Professional black women in Dubai?

[uncommonfavor]

Just curious, are there black professional women in Dubai?. What is life like?

[Ogri750]

With the amount of diffrent nationalities, cultures etc in Dubai, does it matter about a skin colour?

[DuGal007]

Originally Posted by uncommonfavor

Just curious, are there black professional women in Dubai?. What is life like?

Life in Dubai is great depending on your socioeconomic status, attitude, and ability to adjust to a variety of cultures.
I have been in Dubai for almost a year now and love it. Coming from the USA, I think it is a great place to live. It is a cultural melting pot like New York. However, there are a number of things to keep in mind.
1. Socioeconomics: Dubai, like any other city, is great as long as you have a JOB that will allow you to live comfortably and prosper. Those on low wages struggle here because it can be expensive. However, there are areas of the Emirate that are less expensive to live than the high priced typical Expat communities. Most people come here already being sponsored by a company that they will work for here in the region. However, some Expats come and do have success finding a job once here. The recession has had an impact and some that come on a whim have had difficulty finding a position. Therefore, I would highly recommend having a job in hand before you come no matter your nationality.
2. Attitude: If you have a positive attitude and can adjust to change, you will do well in Dubai. You must be willing to go with the flow and not get upset over minor issues like traffic. There has been tremendous growth in the Emirate so traffic can get busy during rush hour. But, this is no different than most cities.
There will be continued construction and traffic detours that can change frequently, but that is the cost of a growing city.
3. Cultural Diversity: If you come to Dubai and are open to other cultures and people from different backgrounds, you will be fine. There are so many different nationalities here that it is totally amazing. Not all these individuals come from countries as rich as Western countries. Many come from poorer countries to work in the service industries here and send money back home to their families. You definitely see that difference between the socioeconomic backgrounds of various individuals. But, everyone is working hard to take care of their families regardless of background. I have found that Blacks do fine here and will have a different experience based on their socioeconomic status just like everone else.
If you come to Dubai and only hang out with other Expats or stay in a bubble, you will have a totally different experience than if you try to get to know local Emirati's and local culture. Some Expats try to learn Arabic, which is a plus. However, some Expats have come and lived here 10 or 15 years and never attempted to learn Arabic or get to know the local Emirati people, which is unfortunate. Although it can be difficult to find opportunities to socialize with them, but the Emirati people are wonderful.
Caution: Do obey all laws in the Emirate. This is the only thing that will get you in trouble and make life miserable. Depending on the law broken, you will promptly be deported.
4. There are variety of professional organizations for women in the Emirate including the American Business Womens Association, International Business Womens Association, an Australian Group and many other groups for networking or starting a business. There are some informal groups of Blacks that meet socially. These Blacks come from all over the world, but because they live in Dubai, they have tried to form a bond and get to know one another in social settings.
I have not seen anything "official" set up through the government or any other organization.
5. Miscellaneous:
a. There is no need to cover up here in an abaya. You can just wear normal clothes that respect local culture.
b. Black hair care products- these can be challenging to find in the Emirate. There are a few salons that offer some supplies. Some salons like Zulekha do braids and dreadlocks.
Additionally, there are celebrity lace front wigs for black women at Sheer Lace Dubai for ladies that want problem free styled human wigs like Beyonce & Tyra Banks or extensions.

Hope this was helpful!
DuGal

[DXB-NY]

i was going to be sarcastic but hmm. I would like to think i can speak on behalf of other professional black women in Dubai. We are treated the same as anyone else, or heck i think i am.
Now if you want to discusss things such as hair care- there are a plethora of salons. Outside of that, i dont see the difference or any unique difference btwn black women and "other" women.

[DuGal007]

Thanks for your question Moderator Ogri750.
As a professional black female, I think more important than color here is socioeconomic status.
The Expats friends I have made here that only make 1500 Dirham a month or less have
a much different experience than those Western Expats making significantly more. It is very interesting to hear the stories and real life struggles of some of the taxi drivers, restaurant workers, and hotel staff. However, this happens all over the world and Dubai is no different. As an American professional women of color, I have had a wonderful experience in Dubai. My husband and I have traveled all over the world. As a black male, he also loves Dubai has had the best experience here out of all the places we have traveled. I hope my responses have been helpful to the original person who asked the question on the experience of black professional women in Dubai. I assume the question was asked for a specific reason, so I tried to provide some insight about my positive experience and general information related living here. If other Blacks are considering moving to Dubai also, I hope they find the information helpful in the future. Thanks

[Ogri750]

Thanks for your reply.

It wasn't a crticism, just a wondering as to why, on a professional level, skin colour would make any difference here to an expat.

Thanks

[uncommonfavor]

Thanks for all your replies and thanks for the detailed information provided. To be quite honest, the last thing on my mind when i asked the question was color. I was more interested in how to get my hair done, where to shop for makeup, where to get products or groceries that we are accustomed to in the USA and experiences of other women of color in Dubai. I got a lot of information from Dugal007 and DXB-NY - thank you.

[DesertStranded]

Originally Posted by Ogri750

Thanks for your reply.

It wasn't a crticism, just a wondering as to why, on a professional level, skin colour would make any difference here to an expat.

Thanks

Actually, on a professional level it does matter unfortunately. It shouldn't but it does. When I was living in Dubai and working as a Recruiter for a Recruitment agency, the salaries offered to candidates and even whether or not someone was considered for an interview depended more on their nationality and skin color and sometimes their religion than their actual education and experience. The Arab companies were usually the more discriminatory.