shiva

Inevitable though, huge bust caused by greed leads to blaming of western ideals so revert to form and **** up the only real source of govt income by killing the tourist trade leading to less money and more reversion to form ad infinitum

Norm_uk

True.

I get that feeling from some of the locals (I stress some) in Dubai - all the evils of the West are to blame (well aside from all the technology, cars, medicine, aircon etc of course!). They want the benefits of a culture without at least adopting some of the values of that culture and it's clearly not going to work.

Other cultures are able to adapt themselves when new ideas come along and still remain distinct (India, China and Japan come to mind) but here, at least in some parts they seem to want to cling to pre-medieval ideas and live in the 21st century at the same time.

It's very frustrating to see for many progressive minded locals for sure.

N.

jackthehat

I have heard the same too! I have a chat with an Emirati lawyer friend of mine each week (He likes to pop-in for a G&T). He is in Semi-Retirement, and tells me about what Dubai and Sharjah were like in the 1960s. It makes the Dubai of today look very tame indeed.

MacScot

I wonder if that would apply to the Dubai Marina Yacht Club as it was taken over by The Address Hotel and is separate from the nearest Address Hotel (Marina Mall). It was the original members that allowed the Club to get its alcohol licence...and we paid AED25,000 a year..then they let anyone in!

al dente

http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-n...old-court-told

If it's a country that charges its teenage female tourists of being guilty of consensual sex, not being raped, because they think about sex, it's capable of anything.

paca

Why cant they just do what the TV programs do.... Cover it with gaffer tape... or some kind of T-cozy

al dente

or bottle burqa

paca

get to Dragons den

Blue Cat

obviously Ramadan is around the corner

OleJanx

Hmm. A sort of tea cozy for booze? And what about a decanter of gin?
"No,no! It's water!" (fire-water, mind...)

Elmer Fudd

Another thing I need to get my head around before arriving - no holding hands in public is not going to attract the honeymooners! Most people I know like to walk hand in hand together, as do some of my straight friends

Bahtatboy

Abu Dhabi's fairly relaxed about genuine couples holding hands, as well--of course--about two heterosexual men doing so.

Elmer Fudd

Hmm, I will bear that in mind if I ever want to hold your hand Is Dubai as equally relaxed, or do I need to carry a "we are a genuine couple holding hands" permit?

Meow

There's no law against holding hands with your spouse in public. Just don't grope them or shove your tongue down their throat. A good rule for anywhere I reckon.

Elmer Fudd

Thanks Meow, I have been wondering about the rule on hand holding in public for ages - Kittycat's avatar led me to believe that this is treated very strictly by the locals, Also, I was watching a clip on a travel show, where a UK woman was held in custody for 2 days for not being modestly dressed in a mall - her accuser was a local lady dressed in full veil etc -are such incidents a rarity?