work in dubai!
Out of context: Reply #27
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- ninjasavant0
Menos, Its kinda intense actually. The streets are always packed and its insanely busy. There are plenty of places to drink but you don't want to get caught drunk in public. Basically when it comes to that part of society you don't have all the freedoms available in Europe or the states but if you comport yourself with a modest amount of decorum and live moderately compared to the excesses of what they would consider Western culture you will rarely find yourself on the wrong side of anything.
They are a Muslim country, but nothing like for instance Saudi Arabia. They are very open minded and tolerant but there are some vestiges of the muslim law apparent from day to day. For example there are speakers that call everyone to prayer 5 times a day out in public. Beaches are segregated male and female. Stuff like that but there's no morality police like they have in SA unless you go to a place like Sharjah which is more strict. Basically if you have respect for them they will have respect for you.
On that note, people were amazingly friendly there. Everywhere I went I was offered the best chair, the best food, I drank so much coffee. My art director's friend let me stay at his place rent free just because he was being hospitable. I find it hard to reconcile the images the news shows with the people I met there because I never met the people they show on the news.
Safety? Forget about it, I spent most of my time in Abu Dhabi while I was there so speaking for AD I felt safer there than any place in the US. Would walk home through downtown at 4 in the morning after work some nights and the only people I ever met were on their way to prayer. Never even a hint of a problem.
It isn't all sunshine and smiles though, there are a couple of issues I ran into:
Its hot like fuck in the summer and humid as anything. Seriously, 105 (50) degrees and 80% humidity was not pleasant but I guess you get used to it.
They are very into class and status over there. If you are doing work for a client they view you as beholden to them. Worst example I had was that we had a meeting with a client for a furniture catalog we were designing. They showed up 8 hours late. Seriously. That was the worst but clients would show up whenever they pleased and expect us to drop everything for them. Not cool.
Chicken shawerma in the middle of the day gave me food poisoning.
All in all it was a positive experience and I'd do it again if the situation were right.