Although Emirati citizens account for a little more
than 10% of the 8 million people living in the Gulf state, most residents are made up of Asian, African and Middle Eastern guest
workers, as well as Western expatriates living in the country short-term.
The
overall population more than doubled over the past decade as the
country embarked on a building boom that transformed Dubai, up the coast
from Abu Dhabi, into the Arabian Gulf's financial hub and a popular
tourist draw.
As
the number of foreigners in the UAE has increased, so have the accounts of them
violating the UAE's strict indecency code, which limits drinking to bars
and nightclubs and bans public displays of affection. A drunken couple
was caught having sex on the beach and another allegedly having sex in a
taxi. A Pakistani was deported for flipping the middle finger at a
motorist, and the courts are filled with cases of foreigners having sex
out of wedlock.
Unfortunately, sprawling shopping malls are one of the few places where Emiratis and foreigners come together in their collective effort to escape the intense temperature outside. The cultural clash is hard to ignore, as families of conservatively dressed Emiratis shop and relax in cafes alongside
foreign women wearing tank tops, shorts and even transparent gowns over
bikinis.
Most malls have policies in place that require
"conservative" dress and encourage shoppers to avoid showing shoulders
and knees, but few publicize them or enforce them.
The complaints and advocacy of many Emiratis recently caught the attention of the Federal National Council,
which pledged last month to push for stronger measures to enforce the
dress codes. That came after the country's culture minister, Abdulrahman
al-Owais, supported efforts to emphasize the conservative traditions of
the UAE.
Members of a half-elected, half-appointed council have
suggested a law could include warnings and fines but not jail time for
offenders. But the FNC has no law-making authority, so any decision now
rests with the UAE government.
COMMENT: The Abu Dhabi
police last week issued a booklet on do's and don't's for foreigners that
will be available at the Abu Dhabi International Airport and hotels. It advises tourists that public
displays of affection, including kissing are considered indecent and that
they should wear "modest" clothing.
Yet, many foreigners, some in skimpy summer dresses, others in shorts and T-shirts, defended their right to wear what they want, either because it is
fashionable or keeps them cool in the summer heat.
Given increasing Emirati pressure to enforce social mores to dress more conservatively, foreign women need not wear abayas, but should, out of respect for the local culture, avoid dress that is particularly provocative. Otherwise, one day foreigners may learn that abayas ARE required.
