Dubai Culture Essay

Dubai is generally an Arabic country with Arab as its official language. However this should not scare you in any way because there are so many foreigners from all over the world who come as businesspeople, tourists or workers. This means that English is used as a language of communication because it common to many. In fact most of all road and location sign posts are in English and Arabic, this also includes restaurant menus, shop signs and so on. http://www. dubai-101. com/dubai-culture/dubai-culture-3. htm Dubai is therefore a cosmopolitan city because of the different nationalities that have converged here. This means that visitors can dress however they like but must be careful not to antagonize the local Muslim cultures. Therefore it would not be wise for women to dress in tight or skimpy dresses; it would be regarded as disrespectful. The local people love wearing traditional dresses, with men wearing â€Å"dishdasha† or â€Å"khandura† which is a long white shirt like dress that is full length. The men also wear a â€Å"gutra† which is a red or white checked headdress. The women on the other hand wear a headscarf and a black robe-like dress called â€Å"abaya†. The abaya is worn over their normal clothes and is worn while in public. http://www. dubai-101. com/dubai-culture/dubai-culture-3. htm The city is beautiful thus photography unless for restricted areas is not prohibited. One should be careful not to photograph Muslim women since it is considered offensive. Areas that photography cannot be allowed are government buildings, ports, airports and military installations, this because of security reasons. Also before photographing anyone it is considered polite to seek their consent. The main types of dishes are Arabic cuisines and sharwama a hot lamb or chicken sandwich with vegetables is sold in the streets by vendors. Alongside this vendors are juice vendors who take advantage of the hot weather. Alcohol is limited and only allowed in licensed hotels and bars. In general the culture of Dubai is â€Å"Vibrant and very colourful. † http://www. mapsofworld. com/dubai/dubai-culture/ REFERENCES Dubai- Dubai Culture: Retrieved on 9th June 2008 from: http://www. dubai-101. com/dubai-culture/dubai-culture-3. htm Dubai Culture: Retrieved on 9th June 2008 from: http://www. mapsofworld. com/dubai/dubai-culture/