Too nervous to talk with Emiratis? Visit Al Fahidi

Dubai - You can break the ice with citizens at Shaikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding.

Have you ever had a question about Emiratis that you were too frightened or nervous to ask? Or perhaps don't know one you have enough confidence to ask?
Well, all your answers can be found with a simple visit to the Shaikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding (SMCCU) in Dubai's Al Fahidi District.
The SMCCU - established by His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, in 1998 - has the motto "open doors, open minds" and seeks to demystify and explain Emirati culture to foreign expats and tourists.
On a recent visit, Khaleej Times joined a number of curious European, American, and Taiwanese visitors at an Emirati cultural dinner at the centre.
The issues raised to the young female Emirati guide - a student at Zayed University - varied widely, ranging from questions on how kanduras are kept so white and the proper way to wear an abaya to gender segregation in schools, Emirati dialect and even intimate questions about Emirati courtships and marriage arrangements.
"Questions about clothing are number one, just to break the ice. But really, the main thing (asked about) is women's rights, and the treatment of women, whether they have a right to education," SMCCU Managing Director Nasif Kayed told the Khaleej Times. "Some people even come in and ask whether women drive in our country."
Nasif Kayed added that a major mission of the SMCCU is to help people understand that they mustn't generalise about Arab or Muslim countries.
"There are 57 Muslim countries, and only one in which women cannot drive," he noted.
"Or people see on TV that in Afghanistan the Taliban says that women can't go to school, so they begin to think that in all Muslim countries women can't go to school."
That is clearly not the case in the UAE.
"I tell them that behind every great man is a great woman. We men cannot learn anything unless our mom teaches us," he said. "If she's uneducated, how can you become educated?"
According to Kayed, there is a widespread misconception that Emiratis are unapproachable and easily offended.
"People say 'oh don't talk to them', 'don't look in their eyes', 'don't hold hands in front of them'. This is all gossip," he said.
"We put the fear in each other."
Importantly, Kayed said that the fear often works both ways.
"Sometimes (Emiratis) think that they (foreigners) won't stop asking questions, and they won't know how to answer. When we answer a question and you don't like an answer, it begins to be a tense moment," he said.
Kayed suggested that on National Day expats reflect on their experiences in the UAE and take full advantage of an opportunity to get to know the country's rich and welcoming culture.
"This is your home. Today you think it's a year or two. Twenty years later you might still be here. Maybe your kids will be born and raised here," he said.
"There's no reason for you to miss out. Get to know an Emirati. Come to the centre and interact and learn," he added. "To give other people respect is to learn about them, but also you should know about yourself," he added.
"Whatever you want to learn about them, you should also know about yourself. For example, if you ask me about my faith, then you should also know about your faith too?" - bernd@khaleejtimes.com

• UAE