Dress in Dubai's Malls

[FAW_Dubai]

FW :
We are a group of Arab women who enjoy shopping and using the leisure facilities at Dubai malls. However, we feel offended by the numerous women in disgracefully revealing clothes, especially when we are accompanied by our families, husbands, and children. Although signs on malls’ entrances request visitors to dress modestly, we feel that there is a passive approach in effectively implementing the advertised Courtesy Policy. Can malls’ management please actively warn those wearing short skirts and shorts, as well as low necklines and skimpy tops to dress modestly? We are sick seeing women’s thighs, breasts, backs, and navels in public. Even in Harrods of London, disrespectfully dressed visitors are banned from entry, and other upper scale stores in the West actively implement dress codes.
One Arab woman approached a lady with all her back revealed as well as most of her thighs and asked her gently if she is aware of the Dubai Mall Courtesy Policy. Shockingly, the lady replied that she is aware of the Policy, but did not care!!!
In addition, we have noticed an increase in the number of couples exhibiting affection. In one case a man and woman where embracing on an escalator, with the woman kissing the man’s neck. In another case a woman sat opposite a fountain in a man’s lab while he had an arm around her waist, and kept stroking her shoulder with the other arm. Close by security staff did not intervene!
Interestingly, many window displays in Dubai malls have appallingly scantily clad mannequins especially those by lingerie stores, and some advertise shameless images even close to prayer areas! Perhaps this is sending messages to visitors which contradict the Courtesy Policy?
We feel our perspective is shared by many other families, and the immodest scenes are putting us off visiting malls in our beloved country. It is true that Dubai is an open and tolerant city, which respects its valued guests, but this respect should be mutual and reciprocated by visitors acting according to local sensitivities. How is the UAE law stating that "You are expected to dress modestly and women should avoid low-cut tops, short skirts and bare arms" applied in Dubai malls?

[ipguy]

I have to agree with you
I was surprised to see what looked like too much tolerance and disregard for local dress code rules
I am a man and was afraid to go there in bermudas or shorts but after my first visit I started to go to the mall in shorts.
It was so hot and it looked like nobody cared

I did notice many woman showing too much and many couples showing affection. And the best, sorry worst. offenders were many of the pretty hot women coming in and out of Karma Cafe. Wow!

Maybe it is all good

Sorry to know thst you do not fell like visiting the mall due to too many people showing too much skin or affection

[mjaprivate]

Dear FAW_Dubai,

I've worked in Dubai Shopping Malls for eight years. It's true what you say and one of the most difficult things for management to contain is modest dressing in shoppers. I am often shocked that people flaunt their bodies in Dubai's malls in a way that's considered unacceptable in very tolerant countries like Germany and Australia. Honestly, I have never seen the amount of exposed flesh in the big inner city and upmarket shopping malls in Australia.

All shopping mall companies are locally owned and are sensitive to local morals, beliefs and expectations. We, as management take these matters seriously.

Most malls, especially the biggest ones, have cards for the guards to hand to offending shoppers which explain the policy. While we try and ensure that all shoppers are aware of the standards, there are elements of society which refuse to comply. Of the shoppers we approach, our research finds that of the residents who offend, 95% are of one particular nationality, of the tourists, about 70% of a different nationality. The difference is the tourists apologise and seek to buy a t-shirt or shawl to cover. The offending residents are frequently rude, aggressive and sometimes violent towards our staff which is even more unacceptable.

While the guards are trained to be very polite and simply hand the clearly expressed card to the offending shopper, the amount of offending shoppers can be overwhelming.

The companies I have worked for also take seriously window dressing standards, once again the volume of windows and the speed at which they are changed overnight allows for errors in addressing the breach with the store and management. Thankfully, 99% of retailers are very good at what they do and there are a handful of repeat offenders.

For malls it's difficult to police these dress codes on our own; the people come to properties dressed as they are from the airport to hotels, apartment buildings, in taxis and go on to supermarkets and other places dressed as they please. Without overall community support, and further education, malls are going to struggle to set and deliver the standards the UAE should expect.

[TallyHo]

I'd suggest you talk to your husbands and brothers about why Dubai allows a flourishing prostitution scene in the hotels and bars, which is predominately patronised by Arabs going after scantily clad young women primarily from East European, Asian and Persian backgrounds.

If the prostitution scene is dealt with then odds are most of the inappropriate dress problems at the malls will automatically go away.

[Tropicana]

Originally Posted by mjaprivate

Of the shoppers we approach, our research finds that of the residents who offend, 95% are of one particular nationality, .

The number you quoted is probably because of the skewed no of visitors to one particular mall.

In general, there are 5-6 nationalities whose residents here would be guilty of such "scanty clothing", 95% from any 1 country wouldnt be true in all of Dubais malls

Anyways the best way to face this would be to have trained guards at the entrance, possibly female, who would restrict entrance to women and men dressed inappropriately

I am talking about real trained guards, not a guard earning 1000 dhs and with limited common sense, as what he may do is deny entrance to women of nationalities he doesnt like while allowing entrance to scantily clad women of soem other places.


Most malls very eagerly stop entry to laborers wearing overalls, and i am sure they will stop any man not wearing a shirt, there is no reason why they cant do the same for all customers....


In my time in the US, never did i notice some of the stuff strutted by women in Dubai ; MOE and Dubai Mall being more prominent....

[Gavtek]

An occasional flash of sideboob from a leggy Russian blonde in Dubai Mall is one of the few pleasures I get nowadays, please don't take that away from me

Seriously though, the UAE needs to decide what it wants. If it wants to be a place for people of all nationalities to come and live or come on holiday, then it's going to have to compromise on things like this, just like all of our home countries have had to do the same to welcome people of other cultures.

If it wants to retain its Islamic values and culture, stop building beachfront apartments, 5 star hotels and shopping malls full of western brands.

[indoMLA]

Originally Posted by FAW_Dubai

FW :
We are a group of Arab women who enjoy shopping and using the leisure facilities at Dubai malls. However, we feel offended by the numerous women in disgracefully revealing clothes, especially when we are accompanied by our families, husbands, and children. Although signs on malls’ entrances request visitors to dress modestly, we feel that there is a passive approach in effectively implementing the advertised Courtesy Policy. Can malls’ management please actively warn those wearing short skirts and shorts, as well as low necklines and skimpy tops to dress modestly? We are sick seeing women’s thighs, breasts, backs, and navels in public. Even in Harrods of London, disrespectfully dressed visitors are banned from entry, and other upper scale stores in the West actively implement dress codes.
One Arab woman approached a lady with all her back revealed as well as most of her thighs and asked her gently if she is aware of the Dubai Mall Courtesy Policy. Shockingly, the lady replied that she is aware of the Policy, but did not care!!!
In addition, we have noticed an increase in the number of couples exhibiting affection. In one case a man and woman where embracing on an escalator, with the woman kissing the man’s neck. In another case a woman sat opposite a fountain in a man’s lab while he had an arm around her waist, and kept stroking her shoulder with the other arm. Close by security staff did not intervene!
Interestingly, many window displays in Dubai malls have appallingly scantily clad mannequins especially those by lingerie stores, and some advertise shameless images even close to prayer areas! Perhaps this is sending messages to visitors which contradict the Courtesy Policy?
We feel our perspective is shared by many other families, and the immodest scenes are putting us off visiting malls in our beloved country. It is true that Dubai is an open and tolerant city, which respects its valued guests, but this respect should be mutual and reciprocated by visitors acting according to local sensitivities. How is the UAE law stating that "You are expected to dress modestly and women should avoid low-cut tops, short skirts and bare arms" applied in Dubai malls?

1. I agree with you; there does seem to be a disregard for the rules. Something I really don't like are the transparent dresses and skirts worn by women and also the public displays of affection (PDA).
2. I think the expat women are the ones that disregard this policy more than any other.
3. If you are truly offended, then surely you should complain about this to the Mall management and let them know that you are an Arab Muslim woman and that this dress offends you. One would assume that if enough people complained about it, then the rule would be enforced more stringently.

Originally Posted by TallyHo

I'd suggest you talk to your husbands and brothers about why Dubai allows a flourishing prostitution scene in the hotels and bars, which is predominately patronised by Arabs going after scantily clad young women primarily from East European, Asian and Persian backgrounds.

If the prostitution scene is dealt with then odds are most of the inappropriate dress problems at the malls will automatically go away.

How so? Please explain as I fail to see the link.

[Kawasutra]

I agree with you FAW,

but consider that most of these people are tourists from all over the world and they are in a vacation mood.
Dubai especially expresses that it is an open minded city that offers a real good place for people on vacation and it wants to be "the favorite destination".
So, there must be a compromise but especially during the summer time with temperatures over 40 degrees when the people are tending to wear as less clothes as possible (I am doing the same).
And you can not compare it with London because the temperatures there are not allowing you to be dressed in the same way.
And if you ban all these people from entering the malls then I assume the malls will be half empty and the business as well as the reputation of Dubai will be affected.
Dubai can not be open to the world and compare itself with London, Paris, Tokyo, New York, with an environment like in KSA.

That´s my opinion!

[indoMLA]

Originally Posted by Gavtek

An occasional flash of sideboob from a leggy Russian blonde in Dubai Mall is one of the few pleasures I get nowadays, please don't take that away from me

Seriously though, the UAE needs to decide what it wants. If it wants to be a place for people of all nationalities to come and live or come on holiday, then it's going to have to compromise on things like this, just like all of our home countries have had to do the same to welcome people of other cultures.

If it wants to retain its Islamic values and culture, stop building beachfront apartments, 5 star hotels and shopping malls full of western brands.

Agree, but you have to realize that we are in a country that is not our own. We should respect their culture and customs and not force it on them. The UAE allows us to come here and live and also assists us in feeling at home with brands, stores, etc. that we are used to (as well as because they can't do it, but can own it).

Your argument appears to make the stance that you cannot retain Islamic culture and values while dining at McDonald's or staying at the LeMeridien hotel, which I don't think is the case.

I complain about stuff here as much as the next person, but respect is a universal attribute all should share/exhibit.

[TallyHo]

There's respect.

Then there's hypocrisy.

Dubai built itself as a major tourist destination by offering sun, sand and glamour. That attracts thousands of scantilly clad tourists. Dubai wants these tourists. It deliberately built all the hotels and allows for all the fancy nighclubs and restaurants where dress codes are very liberal.

Then there's the seedy underbelly of Dubai - as represented by the huge prostitution scene. I've seen more prostitutes openly parading themselves and their wares in Dubai than in any city in the West.

Like most expats I do respect the argument that this isn't 'my' country and that we should respect Islamic values, but that doesn't prevent me from rolling my eyes at the inherit hypocrisy and double standards that's so evident everywhere in Dubai.

Originally Posted by indoMLA

Agree, but you have to realize that we are in a country that is not our own. We should respect their culture and customs and not force it on them. The UAE allows us to come here and live and also assists us in feeling at home with brands, stores, etc. that we are used to (as well as because they can't do it, but can own it).

Your argument appears to make the stance that you cannot retain Islamic culture and values while dining at McDonald's or staying at the LeMeridien hotel, which I don't think is the case.

I complain about stuff here as much as the next person, but respect is a universal attribute all should share/exhibit.