Fresh Dubai

Happy national day!

2006-12-02T13:50:00.000+04:00

Marhaba and happy national day! I'd just like to take this opportunity to say how proud I am of my adopted country. Over the last 35 years it has come so far and I can see a great future ahead of it. Congrats Sheikh Khalifa, Sheikh Mohammed and all the citizens and expatriates.

TRA - wake up!

2006-11-19T17:42:00.000+04:00

This is likely to come out as a rant but I just had to voice my utter hatred for the totally pointless TRA. It has done nothing at all since coming into power last year except for make itself look stupid and behind the times. Correct me if I'm wrong, but generally such associations exist to protect the consumers and NOT the suppliers. The TRA, on the other hand, seems to have done the complete opposite. Not only has it made VoIP illegal, it is also refusing to let Etisalat and Du compete on price. Additionally, it has prohibited the entrance of foreign firms into our telecommunications sector until at least 2010. Now it says it will enforce Internet censorship on the TECOM, Emaar and Nakheel areas. Weren't these areas, TECOM in particular, guaranteed unrestricted access to the Internet by Sheikh Mohammed himself?

Meanwhile, Du says it will offer special packages for "housewives". Yeah... really forward our telecommunications sector is.

Fun times

2006-11-16T18:01:00.000+04:00

Who can complain about Dubai having a lack of quality events when this week we have the 2nd Dubai International Vending Machines expo. And that's not it- it only gets better... also coming to town at the same time is the 2nd Dubai International Soft Drinks expo. Woo! Robbie Williams and Destiny's Child eat your A-list hearts out!

Labour problems in the UAE? Surely not!

2006-11-13T18:02:00.000+04:00

Wow... there are labour problems in this country? Could've fooled me!

Funny, isn't it, how the government only reacts to situations when the international press covers them or they gain global attention? Why should the dishdashes (and abayas - so I don't get criticized for being politically incorrect) in power wait so long to resolve such appalling situations? How much longer must labourers, maids and countless others suffer at the hands of what seems to be a tyranny that is only interested in building the tallest, vastest and largest in the shortest possible time, regardless of how many will be hurt in the process? What can we do about it? Absolutely nothing, unfortunately. UAE government- it's up to you.

On a different note, Sheikha Lubna, our favourite Minister of Economy and Planning, is in the New York Times and various other major publications. Click here to see what they have to say about her. It's a great article and very true. Nice one Ms. Qasimi ;).

UAE continues to climb

2006-11-07T19:20:00.000+04:00

Some doubly good news today: not only is the UAE considered the less corrupt country in the region (which, I admit, is not hard to do), it has also climbed to number 77 on the world Press Freedom Index. This is excellent, especially considering that in 2004 it was at 137 and in 2005 at 90. This means that it has almost halved in the span of 2 years. It makes me proud, especially after my post on freedom of expression ;). Look forward to the year ahead, my realistic prediction for next year is in the 60-65s.

What?! You have... Internet?!

2006-11-04T16:30:00.000+04:00

I can't tell if it's funny or irritating that most people I speak to back home in England and France are convinced that I'm living in the middle of a terrorist-ruled dodgy desert country. They are all certain that we go to school on camels or donkeys and are forced to wear the local dress. As funny as this may sound to those of us who actually live here, they take such opinions very seriously and are terrified every time I come back here after the holidays because they think I'm going to get blown up. No matter how much I try, I cannot persuade them that the UAE is probably much more modern than my own home countries and I'm almost certainly safer here than there. And when they ask me to give them my contact details the conversation ususally goes like this:

Me: "Yeah, I have an e-mail address if you want to add me to MSN?"
Them: "What?! You have... Internet... over there in the desert lands?"
Me: "Yes, of course we do"
Them: "But how?! You can't have phones over there- have they even been invented in the UAE?"

The worst part is I'm not even exaggerating... they actually say that! Although I have to admit that recently people are starting to become more aware of Dubai in particular. Some even know about the Burj and Ski Dubai, which amazes me every time.

We want freedom of expression!

2006-10-31T14:31:00.000+04:00

In case you hadn't already noticed by the banner on the bottom-right of my blog, I am a fierce believer in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. I believe that every human should have the right to openly express their views in any format, be it on paper, radio, TV- anything.

So how can it be that a country like the UAE, considered almost developed, still lags at number 90 on the press freedom list? How, in such a country, can blogs and websites be blocked and unblocked at random without notice? Why can't constructive criticism be accepted by anyone in positions of power? Enough already! As the UAE transforms into a veritable player on the world (or at least regional) map, it will have to open itself up to criticism. It is already receiving a lot of it internationally so why not internally? More importantly, perhaps, what happened to the so-called revision of the hilariously old-fashioned UAE press laws? Weren't they supposed to have been replaced almost a year ago?

I say bring on freedom of expression!

The gap between the Western and Islamic world?

2006-10-27T11:55:00.000+04:00

"This verdict will only widen the gap between the Western and Islamic world". Because boycotting an entire country for the actions of a few people won't? No, my friend, it is through that and by making comments like "the Western mentality still sees in such things a facet of freedom that should be defended. This reflects arrogance because they want to impose their way of thinking on all other nations" that will widen this gap. Who do you think you are? You are so hypocritical, yes you, calling for the newspaper to be taken to court to impose YOUR ideas on another country, while telling the West that they are trying to impose their thinking on others. How dare you! Granted, the Danish paper that carried the cartoons was ignorant and it was an extremely inconsiderate thing to do, but the extent of the backlash was totally uncalled for. It is people like you, in a position of power, who should be trying to bridge the so-called gap between the Western and Islamic world instead of widening it.

Shiny buildings versus a developed society

2006-10-26T11:50:00.000+04:00

The UAE, and Dubai in particular, has built itself a good set of shiny new buildings and tall skyscrapers, bringing in the best architects and designers to create them. But what do such buildings mean if there is not a developed society behind them? A society that reflects their modernity and progressiveness- one that is living in the future. Yes, the country is developing at an outstanding rate and to be fair, it is only 33 years old and has accomplished in three decades what most countries would take three centuries to do. But on the other hand, there are many facets to a well-rounded and advanced society that are lacking here, such as a world-class public education and health system, totally equal rights for women and other nationalities and impartiality and equality in the so-called justice system (2 months for flashing for a foreigner and 3 months for manslaughter for a local- what a joke!), just to name a few.

Indeed, we do have our growing pains, like all countries, but will we be able to make it into a fully-developed country within the next 15 years? Only time will tell...

Winter nights are here

2006-10-25T02:29:00.000+04:00

At last, winter nights have arrived in Dubai- or almost at least. Last night I went for a stroll and dinner down at the Marina and the weather was practically perfect- a mild breeze, minimal humidity and low temperatures. One of the best parts of living in Dubai, in my humble opinion, are the winters. It's so nice being able to sit outside between October and March without freezing your arse off and enjoying the great outdoors. Three cheers for Dubai winters!

Eid Mubarak!

2006-10-23T01:20:00.000+04:00

Eid Mubarak to you all, hope Ramadan was a successful and spiritual month for you. Now take it easy and enjoy the holidays! Take care,

~ FD

A worrying divide...

2006-10-22T14:57:00.000+04:00

Recently it has become clear that the cultural divide between Emiratis and foreigners is widening, with articles in 7DAYS and even The New York Times commenting on this growing gap. Reading a post on An Emirati's Thoughts (a great blog by the way), I find this trend to be very worrying because moreso than the divide existing, no-one seems to want to do anything realistic about it. I, personally, find it an unrealistic solution to force foreigners into the culture because you cannot successfully impose a culture on someone else, especially if they are only here for a few years. If the UAE chooses to open its doors to the world, it has to face the consequences, as lousy as they may be. I am not saying I advocate people totally disregarding the local culture here at all, but I do not believe that it should be forced upon them.

Ignorance, ignorance, ignorance

2006-10-13T01:36:00.000+04:00

Something that I'd always noticed but never thought about was the lack of knowledge expats (young and old alike) have of their host country. It hit me today when my Economics teacher said something along the lines of "the president... Sheikh what's-his-name". The truth is that for some reason, expats generally do not have a good knowledge of the UAE, nor do they know anything about it. They copy and paste their lifestyles from their home countries and live in their native bubbles but a lot of them do not care to find out about the country or its people. Ask any expat any of the following 9 questions and I can almost guarantee that you will be met with a blank face.

1) What are the names of the 7 emirates?
2) What is the name of the UAE president?
3) What exactly is Sheikh Mohammed's position?
4) What does FNC stand for?
5) What is the capital city of the UAE? (yes, a lot of people still believe it is Dubai)
6) What is the proper name for 'locals'?
7) What does the UAE national flag look like?
8) Which is the largest emirate in terms of population?
9) Which is the largest emirate in terms of size?

And one more thing...

2006-10-11T19:15:00.000+04:00

Before I forget, one more thing that I believe almost all expats can relate to is the "go home if you don't like it" attitude that is so prevalent here. Only a society that is well-developed and secure about itself can take criticism, something that clearly isn't happening in the UAE. So for those of you who think that that sort of attitude is in any way productive whatsoever or will get you anywhere at all, think twice. I would love to see what would happen if all expats did in fact choose to leave. Say goodbye to your luxury lifestyles and about 80% of your population.

Misconceptions

2006-10-11T19:01:00.000+04:00

The Miss Emirates 2007 controversy has definately stirred up some interesting reactions and opinions. It seems that people are either totally for the pageant or totally against it- there are no 'in-betweeners'. I would just like to clear up misconceptions that both sides (arguably locals vs. Westerners) seem to have.

To locals and others who oppose Miss Emirates 2007: a woman wearing skimpy clothes or entering a beauty pageant does not mean that she is a 'sex slave', nor are such acts 'demeaning'. And please, don't tell me that holding a beauty pageant is a 'flaw' and will tarnish the UAE's reputation internationally. If anything it will do the opposite, promoting it as a free and tolerant society.

On the other hand, Westerners have to understand that just because a woman is in an abaya and/or covered head to toe does not make her 'opressed' or mean that she is subjugated by a male relative or husband. Many women choose to do this out of their own free will so do not jump to conclusions.

Democracy: UAE-style

2006-10-04T19:05:00.000+04:00

A few days ago the UAE cabinet announced the procedure for the first ever UAE FNC elections. I admit, such an election sounds promising but read into it a little more and you'll discover that it means absolute zilch. For a start, the "electoral college" is nothing more than a group (albeit a very large one) of nominees chosen by the rulers themselves. Secondly, only half of the members of the FNC can be "elected", meaning that the so-called electees will never actually be able to make decisions themselves.

In all fairness, other FNC-style elections within the region have not gone as well as everyone would have hoped. With a little education and information for citizens, maybe the UAE will be ready for a full-fledged election in the near (but probably more likely to be distant) future.

Ramadan Kareem

2006-09-23T14:16:00.000+04:00

Ramadan Kareem everyone, hope it's a good one. Sorry for the lack of updates recently, been quite busy with school work.

~ FD

Dubabes

2006-09-18T20:29:00.001+04:00

Walking around Mall of the Emirates today, I noticed an interesting and relatively new phenomenon- the sight of young, sexy Emirati ladies wearing the latest in international fashions (usually consisting of tight tight jeans or mini miniskirts) and a barely-there abaya. They stood out to me much more than just the average Western girl simply because they wore this one extra item of clothing. Some may call this controversial and hypocritical because an abaya is supposed to exist to deflect male attention, but I simply call it the new Dubabes phenomenon. They're hot!

Life in Dubai

2006-09-17T19:12:00.000+04:00

Living in Dubai truly is a unique experience. Without trying to sound too much like the city's marketing propoganda, it definately is a mix of east and west and of Western and Islamic values. Even a normal school day in the city is schizophrenic:

6am - wake up to my Dubai-bought Nokia phone's alarm
7am - catch my American-style school bus, driving past mosques and Arabic signposts while listening to English-language radio
7:55am - arrive at my British curriculum school, where both Arabic and Islamic studies are taught
3:30pm - pay a visit to McDonald's after school where I tuck into a McArabia, something that we take for granted here but would probably raise eyebrows elswehere. Sip some Coke.
4pm - surf the Internet at (usually) high-speed. Greeted by our favorite "Site Blocked" page at various intervals
8pm - order fast food from Pizza Hut. The menu specifically states that all food is Halal.

Yes, we all love to have a good moan about Dubai, myself included, but at the end of the day it's the unique vision and way of life that makes this place so special. The mix of cultures from around the world is well visible, and although the city is not necessarily seen as a melting pot, I am still very proud to call it my home.

Three cheers for Internet censorship!

2006-09-16T20:50:00.000+04:00

According to an article from Emirates Today, there are no plans to lift the ban on Internet phone calls in the UAE. Obviously this is because VOIP is not consistent with our "religious, cultural, political and moral values", or even better, the ban is a matter of national security, as I have also read in another paper. No one would dare say that it's simply a matter of making money because, of course, our dearly beloved national monopoly would never do such a terrible thing in the name of profit.

Even better than this is the fact that the currently proxy-exempt TECOM will now fall under the TRA's authority, meaning that businesses which have been attracted by TECOM's "freedom to create" propoganda will be just as censored as the rest of the country.

Well done TRA, you're making it seem more and more attractive to do business in rival cities across the region. Give yourselves a pat on the back.

Amnesty International - UAE database

2006-09-16T15:22:00.000+04:00

Amidst all the news of continuing human rights violations within the UAE, I decided to visit the Amnesty International website. The site carries a full database on the country and lists all of it's violations, including the disappearances of various Emiratis and "cruel judicial punishments". If you want to see the full list yourself, visit

http://web.amnesty.org/report2005/are-summary-eng

Strangely enough, none of the violations listed on the site (to my knowledge) have ever been reported within this, and I quote, "oasis of freedom and democracy". Hmm...

Welcome to Fresh Dubai

2006-09-16T14:34:00.000+04:00

Welcome to Fresh Dubai, my first ever blog.

Check back later for more updates.

~ FD