Interesting Facts (& Rumours) About Living in the UAE

It'll be exactly 2 months tomorrow since my Empress and I moved to the UAE and we've learned, heard and seen all kinds of interesting things since touching down. These are but a few of them and the list will grow as time goes on. So in no particular order:

1. An Emirati (name for the locals) male can marry up to 4 women at a time. He can get a sum of money and a piece of land for each one he marries (through loans which are routinely waived).

2. You may see someone washing his feet in the face basin of the public toilet. I did and it seemed...ok.

3. When a Sheik passes away all the radio stations are required to play Muslim chanting/prayers for 7 days. It happened just today (27/10/2010) during the morning news on Radio One mid-sentence. Literally mid-sentence.

4. Every Emirati is entitled to a stipend from the Government, employed or not.

5. Locals pay no utility bills and all health care is free.

6. You can get arrested for eating in public during Ramadan.

7. You can get arrested for wearing inappropriate clothing or inappropriate public displays of affection.

8. Some Indian men routinely hold hands in public (totally cultural, nothing sexual), but it's cool. However, unmarried persons of the opposite sex could be jailed for doing the same.

9. You are often paid according to your race and/or nationality. Pay increases with the progressive lightness of your skin.

10. Skin lightening products are openly advertised and sold here. One of India's most prominent actors, Shahrukh Khan, is the spokesperson.

11. The food is pretty awesome, especially Lebanese and Filipino food.

12. You must do a medical in order to take up employment here. You can get deported immediately (if working with kids or food) if found to have a contagious disease (like Hepatitis). Get a medical done before you arrive.

13. It's more open and liberal then you hear it is.

14. Emiratis are human beings and behave as such.

15. It's very cheap to hire a maid here. Very often Filipinos are maids and sometimes terribly exploited. Some Westerners get a kick out of having a maid because it makes them feel better about themselves. They are idiots.

16. Laws and policies can change very quickly here as they are done by decree rather than democratic process.

17. Dubai is the London/New York of the UAE. Abu Dhabi is the Coventry of the UAE. Coventry is the Coventry of England.