Job Discussion Forums

[Ka-CHING!]

I'm hoping to work in the UAE starting next year and am wondering about dress codes. What is suitable women's wear in class and in public?

[veiledsentiments]

Hi

I would say the key words are conservative and modest. Forget anything that screams 'Brittany' - no shorts - no bare belly - no sleeveless - no short skirts - no see through blouses - no skin tight anything.

Beachwear is only appropriate on the private beaches - hotels and clubs. Public beaches are mostly full of leering males, so most sensible women avoid them - not because of danger, but you just get tired of these guys. (this is them staring at you --)

Here was my wardrobe. Fortunately for the last few years there have been plenty of fashionable long ankle-length skirts. I love the broomstick skirts - cool lightweight, comfortable, cheap, easy care and perfect culturally!! I never wore slacks as they are horribly uncomfortable in the heat and humidity. (and this is from someone who lives in jeans back in real life). I haven't purchased a pair of pantihose since the 80's. Sandals all year round. For blouses I kept to cool loose cotton with sleeves at least to the elbow - love the new 3/4 length sleeves myself. If one does wear slacks, the top should be tunic length - covering the hips. T-shirts are fine as long as they are long and loose. The basic premise here is that you are not displaying body shape.

Will anything happen to you if you dress inapropriately? No --- no one will even say anything to you about it probably. You will see some western women running around wearing most anything. But, many of them will be Russian hookers and the rest are either culturally arrogant or ignorant. I found it disrespectful as do the locals if you dress like you would at home. They will assume that you are meeting their cultural stereotype that all western women are available for the asking. You get enough attention if you dress modestly, so best to avoid drawing excessive attention if you can.

VS

[hmbaba]

Hello,
I'll echo veiled sentiments remarks: socailly Dubai is more liberal than Abu Dhabi or anywhere else - so you will see all kinds of dress in Dubai from shorts and strappy tops upwards. Going out shopping - pants, jeans, knee length skirt and a loose t-shirt and modify it with whatever you feel comfy with when you get here. On the way back from the beach I might go on a quick supermarket trip in shorts (city shorts), but not as a general rule.
For work: calf length skirt/dress - short, but not too short sleeves, loose shirt, smart pants, have a jacket or cover up long sleeve shirt handy...
Variety is the key - have lots of cheap and cheerful stuff, mix 'n' match - both the female and male students notice EVERY detail of what you wear - looking smart helps with discipline, too. Sandals with backs/back straps in - not flip-floppy things. Some ladies go for the more 'hippy loook' - that's Ok provided it's ironed!
Depend where you work - places have different specs on the dress code - but i think what I have said would be appropraite anywhere in UAE - and vary it when you get here depending on what you witness in your colleagues' behaviour and dress.
Also, going back to 'socially' - a lot depends on YOUR behaviour and demenour - if you act like you have a mission and know what you are doing, nobody will bother you whatever you wear.
Regards,
Heather

[veiledsentiments]

Hi,

Heather's message reminded me of another useful detail. The Gulf is filled with great tailors (both Indians and Filipinas) many of whom are very talented. Not only can they copy almost anything, they can do variations - and the cost was a fraction of what it would have cost back home. By the end of my years in the area I had a huge wardrobe. The key is to have 2 or 3 skirts and the same with blouses that you like. Then every year when I was home I could hit the fabric shops and buy up lots of good quality cotton. I would bring it back and have my tailor make it up for about half what it would have cost to purchase readymade. (assuming, of course, that you don't purchase you wardrobe at Wal-Mart)

She is also correct that the locals are observant and can be quite critical of our dress style. Since many of my female students there did all their shopping in Paris and London in the summer and were very 'into' high fashion, they invariably think we are pretty frumpy. There is no way that I could afford to maintain a wardrobe that would 'impress' them, but I concentrated on being neat, professional, and comfortable - and modest. Fortunately they were always polite and managed not to be critical to my face. Over the years I worked with a few of the 'hippy look' teachers and the students would often ask me why they dressed like that in public. I don't know if they asked them - they may have - these girls aren't shy in an all-female environment and can be very out-spoken.

It is quite easy to avoid hassle from the men, but no matter how you dress, you have to learn to put up with endless staring. Harmless, but disconcerting until you learn to ignore it.

VS

[Ka-CHING!]

veiledsentiments & hmbaba,

Thank you for the comments. I also like the broom stick skirts and have several. I gave up on wearing pants in high humidity years ago - I've been in Japan and Korea for a combined total of eight years. Skirts are way cooler. I'm also used to being stared at. *Why* do people do that? Annoying, but there's no point in being annoyed (or asking why) really, because it just comes with the territory.

I've applied to HCT, UAEU, and some other places but haven't heard anything yet.

[ohman]

Supervisors might write you up if they can detect the shape of your caboos. Dress as unflattering as you can, even on the women's campuses.

[veiledsentiments]

Ka-CHING,

I have never understood the staring thing either, but I think it is cultural. Have you ever gone to India? Everyone stares every man, woman, child, all ages It was apparent to me that no sub-continental parent ever said to their child "don't stare dear, it's rude" You would have thought that they had never seen a western woman before. And that was even in Delhi or Bombay --- I kept thinking - uh - did I forget an important article of clothes or something??

I had always blamed the staring in the Gulf on the fact that these men live bachelor status only seeing their wives every 2 or 3 years - sharing rooms with dozens of other men years at a time working seven days a week--- but then I went to India and even couples would stare at you the same way!!

Of course, it could be my devastating pulchritude

OHMAN

Really? In all my years in the Gulf I have never known anyone personally who got in trouble for what they wore - except a man who wore rubber flip-flops during Ramadhan. There were a few that weren't exactly appropriate, and one of them was 'not-renewed.' Of course, Dubai has loosened up a lot since I was teaching in the Emirates, and people may be trying to rush change a bit too quickly there. But, I would not tell anyone to dress 'unflattering.'

---- perhaps you just don't like the conservative look. (I am assuming that you are a man here) Personally I think that a little mystery can be very provocative -- makes you use your imagination a bit

VS

[JCMach1]

One of the interesting things I have found is that locals here in Sharjah love to touch my young daughters' golden hair.

I am still wondering if it's just curiousity, or if there is some cultural myth behind.

Even here in Sharjah, women will sometimes break the dress code. I have never seen anyone questioned about it, but I think the disrespect is profound.

Covers upper arms, knees and stomach and you will be fine.

[ohman]

VS,
I know of an American teacher at UAEU's UGRU who received a half dozen write ups from her supervisor because the supervisor could detect the shape of the teacher's rump--even through loose fitting "hippy chick" skirts. Then perhaps the supervisor was just an arse freak.

[veiledsentiments]

Ohman,

I can't say that it surprises me. The women's division at UGRU has a few strange stories come out of it. This fellow best not ever attend a class at KU or some of the private sexually integrated colleges in Oman or the Emirates. He would probably just faint at the students dressed in their best Brittany lookalike outfits - though midriffs stayed covered. Not just the shape of their backside was obvious, so was every shape of every body part they have. Amazing range of dress code by the students in some of the places. But, teachers chose to err on the side of conservatism.

Was the supervisor Egyptian by any chance?

JMach,

No cultural myth here, just a fascination with both hair and especially golden hair. The Arabs tend to constantly touch children of both sexes. I always gave a talk to any of my students who were transferring to the US for further education to NOT touch children in America because the parents would think you had evil intent. They were shocked. They thought it very sad that we had to teach our children to fear strangers - and I guess I had to agree.

A cultural note - an Egyptian man once told me that to them, hair was more erotic than a bare breast (will that be bleeped?). After all, every day they could see babies being nursed on the street, but hair was more special and should be hidden. Probably much like the Victorian love of ankles.

Have you noted the vast range covered by the word 'blond' used by an Arab? It pretty much covers the whole spectrum from pure white all the way up to what we would call a lightish brunette or dark brown. They always referred to my hair as 'blond' and were shocked when I told them that my haircolor used to be referred to as 'dirty blond' or dishwater blond' and that it was considered a very blah and ugly color. But with age, it has now darkened to what is best described as a mousy brown.

As to the dress code, you will always see some expat women dressing inappropriately everywhere - usually just cultural ignorance while with a few it is cultural arrogance - the ever present attitude of some of 'screw the towelheads, I dress as I like while living off their money.'

VS

[Ka-CHING!]

VS,

Devastating pulchritude, ah yes. I have much the same problem myself.

If I may ask, what sort of stories have emerged from UGRU?

[Ka-CHING!]

Echo deleted.

[veiledsentiments]

ka-CHING

There are stories on the Job Information Journal about pay problems at UAEU in general that have supposedly now been cured.

I also ran into a woman in Kuwait who said that she was attacked by female students during a demonstration on the women's campus in '97 or '98. She said that they trashed the campus and attacked a couple of teachers. I haven't encountered anyone else that was there at that time, but it sounded like an interesting story. Lots of these students are Bedu and country girls, so they can probably be a bit more aggressive than the young women in Abu Dhabi where I taught. There seems to be a growing political activism among the young of all the Gulf countries.

Some friends of mine started teaching there this year, and they are happy so far. I have noticed that in the last 2 or 3 years, the complaint levels about UAEU have dropped significantly.

VS

[Ka-CHING!]

VS,

Thanks for the info. I read the stories on the Job Information Journal but, as they were mostly from a few years ago, I wasn't sure how much credence to give them. Also, some of them had a rather histrionic flavour to them that seemed to cast a little doubt on the author's credibility. Sometimes those negative postings are deserved, sometimes they 'payback' for perceived slights. It's hard to know...

I'm not fond of political demonstrations.

[veiledsentiments]

ka-CHING,

You are right about the messages being old and often rightfully appear to someone with a personal issue to pursue. As I said, UAEU has seemed to have become more organized and there have been fewer and fewer complaints in the last few years. And considering how many teachers they have, this is pretty good.

Demonstrations? Well, I try to stay far away from them, but in many ways I am glad to see some politcal awareness appearing. Various Gulf governments have allowed peaceful demonstrations in the last few years. They may be opening Pandora's box, but once you educate your populace and allow them to have satellite TV to see the world, political awareness is going to follow.

VS