Living in a non-Christian nation. What are your thoughts?

[thenewmrssears]

I am currently in grad school for my MBA in International Business and Economics. I am also taking classes to get a fluency certificate in Arabic Language and Literature.

My company has verbally agreed that once I am done in May 2010 I will probably be transferred to the United Arab Emirates most likely to Dubai. This is my DREAM. I have been wanting to live there since high school and spend at least a few years there working and experiencing a completely different culture.

As we all know, the UAE is very very conservative. Women and men can’t show affection in public, dress is extremely modest, women can’t drive, etc. It is also obviously a Muslim country.

There are Catholic Churches, but I don’t know what they are like. I am not sure if they are liberal or traditional or what.

I am just curious if anyone has done anything similar. What was it like? Were you persecuted for being Catholic?

I think my biggest concern is possible religious persecution. I am not sure how accepting they are of others’ faith. I’ve tried to find a bit online, but I think the information is pretty diluted.

Like I said, this is my absolute DREAM. I’ve been really working hard to get this transfer, and right now the verbal commitment seems pretty good. They have never sent a woman over to that office to work in anything but a secretarial position, so this is a huge thing for them to do. Women don’t traditionally hold senior roles in Arabic countries.

This is really exciting! Now I can’t wait to graduate from grad school!

 

[Just_wondering]

Hey, I started a thread about moving to the UAE a few weeks ago. Here it is. I’d love to revive the thread - the two posters who answered my questions were very helpful, and I’m sure they’ll be more than happy to tell you what you need to know. I love the idea of moving there!

My plan was to move there next summer, but with the Korean Won tanking right now against the dollar, I’m considering moving there as early as February. It’s so exciting!

 

[thenewmrssears]

thanks

 

[ecp007]

My company has verbally agreed that once I am done in May 2010 I will probably be transferred to the United Arab Emirates most likely to Dubai. This is my DREAM.

Congratulations! :clapping:

I live in Malaysia, which is a Muslim country, that is conservative, similar to the UAE but much more liberal than say Saudi Arabia. I love living here! So I encourage you to follow your dreams!

As we all know, the UAE is very very conservative. Women and men can’t show affection in public, dress is extremely modest, women can’t drive, etc. It is also obviously a Muslim country.

I encourage you to buy a Fromer’s Travel guide to Dubai, or do some research on the internet. I believe that you may be confusing some restrictions in Saudi Arabia (women not being able to drive) with UAE. In fact, i just read an article that there are now 100 pink cabs with women’s cab drivers especially designed for women passengers. Also, the rules for Muslim women will probably be much more strict than for non-Muslim.

Hopefully you look western, so you would not get hasseled. I had a friend, who was South American, so she had think, curly brown hair, tanned skin and bushy eye brows. She lived in Saudi, and she would get chased down by Sharia police who thought she was Saudi. If she didn’t have her hair covered they would grab her and start yelling at her in Arabic. Mind you, that was in Saudi, police in big cities in Malaysia (and i imagine Dubai to be similar) would not do this.

There are Catholic Churches, but I don’t know what they are like. I am not sure if they are liberal or traditional or what.I am just curious if anyone has done anything similar. What was it like? Were you persecuted for being Catholic?

I looked it up…Freedom of Religion is guaranteed by the UAE constitution. About 10% of the population is Christian. Living in Malaysia, I can tell you that Muslims do not persecute Christians, in general. Christians are “Of the Book” and mono-theistic as are muslims. The muslims share the Old Testament as one of their Holy Books, and they regard Christ as a holy man. Mohammad discusses Christ’s life in the Quran (although he believes that Christ did not die on the cross, and he makes other errors as well). The only persecution I have heard about is regarding Christians trying to convert a Muslim. This is illegal, and carries severe penalties. Also, bringing in Christian books written in Arabic are not allowed.

I go to Mass here, and it is remarkably similar to Mass in the US except without Air Conditioner). The literguy is the same, many of the songs are the same, the layout and architecture of the church is the same. They have a conservative morning Mass, and a Mass for young adults at 6pm with a more lively rock sounding band. Once a month they have a children’s service.

.

I think my biggest concern is possible religious persecution. I am not sure how accepting they are of others’ faith. I’ve tried to find a bit online, but I think the information is pretty diluted?

Check out Wikipedia on Religious Freedom in UAE. I tend to believe what this article says because it sounds just like Malaysia. Christmas decorations and songs (even religious ones) can be heard in all the malls during the entire month of December here. Everyone says Merry Christmas to me, since they know I am Christian. I wouldn’t worry about this.

.

They have never sent a woman over to that office to work in anything but a secretarial position, so this is a huge thing for them to do. Women don’t traditionally hold senior roles in Arabic countries. ?

This is another matter altogether. As a working woman, I can tell you that things are very different here. First of all, to get anything done, you may have to rely on your husband. I usually have my husband tell any Muslim man that is working for me, that it is OK to speak to me directly, and that I am their boss. (In a corporate setting this is not a problem because they are trained, I am talking about painters, or drivers, or other workers). Once I had a painter who wouldn’t accept payment from me. I told him my husband was on a trip and wouldn’t be back for 2 weeks, and he preferred to wait, then to have a woman pay him.

Another thing is that in Malaysia, you can’t have a joint bank account. That is because here men are allowed to marry up to 4 wives, so the banking system is set up to keep the amount of money a husband has, secret from his wife(s).

I have learned to use this to my advantage. If I want something done right away, I will look very sad and afraid, and say “If this doesn’t get done right away my husband will be very upset”. Since domestic violence on woman is condoned, and my husband is very big, men will usually feel sorry for me and do what I want immediately.

Let me know if you have any specific questions, I’ll be happy to answer what I can…and good luck, you are going to have an adventure of a life time!

 

[thenewmrssears]

Wow! Thank you for all of that!

We bought a Dubai book, and that is where I got most of the information. It is probably a “safer rather than sorry” type of book.

I am very excited. It looks great.

 

[kage_ar]

You might want to contact Churches in the area:

catholic-church.org/kuwait/mideast.htm

 

[a_cermak]

Dubai is a very cosmopolitan type place, so I suspect you won’t find it too uncomfortable and will be able to practice your faith. Definitely I would advise not trying to evangelize as that tends to be a no no (and considered rude) by just about everyone.

I lived in some regions that were unwelcome to my at the time religious faith (Catholicism) due to my early career. So I simply didn’t practice it publicly, but I still highly enjoyed myself by learning the new cultures, using my lingual skills, and, of course, doing my job. It was an exciting time in my life that I do miss now. Enjoy it!

 

[Magicsilence]

I am currently in grad school for my MBA in International Business and Economics. I am also taking classes to get a fluency certificate in Arabic Language and Literature.

My company has verbally agreed that once I am done in May 2010 I will probably be transferred to the United Arab Emirates most likely to Dubai. This is my DREAM. I have been wanting to live there since high school and spend at least a few years there working and experiencing a completely different culture.

As we all know, the UAE is very very conservative. Women and men can’t show affection in public, dress is extremely modest, women can’t drive, etc. It is also obviously a Muslim country.

There are Catholic Churches, but I don’t know what they are like. I am not sure if they are liberal or traditional or what.

I am just curious if anyone has done anything similar. What was it like? Were you persecuted for being Catholic?

I think my biggest concern is possible religious persecution. I am not sure how accepting they are of others’ faith. I’ve tried to find a bit online, but I think the information is pretty diluted.

Like I said, this is my absolute DREAM. I’ve been really working hard to get this transfer, and right now the verbal commitment seems pretty good. They have never sent a woman over to that office to work in anything but a secretarial position, so this is a huge thing for them to do. Women don’t traditionally hold senior roles in Arabic countries.

This is really exciting! Now I can’t wait to graduate from grad school!

What is attracting you to Dubai?

A friend of ours brother and family live there, and yes, the weather is stunningly hot all year round (like ridiculously, almost deadly hot in the summer), but it also has a high cost of living.

Moreover, it is still a mostly Islamic country, and in the event of any world conflict (and in light of the recent world economic crisis), would you not prefer to be somewhere… a little closer to home?

I’m just not sure why you’d see it as a DREAM? Do you really want to live there permanently?

This friend of ours visited her brother in Dubai a couple of years back, and her diabetic husband had to duck into toilets to drink his water bottle because it was ‘Ramadan’, and the Islamic restriction is applied to everyone, regardless of your own faith (and health reasons!!!).

Isn’t there anywhere else less… oppressive?

 

[historybrat]

I don’t think its going to be that bad. I lived in Bahrain for a year and found most of the people there to be fairly tolerant. Dubai was suppose to be more liberal than Bahrain, so I don’t see you having any problems there. They do get pretty strict during Ramadan, so you would need to be careful about that.

I found most of the churches in the Middle East to be more traditional than churches in the U.S., but not uber traditional.

I now live in another predominately Muslim culture and find most people to be fairly accepting of other religions. As long as you don’t try to convert people, they tend to leave you alone.

Historybrat

 

[GailMac]

oh dear Stpehanie! So close to the Holy land and so far away! Fear of religious persecution? If someone slaps you on your cheek turn the other one.

Peace,

Gail

 

[thenewmrssears]

What is attracting you to Dubai?

A friend of ours brother and family live there, and yes, the weather is stunningly hot all year round (like ridiculously, almost deadly hot in the summer), but it also has a high cost of living.

Moreover, it is still a mostly Islamic country, and in the event of any world conflict (and in light of the recent world economic crisis), would you not prefer to be somewhere… a little closer to home?

I’m just not sure why you’d see it as a DREAM? Do you really want to live there permanently?

This friend of ours visited her brother in Dubai a couple of years back, and her diabetic husband had to duck into toilets to drink his water bottle because it was ‘Ramadan’, and the Islamic restriction is applied to everyone, regardless of your own faith (and health reasons!!!).

Isn’t there anywhere else less… oppressive?

Dubai is a booming area for what I do for a living, and it provides amazing opportunities.

No I am not planning on living there permanently. A few years probably. My company doesn’t do permanent overseas transfers.

I am not looking for a critique of my decision, but rather information and advice from those that have done something similar. I understand that their culture is much different and will take some adjusting. Also, I don’t really care about the cost of living. I would rather get to have the experience of living elsewhere. It is easy to make budget adjustments.

I care not about moving far from home. It has never been an issue for me. I’ve spent time in other countries, and I haven’t lived less than 600 miles from my parents and family in 8 or so years. We currently live almost 900 miles away.