Women living in dubai

[krosewarne]

Hello,
My partner is very interested in moving to dubai, sounds great from a male point of view.
it's not really appealling to me at the moment with all the restrictions placed on women.
is it hard to live in dubai as a female?
or am i getting the wrong impression entirely?

[sgilli3]

Hello, and welcome to the forum,

Perhaps you have confused the UAE with Saudi Arabia?

Females here are able to work, drive, buy cars/houses etc.

As a female living in the UAE there isn't anything (that I can think of, off the top of my head), that I can't do here, that I did in my home country.

[krosewarne]

Lol, thanks

there are loads of things i have been told like if your walking down the street you have to move for men your they can push you out of the way.
if you retaliate you will get arrested? is this true?

also that women have restrictions on clothing- no bikinis on the beach.

Also you are not permitted to have an alcohol license, you must use your husbands?

I have had a bad picture painted and just want to get the balanced view.

Thanks

Originally Posted by sgilli3

Hello, and welcome to the forum,

Perhaps you have confused the UAE with Saudi Arabia?

Females here are able to work, drive, buy cars/houses etc.

As a female living in the UAE there isn't anything (that I can think of, off the top of my head), that I can't do here, that I did in my home country.

[sgilli3]

In all my years here, I have yet to be pushed aside by anyone ( sure, people queue jump etc, but giving the evil eye, usually makes them step back...lol)- in fact one of the best things about being a woman here is that most government buildings have "ladies only" lines, which makes dealing with bureaucracy a little easier ( and quicker!!)

You can wear bikinis at the beach- just dont leave the beach area in bathers ( ie NO bikini tops to the malls etc). No thongs etc. ( and I don't mean foot wear)

Im in Sharjah, and they are a little firmer on modesty, so no bikini wearing on the beaches, though it is OK in Ajman and beach resorts in Sharjah.

Im not 100 % sure what happens with the liquor license ( Im pretty sure that if you are under your husbands sponsorship, then yes, it is he that applies for the card- Im sure someone else will be able to fill you in - we are non-drinkers-

Like any country, it is about being aware of your surroundings, but I certainly wouldn't say it was "unsafe" for women.

[Elphaba]

In the majority of cases, wives are on their husband's sponsorship, so that is why he is the one who has an alcohol licence. He can give his wife writtten permission to use it though.

If a woman is under her husband's sponsorship (as opposed to having her own emplyment related visa) then she does require a No Objection Certificate (NOC), a brief letter, from him in order to take a job or get a driving licence, but that is a minor irritation.

Otherwise women are treated pretty well here - I wouldn't live here if that wasn't the case! Some men may stare on the street, but they will all move out of your way.

Women should dress modestly whilst out in public, but this is an Islamic country so their rules should be respected.

As I said in another thread, this is not the West and things are different. There are many workers from the Indian sub-continent who may stare, but this is largely curiosity and they are from a culture where staring is not considered rude and they have different concepts of personal space.

-

[krosewarne]

Thank you for your responses it is definately making me feel more at ease with the idea,
it does sound very nice
and i have no intentions of wearing a bikini anywhere other than the beach so that is brilliant.
Thanks again

[Steve86]

I have only been here for a week but my friends have their wifes and gf's out here and they have not had any trouble. i think that Dubai has so many expats that its just not an issue??!

[Ogri750]

There is no way my wife would be in Dubai if she wasn't treated well (that doesn't mean by me btw)

[mazdaRX8]

To the original poster:

what sort of "restrictions on women" are you talking about when it comes to Dubai? For all I know, short of decency and some sponsorship laws, there are none.

[krosewarne]

The responses have definately put my mind at rest, thank you.
My partner and i are not married, what is the situation with regards to living if you were engaged?
i would need to apply for a seperate visa, but what are the requirements for application?

Also with regards to living seperatley are there restrictions on spending nights at each others house?
I do not wish to break the law by living together anyway, knowing my luck i'd get caught out, and i have no desire to get married just yet. lol

Sorry bout all the questions, and thank you for your advise