Driving in Dubai

 

DRIVER’S LICENSE

    So, here’s the most bizarre thing.  I had to have a Permission Letter (stamped, signed, sealed) from my husband stating that he would allow me to get my Driver's License!  Can you believe that?  What year is this?  Oh, please, please...  Let me drive in this crazy city with these crazy drivers.  I also needed his permission to get a job (another story)!  And just remember that in Saudi Arabia, if you are a woman, you CANNOT ever drive a car!  Forget about it.  Period, full stop, no kidding.

 
    You must be 18 years old to obtain your driver's license in the UAE and most people go to Driving School to learn to drive.  Westerners have no problem getting a license.  Just show your current license from your country, give them a passport photo, and pay for the new license.  Unless, of course, you’re a woman.  But, if you are not from the USA, the UK or Canada, etc., then it's much harder to get your license.  Non-western women fail the driving test a dozen times or more before passing.  Cultural issue?  One less freedom for women?  I think so.

    Of course, if you are a woman, you must hire a female driving instructor.  You must also have your husband's approval or father's permission to take driving lessons and/or get your driver's license.  So, it's a really big deal for Emirati ladies and other Middle Eastern women when they finally pass the test and get their driver's licenses.  However, many Emirati women have drivers, in which case they won’t be given permission to drive.   

    Other expats, men and women from Jordan, Lebanon, Iran, Syria, are quite excited and proud to learn to drive because most of them have not had this privilege or opportunity in their home country.  So, you have a lot of drivers new to the concept of driving.  Makes me wonder how safe the roads are because of these inexperienced drivers.  Also, how well can you see to drive when you are wearing a full veil or a burqa?  Think about that...  

DRIVING IN THE DESERT AND THE CITY

    Everyone beeps his or her horn while driving.  This cacophony of sound drives me nuts!  I thought driving in Los Angeles was a nightmare.  Well, that was a picnic compared to Dubai.  Over a million people in Dubai, many who learned to drive in countries that have few roads and even fewer ‘rules of the road’. 

  

RULES OF THE ROAD

    They are mainly for expats and visitors in the country.  The Emiratis or Nationals don't follow many rules of the road.  They love to drive fast in their giant SUVs, Mercedes, Lexus cars, swerving in and out of traffic, honking their horns and flashing their lights.  If they are involved in an accident, it is never their fault and they are not ticketed.  In addition, remember that all Police Officers are also Emiratis.

TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS

    They are usually young 'fatalities' because people drive far too fast for the roads, the fog and occasional rain or drizzle.  In addition, there are just so many cars on the roads and not everyone wears seatbelts, especially Emiratis. 

SEAT BELTS

    Doesn’t seem to be a law!  Hop in your Mercedes, Range Rover, Land Cruiser or Rolls Royce and drive away.  Another reason accidents are called 'fatalities'. 

CHILDREN’S CAR SEATS

    Not sure this is a law either!  No kidding...  You don’t see them in cars often.  Children just climb, play and hop around in the cars with no seat belts or car seats.  Remember when we were growing up and children sat on their parents' laps and helped them drive?  Well, they still do that in the Middle East.  Very scary...

FLASHING YOUR LIGHTS

    This is part of the driving experience here.  If you want someone to drive faster or move out of your way, just roar up behind them and flash your lights at them.  Everyone knows to move over and let the guy pass.  He’s speeding and wants to continue speeding.  

  

 HAND GESTURES

    Don’t do it!  No hand gestures should ever be made while driving – EVER, unless you want to go to jail.  No kidding.  If you make a gesture at a National (an Emirati), they will write your license plate number down and call the police.  Later that day, you will have a visitor at your apartment door.  You will be taken to jail to explain what you did because a complaint will have been filed against you.  You’ll probably pay a fine, you may have to give an apology, but rest assured, you won't have a good evening and you won't be on their Christmas card list!  Recently, an Australian chap used a hand gesture and was put in jail for 24 days, then deported.

CAMERA TICKETING

    The cameras are EVERYWHERE!  They are big, small, tall, short, hidden in palm trees, openly displayed at intersections, on the streets, at crosswalks and attached to stoplights.  Police rarely stop motorists for traffic violations.  But, if you are speeding, run a red light or make an illegal U-turn, the camera simply snaps a clear picture of your license plate.  Then, when you try to renew your license plates, your driver's license or want to leave the country - SURPRISE!!! 

    Now, you have to pay hundreds or thousands of dirhams in tickets for the past year.  YIKES!!!  You must pay all of your fines or you simply won't be able to leave the country.  Actually, all debts and outstanding bills (utility, rent, etc.) must be paid in full or you won't be getting on that airplane to fly home. 

CAMELS ON THE ROADS 

    Driving means sharing the road with camels, expecially out of the city! They roam free and often get out of the large fenced in areas.  So be on the lookout as they blend in with the desert.  Every single camel has an owner, therefore you don’t want to hit or kill a camel.  They are worth thousands of dirhams and you will pay for the camel if you injure or kill it.    

    Buckle up and drive safely!  And remember, call when you get there.  It's against the law to talk on your cell phone while driving in Dubai! 

 

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Gold Souks in the Desert

     Gold Souks everywhere!  Souks or souqs are small shops individually owned and grouped together in large indoor and outdoor traditional marketplaces.  Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah…  So much jewelry to look at, so little time.  

     'Saudi Gaudi' - That's what I called most of the gold jewelry sold in the souks!  Great name, right?  They totally lived up to the name I gave them too.  Where would I even wear these?   

     There are large, intricately designed necklaces with precious stones, shiny bangle bracelets, rings that glitter, and ear rings that dangle to your shoulders made of gold, rubies, diamonds, and sapphires.  The shopping experience is very seductive and it’s hard not to buy a piece of jewelry because the prices are good.

     Gold merchants are notoriously aggressive about selling their gold pieces, particularly the first sale of the day.  If you look too long or ask about a certain piece of jewelry, you’ll be wearing it home!  No kidding…  

     The salesman will immediately put the necklace or bracelet on you, hand you a mirror and smile, telling you how lovely the jewelry looks on you.  They don’t take ‘no’ for an answer. 

     There are no prices anywhere.  So, the bartering or negotiating begins.  You ask the price.  He answers with an inflated number.  You consider the price, then give him a number that’s maybe half.  And, so goes the game.  Either you like to bargain back and forth with sales people or you don’t.  But, this is how business is done in many souks, and not just the gold souks. 

     Be able to walk away from the deal, but do it politely.  I once saw a woman return to a shop in the gold souk to purchase a piece of jewelry.  But the salesman wouldn’t sell it to her because she had insulted him earlier in the day by not taking his final, low price. 

    She angrily stormed out of the shop with some very unkind words for the salesman slamming the door behind her.  This is part of knowing the souk culture and not offending the salesmen.  But, it’s also such a great feeling to score a terrific sale on the jewelry you covet.  

 

     Also, be sure that you have checked the price of gold before you shop because it is priced per ounce and changes daily.  The salesman will weigh it in front of you before the haggling begins.  The merchant will drive a hard deal and more because he knows you are a tourist.  If you have any Arab friends, ask them if they can recommend a gold shop and do your gold buying there. 

     The gold souks have an incredible selection of jewelry.  The hawkers stand in front of their small storefronts and verbally assault you to come into their shops to try the jewelry on or just take a look.  Again, once inside, remember it is really hard to say ‘no’. 

     There are gold souks in most large malls, as well as the famously large gold souk on Dubai Creek, Dubai, where tourists and locals go to buy their jewelry.  Abu Dhabi also has several wonderful gold souks.  

     One of my favorites was the Blue Souk or the Souk al-Marzaki (named for the beautiful blue tiles set in marble) in Sharjah.  Visually stunning souk right next to the Corniche, made up of two identical arched buildings with their infamous blue mosaic tiles set in marble.  

     It is an iconic landmark in Sharjah with over 600 shops on two floors.  The souk has nearly everything to buy from gold jewelry, flavorful dates, oriental carpets, pearl chests, prayer beads, Arabic perfumes and oils, electronics, kitchen wares, clothes, and exotic souvenir gift items.  Lucky me because we lived very close to his beautiful market. 

   

     So many gold shops displaying everything from gold earrings and bracelets to incredible, large, ostentatious gold necklaces you would expect a royal to wear.  These larger-than-life masterpieces are often purchased by wealthy Arabs for their brides on their wedding day and for their wives as gifts. 

     The stores are filled with all sorts of treasures!  I bought several scarves, prayer beads, small gifts items and small Oriental rugs.   

     We also bought very large Kilim carpets in Abu Dhabi.  These rugs are so called flatweaves, hand woven and have mostly colorful geometric patterns.  They look almost identical from top to bottom.  

     They can be used on both sides which is an advantage over other types of carpets.  The roots of the Kilims go back to the Nomadic people of the Middle East.  They served not necessarily as rugs, but more as blankets, saddle blankets, seat mats or wall decorations.  

     I love this photo of the Emirati man shopping for a Hooka pipe and perhaps some Shisha which is made up of tobacco, sugar/molasses, and fruit flavoring.  

   

     Smoking Shisha is enormously popular in the Middle East.

    

     And, yes, I smoked Shisha on my Desert Safari to celebrate my 60th Birthday.  We went Dune Bashing in a jeep with an experienced Emirati driver!  So much fun!!!

     I also learned to Belly Dance with a beautiful fringed and beaded hip shawl.  Went camel riding in the sand dunes with a striking full moon overhead.  Had an exquisite henna design painted on my hands which I totally loved.  Takes a couple of weeks to wear off!   

     The souks are such fun and exotic places to shop!