Dubai: Cultural Differences Require Awareness, Respect

While the news of a UK couple being sentenced to a month in jail for kissing at a Dubai restaurant and consuming alcohol may have surprised many Westerners, it should not. Despite its ultra-modern, lavish resorts and cosmopolitan, relatively tolerant lifestyle, Dubai is still a conservative Muslim country whose traditions and laws must be respected.

An editorial in the “Gulf News” stated that “while the hyperbole and verbiage generated by this case in the British tabloid press is predictable and inflammatory, the reality is that the pair were convicted after a fair judicial process. Visitors to Dubai must realise they are afforded the same rights and freedoms as everyone else. With those rights and freedoms comes a duty to respect the cultural traditions and laws implemented so that the UAE remains a haven of respect for all.”

The editorial continued to say that the couple was convicted “not of merely pecking on the lips, but of acting in a manner which went above and beyond the normal social exchange one would expect. Their consumption of alcohol no doubt lessened their inhibitions.”

The U.S. State Department information on the United Arab Emirates points out that “penalties for breaking the law can be more severe than in the United States for similar offenses. Americans have been arrested in the past for obscene hand gestures, using inappropriate (foul) language with a police official, and for public displays of affection, such as kissing.”

TMR asked Manu Mehrotra, general manager of Al Tayer-Travel, a Dubai-based travel management organization which deals with inbound and outboard travel to lend some additional perspective.

Mehrotra pointed out that public indecency laws are prevalent in every country in the world. In this case, he said, the conservative aspect was that it was referred to officially as ‘public kissing.’

“Actually in the past 15 years that I have lived in Dubai there have only been two cases reported when extreme measures were called for like the conviction referred to.”

“Dubai is a liberal and welcoming destination and tourism has flourished within the last 10 years and continues its upward trend,” he noted, adding that considerate behaviour towards fellow human beings and respect for cultural sensitivities are part of good manners and civic sense, everywhere.

“Most importantly Dubai is probably the safest city in the world, including for its residents, of which expatriates make up about 70% of the entire population. People from more than a 120 countries call Dubai their home and benefit from its economic and social environment.”

“Individual drunken and indecent behaviour by one or two people should be treated in the same way as anywhere else and seen for what it is,” he said. “I think Dubai has much more to offer and many other important aspects to its amazing transformation as an economically advanced state than these petty irrelevant issues.”

Others involved in tourism in the region agreed.

When asked if this incident would impact travel to the region, Graeme Barnett, director for the Gulf Incentive, Business Travel & Meetings Exhibition, said, “Anecdotally from my visits to the region, cultural differences are unlikely to impact on the growth of the business in the Middle East. Clients are looking for new experiences so are willing to accept cultural differences.

“What we can say is that as with any country that events are taking place at, it is important to research and be aware of any cultural differences…Meeting planners will make clients aware of those differences.”

The Internet is a great source of information and a good first stop is the U.S. State Department at www.state.gov. Discovering and experiencing different cultures is part of the joy of travel; especially if your client knows what to expect.