Going to vacation in Dubai (UAE) and then business trip to Saudi Arabia. First time to Middle East. Help?
1 I thought you might want to read what an American woman in Saudi wrote about her experiences there:blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/foley_... .
2 divafluff, regarding your answer "Yes they are different in that it is much more strict in Saudi than in Dubai as far as clothing, etc. ":You say:"Do not give too much personal information about yourself as you must remember that there are terrorists out there looking for perfect hostages. If you work for a large and well known American company, do not say so. Just say your a tourist and some rather bland info......"I'm not sure where you got the idea that Dubai is some sort of terrorist hotspot.
It is very safe. While I think it is somewhat unwise to broadcast the fact that you are American in ANY foreign country, I think the likelihood of terrorists taking a hostage in Dubai is extremely small. I mean, when was the last time you heard of something like that happening?
It hasn't.
3 I said the info about the personal information BECAUSE I had relatives working over there very high up in a particular company and they were warned MANY times about giving out personal information because they would be a prime target for kidnapping. It would be a coup any terrorist organization to get a CEO of KBR, Halliburton, etc. , or a member of their family. One of the major construction companies in Dubai is, guess what---Bin Laden's family's.
I don't think Dubai is a terrorist hotspot, but you must be careful, especially if you are an American. And, their airport security is nothing like what we go through now. They know that their country is not a prime target, so they're not worried about someone smuggling something in or out.
It's the foreigners in their country that would be a target. It pays to be careful, period---even in Brazil, we were approached after 9/11 by Middle Easterners angrily chanting "Bush, Bush, Bush!". A friend of mine, who is Moslem, but has an American passport, was beaten by Middle Easterners in Amsterdam.
No, you don't hear about a lot of this on the news, but you need to keep your head on your shoulders and pay attention to the people around you and keep personal information about yourself to a minimum.
The roads are great, but there is ALOT of construction and sometimes you have to "go around the world" to get to the building you see from the highway. No speeding--the cameras take pictures and they sent you a ticket in the mail and may come and tow the car away. Most cars are equipped with a beeper that beeps when you go over the speed limit.
I loved visiting Dubai--the food is wonderful! Do not give too much personal information about yourself as you must remember that there are terrorists out there looking for perfect hostages. If you work for a large and well known American company, do not say so.
As for Saudi, they are MUCH more strict. Women and men do not use the same entrances and women typically need to completely cover themselves when out in public by wearing the abayas. Men have much more mobility in this culture than women.
Again, the food is great, and like everywhere in the Middle East (Dubai included) you must barter the prices in the markets and stores. Unlike here, what's marked is not what is the selling price. There are many more people in Saudi that HATE Americans and you must be extra careful.
Again, give as little info to people as possible--be polite, but not chatty. There are taxis available both in Saudi and Dubai that people use--not sure about rentals. They drive like maniacs too and will cut across lanes of traffic without thinking.
It's a scary ride and even scarier if you're driving either in Dubai or Saudi. English is spoken pretty much everywhere as is French and, of course, Arabic. You'll have a wonderful time.
Dress for warm weather, but take a sweater or jacket because they keep it pretty cool inside the buildings.
I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.
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