips from anyone who has been or living there are warmly welcome 🙏

You don't need floor length.

Below the knee and covered shoulders is fine, so your midi skirts and short sleeves are fine.

Demure neckline and no bare midriff but you'd not be wearing otherwise in a professional environment.

Air con can be quite fierce so bear that in mind. I used to have a jacket or cardigan on hand every day.

Linen trousers fine but I never both with them when travelling as they crease so badly! Check they are definitely not translucent.

In bars in Dubai you'll see people in shorts and vests. Beach/pool you can wear normal swimwear, cover-ups useful

Honestly, in Dubai, it's amazing what you see people wear, but if you want to be respectful especially as this is for work, I think knee length is advisable. Sharjah is more conservative but again, knee length or just below is fine. Definitely no need for floor length or even midi.
Re the top half, again just be sensible, don't have your cleavage hanging out and ideally cover your shoulders. Don't wear anything overtly sexy.
That being said, local people are usually extremely polite and are very unlikely to say anything about your dress. Assuming you're not Muslim, they accept other cultures don't have the same dress style. It really is just about respect and common sense.

Ooh thank you, good tip about the aircon. Makes sense, I will pack a jacket or something too.

I doubt I will have time for beach or pools sadly... so sounds like a couple of wide trousers and a midi skirt will do the trick. I don't have time to shop and was getting a little worried!

Another tip is to take clothes in natural, breathable fabrics. If you're going soon, the weather should be lovely but still high 20s/early 30s C and when you're outdoors you will find yourself sweating.

I wore a black chiffon robe/abaya over everything and really liked it

I think I will try out some styles of loose trousers and floaty tops. I always considered my wardrobe relatively simple and more on the demure side - I don't do much what you'd consider the typical "sexy" dressing so no cleavage showing tops in my award one anyway - but I hadn't realised how much I rely on vests and spaghetti tops for warm weather dressing! And it will be 30C indeed. So those obvs sound like a no no in this case. I am not Muslim but also of course I don't want to either offend or stick out in the crowd. I have an open front silk kimono type thing which perhaps I can just throw over regular tops

And thank you to all, these are all good thoughts!

Find something very comfy if you will be commuting between Sharjah and Dubai. Traffic can be a murder👀
I had some cotton wide leg trousers from M&S and they were really good even in heat. Good price too.
Yy to fierce aircon mentioned. I carry light scarf in my bag so my neck doesn't go stiff if we sit somewhere in path of the ice blast.

Oh and I hope you have time to do some shopping as well!!!

Watch out for how thin fabrics are. See-through fabrics tended to be less acceptable than they would be in the UK. On the other hand, closely fitting clothes seemed to be more acceptable than I would have expected, as long as they were opaque. (Although you probably don't want closely fitting clothes in the heat anyway!)

Don't worry about being too hot, indoors it's absolutely FREEZING due to aircon. Today I am wearing jeans, jumper & boots in the office as I am so cold.

boots and jumper @tiutinkerbell wow

Didn't expect that but I don't mind it being a little cooler I think I'll struggle in the heat anyway. In the end, I am planning wide leg trousers and a midi/mid calf length quite voluminous skirt. And oversized shirts on top. Should do the trick I hope, while feeling comfortable and airy in the heat. And something on top for the freezer air con!

I just came on to say the same as a PP, you won't feel the heat much if you're flitting between meetings and taxis. I worked in Dubai and Sharjah for 8 years and you'll be fine with any normal work top and jacket. I'd pair them with loose trousers and wear whatever footwear's comfortable.

Sharjah is much more conservative than Dubai. Agree with the PP, long loose trousers and work top with a jacket or cardigan over. Dubai? Anything goes!

It's not that hot, it was only 32C at peak today.

DH has just said that government buildings in Sharjah might require you to cover your head, his female staff used to cover if they visited, so take a big shawl.

Oh really @Cyclingmummy1 interesting, I didn't think I needed it but am packing a shawl anyway, as it's practical and versatile if it gets too chilly so I guess it could double as a head scarf if needed. I will make sure it's in my handbag when I go out just in case

You deffo won't need to cover your head in Government buildings in Sharjah, I've been in many of them. As long as your shoulders & knees are covered in government buildings that's all you need.