23rd July, 2023

Dubai, Part I: The City

It was just before dawn and still dark when I awoke to a loud, haunting sound echoing through the air outside. “Jay! Wake up!” I said, jumping out of bed. He sat up, “What is that?” He asked. I threw open the curtains and slid the glass door aside so I could step out on to the two-foot area they called a porch. We were on the eighth floor of the Sheraton Creek Hotel in Dubai. Our view was of the creek with the Burj Khalifa in the background as well as other famous buildings Dubai is known for. “I think it’s the call to prayer,” I said excitedly. I had heard it before in movies, but this was an entirely surreal experience. Everything was still but the echoing voices that carried over the city. This was our first morning in the United Arab Emirates.

I never wanted to go to the middle east. Certainly not Dubai. I had my preconceived – and ignorant, I might add – ideas about the city and its people. Materialistic was my first thought. With so much money and gold, I was sure the focus was all about wealth. Modern too. My preference is a city with buildings that hold a history of stories. Where, when you walk in, you can sense the shadows of its ancestors. And from everything that I heard about how women are expected to behave in the Middle East, there was no way I wanted to be subjected to that kind of treatment.

Boy was I wrong.

Well, not entirely. But it isn’t as simple as that, and I was about to get an education. Actually, both Jay and I learned so much from visiting Dubai. We learned about their architecture and their business practices. We learned about their culture and their religion. The people were welcoming and friendly. It was an eye-opening experience and with only two full days, we were able to explore downtown, old town and the desert. Our favorite experience was visiting a traditional Bedouin camp. But first I should explain why we were in Dubai at all.

We decided to take Emirates Airlines to Durban, South Africa and they stop in Dubai. It was a 12-hour flight from Boston to Dubai and another 8 hours to Durban. We thought we might as well stay in Dubai for a couple of nights and rest up for the next flight. Besides, we knew we would probably never go back to Dubai, so why not see it?

Dubai is not an old city; it was settled in 1833 with just 800 nomads. In 1971 it gained its independence from Britian and became one of provinces of the United Arab Emirates. Most of the city’s growth has happened in the last 25 years. And, I must say, the architecture is spectacular.

In fact, it would be a great place for someone who is studying architecture. Each building is completely original in its design. The city seems like it is competing with itself. Which building can be the tallest, the oddest shape, the most beautiful? There were too many to visit but we did manage to go up the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world. Unfortunately, it was quite hazy that day but we could still see for miles and miles. The view was not unlike one when taking off in an airplane. The cars looked like toys.

Their mall is famous too. It goes on and on – and although we didn’t see all of it – we were told there is even a ski slope in it. And where our American malls are dying, Dubai’s mall was packed with consumers.

Our first tour began in old town. Our guide was Mohammad, a proud Muslim who was eager to share the history of his country and some knowledge about his religion.

Dubai is an international city. It is clean and safe. There are no homeless people. If you can’t afford a home and your family can’t care for you, you must leave. Though we are told citizens are allowed to have pets (with permission), we did not see one dog or cat anywhere. The population consists of 80% ex-pats and 20% locals. It is business friendly as it is very easy to obtain a business license. There are no government taxes. We were told they get their revenue from the tourist industry. In fact, they rely on tourism for most of their income, not oil like we thought.

I was concerned about the dress code. Especially for women. As it turns out, the Muslims must adhere to their traditional dress but visitors do not. Women tourists are not asked to cover their hair and/or face. Men can wear shorts. We even saw some ladies wearing short shorts and halter tops. That was a surprise. Nevertheless, Jay and I chose to dress conservatively.

There are not just mosques in Dubai. There are churches, synagogues and temples. We were told there is a mutual respect for all religions. You just can’t preach in public.

Muslims are called to prayer five times a day. Men and women pray in separate areas in the mosque. This is to keep them focused on prayer rather than be swayed by distraction.

The men can marry up to four wives. Each wife has their own house provided by their husband. The husband is responsible for the wife(s) and his money is “their” money. If the wife works, her money is her own. She does not have to share it with her husband. If a man divorces his wife, he is responsible for her financially and she still keeps her own money.

The “locals” are those who follow Islam and are born and raised in Dubai. They are entitled to a wedding that is paid for by the government. They are also given a paid honeymoon. And when they return from their honeymoon, they are given a house.

While sharing this information, Mohammad was always mindful to explain that this is their culture. He acknowledged it is different than many other religions and/or cultures. No judgement either way. It was his respect for our differences that made an impression. He was so thoughtful in how he shared his opinions, always sure to not offend anyone and at the same time, express his pride for his religion and country.

We moved on to a tour of a money bank filled with gold coins made throughout history.

When it got too hot, we stopped in an air-conditioned building and were served black coffee. Very good coffee – almost like Espresso. We were each given a small cup and then a gentleman came around and filled it halfway. By filling it only halfway, it is an unspoken invitation to stay and visit. If the host fills the cup entirely, it is a signal that it is time to leave after finishing their drink. This is their custom.

Mohammad took us to the first of the three souks that were on the tour. Souks are like American flea markets or the Mexican street markets where local vendors sell their goods. This was a general souk that sold a variety of items like cloth, artifacts, and trinkets. After a little shopping, we stopped to eat some local food and rest by the creek.

To reach the other souks, we took a Dhow across the creek. Dhows are a unique design that were originally sailboats and used for fishing and transporting goods. Some of the dhows along the Dubai Creek are still used for transporting goods but they no longer have sails. Nor do the ones that are used for shuttling passengers back and forth across the creek. They rely on engines now.

Next was the spice souk which carried a large quantity of fresh spices. Mohammad shared his knowledge on how to use some of the spices. Some were used for healing. Others for tea or seasoning.  He told us a fact that we found particularly interesting; anything more than five grams of saffron could kill the person who ingests it.

The last souk we visited specialized in gold. Gold seems to be everywhere. There was even a gold chandelier that was in the shape of tree in the Dubai Airport. It is deemed less expensive because tourists don’t have to pay taxes on it. The catch is you have to pay the tax up front and then redeem the receipt at the airport. I, of course, had to buy a pair of gold hoop earrings.

Our tour ended after the gold souk and back on the side of the creek where our hotel was. Jay and I originally thought we could walk back. Good thing we changed our minds and got an Uber. It was much further than we thought. It had been a long day, chocked full of information and lots of walking in the hot sun.

We ended our first full day in Dubai with a delicious lamb dinner at the hotel and retired to bed early. We wanted to rest up for the following day as we had scheduled a visit to a Bedouin Camp in the Arabian Desert. I was excited. Jay – not so much. He was skeptical about an 8-hour tour that took us into the unknown, eating foreign foods and riding a camel.

Keep an eye out for my next blog, Dubai, Part II – The Arabian Desert.