Dispelling Stereotypes about the United Arab Emirates

I had the unique opportunity to study abroad last spring semester in the United Arab Emirates. Many people that I told could not point this country out on a map, but were likely familiar with the luxurious city of Dubai or may remember Tom Cruise scaling the Burj Khalifa in Mission Impossible. For reference, the UAE is the tiny country east of Saudi Arabia:

Because of the unfamiliar air associated with the Middle East as a whole and the Arabian Gulf in particular, I was excited to experience this foreign culture and return able to dispel any of the stereotypes associated with this region of the world. And trust me, there are many.

My grandmother told me, “Sara, you are going to get shot.”

Many asked if I would be required to wear the hijab.

Others asked if I would have to speak the Arabic language.

None, of course, were true.

Those a bit more informed about the region asked if I was going to get carried away by some oil-rich prince and never return to America. Though still farfetched, this was probably the most likely of the notions with which I was faced.

I found that in my days leading up to my departure, throughout my trip, and upon my return that many clump the Arabian Gulf together with the rest of the Middle East and do not make any differentiations. The Arabian Gulf is a sub-region of the Middle East and a distinct area of its own. Though it has cultural, religions, and historical ties with the Middle East, its politics, laws, infrastructure, and environment differ in many ways.

Upon returning to Knoxville, I loved being able to tell people who asked if I was ever in danger that I felt more safe in the Gulf than I do in Knoxville, Tennessee. Because the Emirates uses a mixed judicial system incorporating Sharia, or Islamic, Law, which imposes strict punishments for breaches of law, crime rates are kept relatively low.

Though I was in Sharjah, the most conservative and traditional Emirate, the Emirates as a whole is a modern, rich, and Westernized country.  Though there was an enforced dress code, especially strict in Sharjah, I was still given a decent amount of freedom to wear what I wanted. I was never forced to cover my head unless I was entering a mosque. The traditional dress for women in the Arabian Gulf is largely seen as oppressive by Western nations. The abaya is a long black dress that is paired with a sheila to cover the head:

However, I found that the majority of the time, girls and women who wear the abaya do so by choice. It is seen as a cultural symbol representing pieces of their heritage.

In fact, the abaya is becoming a fashion statement in the Gulf. Many girls adorn their abayas with studs, jewels, lace, and many other things in order to make a statement and make themselves stand out. I saw some pretty cool abayas on campus adorned with spikes:

Finally, I lasted the entire five and a half months without ever crucially needing to speak another language. Many people in the Emirates speak English. Further, the Emirates is a melting pot, with Emiratis consisting of only about 18% of the entire country. The rest is made up of other Arab immigrants, lots of migrant workers from south Asia, and English expats seeking tax-free work in Dubai. Though Arabic was the official language of the country, you can walk down a sidewalk in Dubai and hear 5 or 6 different languages within minutes.

It has been almost a year since I have embarked on my journey half way across the world to the United Arab Emirates, and it has been 5 months since I have returned to America. I want to reflect on my experiences in writing in order to preserve some of my fondest, educational, and adventurous memories. Most importantly, I want to use my experiences to dispel some of the stereotypes of the Middle East and to paint an accurate picture of what it is like to live in the Arabian Gulf.