How to Be Respectful in Dubai

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by: bythesea
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Word Count: 531
Date: Fri, 13 Aug 2010 Time: 5:25 AM
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Dubai originated as a small coastal village founded in the 1300's, nothing more than a fishing village at first that thrived with the discovery of pearls. The original tribal belt was a branch of the Bani Yas tribe led by the irrepressible Maktoum family whose descendants rule Dubai to this day. The Bani Yas were a nomadic people who roamed the desert with their camel herds. Life was challenging in the arid desert and challenging given the number of nomads who roamed freely and lawlessly. The Bani Yas settled on the coast and a thriving fishing and pearl industry emerged that led to the rise of Dubai as a self sufficient city.

By the early 1900's Dubai became one of the leading trading ports in the Gulf coast and the city became a hub of activity attracting traders from all over the Gulf region including India, Iran, Bahrain, Oman and others and the city quickly became known as the city of merchants.

The search for oil intensified after World War Two and in 1966 Dubai discovered Oil in abundance. The individual states of the Gulf merged to become 1971 the United Arab Emirates of which Abu Dhabi, Dubai, TSharjah, Umm Al Quwain and Ajman and Fujairah came together to form the UAE. Dubai and Abu Dhabi are the better known commercial hubs of the area and Abu Dhabi is the capital of the United Arab Emirates. The population of the area is circa 7 million.

Islam is the way of life here for many and there is a strict code of conduct to adhere to. Within the Quran a complete set of rules is laid out and must be met by all those who practice Islam. Visitors to the area should be wary of flouting some of the main rules relevant to nudity, kissing and excessive drinking particularly during the months of Ramadan which is during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. This is when all Muslims are required to fast from dawn to dusk. Your normal sins of lying, swearing, cheating and anything else frowned on morally should be avoided during this month. The month of Ramadan is the Islamic holy month during which locals will fast from dawn to dusk and some restaurants even close during daylight hours out of respect for those that have chosen to not eat during the daylight hours. Visitors should be sensitive to Ramadan at all times and it is suggested that you don't eat openly in Public and perhaps eat your meals behind closed doors.

There are a few cultural nuances that people visiting this great city should be aware of. Shaking hands is common between men a way of greeting each other however Muslim men tend not to shake the hands of females. If you meet a female and she extends her hand to shake it is acceptable to extend the same courtesy. Likewise public displays of kissing and fondling are deemed inappropriate and somewhat disrespectful. It is important to realise that Dubai is a very tolerant society however like with travelling in most places it makes sense to observe local traditions and religious beliefs.

About the Author

Sarah Maple writes for Gohop.ie who offer last minute holidays and American holidays.