British expats told to rein it in this Christmas

British embassies in the UAE have taken to Facebook and Twitter to listen to expats' say on festive campaign.

The first day of Christmas usually brings about a partridge in a pear tree according to the festive carol, The Twelve Days of Christmas, but this year the British embassies in the UAE have put their own little twist on the age-old classic.

The greeting card with warning messages printed on the other side. -Supplied photo

In a bid to curb anti-social behaviour during the festive celebrations and improve communication channels with British expatriates in the UAE, the embassies have taken to Facebook and Twitter to launch a campaign aptly named after the well-known song. But there’s a noticeable lack of drummers drumming and lords-a-leaping.

Launched on December 12, the embassies’ official social networking pages began posting a different kind of festive message this year, with alcohol awareness taking a front seat.

The first official tweet of the campaign by @UKinUAE, which is the first-of-its-kind to be launched in the UAE, read: “On the 1st day of #Christmas the #BritishEmbassy said to me; You can be arrested for being under the influence of alcohol.”

So far, eight tweets have gone live and Vice-Consul Samuel Hayes says the decision to launch such an initiative came after the embassies put forward a new strategy for 2013-2016.

“Part of the strategy was reducing the notarial and documentary services we provide. We found local providers to carry out this work so this freed up some time for us to focus on the more vulnerable people who need our help, as well as improve communications.”

Hayes said a number of cases witnessed in the past involving British expatriates often had a route in alcohol, especially during the Christmas period.

“We’ve seen cases of assault, indecency, reckless behaviour. It all steam-rolled from drinking alcohol so we wanted to address this issue.”

The twenty-first century initiative is aimed at expat revellers who risk the temptation of getting a little too merry over the festive period, but some of the messages also focus on different target areas such as respecting your neighbours, and looking after friends or relatives who may have overdone it with the celebrating.

Hayes says the messages are simply a “polite warning”, urging expats to take the sensible approach when it comes to celebrating over the holidays.

“We want people to have fun, but at the same time remember you are in a different country, with different laws.”

Hayes admits that in the war between Twitter and Facebook, Twitter has proven to be a lot more effective at targeting the larger audiences, but says the embassies have also taken the traditional approach during the campaign by handing out A5 size Christmas postcards, with warning messages printed on the reverse.

What the expats say

Although feedback on the whole has been positive, Hayes said some British nationals had questioned why it was only them who were being targeted by the campaign.

“We have to look after our Brits. The police followed up on the campaign saying the messages should apply to all nationalities, but for the British embassies, we want to make sure our people don’t get into trouble.”

More of a ‘slap-on-the-wrist’, than a stark telling off, the embassies have subtly made their point with these brief but to-the-point messages, and after Khaleej Times spoke to several residents here, the campaign seems to have garnered a lot of respect.

Birmingham-born resident, 32-year-old Lisa Ryan, who works in investment and has been living in Dubai for three years, says the campaign has been well executed.

“I think the way they’ve put it together is very effective. They’re telling us to have all the fun in the world, but in a responsible way. It’s not patronising and I think that’s its biggest draw. People will respect it,” she said.

Ryan says the fact they are living and working in a Muslim country, where they can still celebrate their own religious holidays was a big draw for the UAE, and it’s “all about giving and receiving respect from one another.”

Hoping to continue with similar campaigns in the future, Hayes says other topics up for discussion include ‘How well do you know the laws of the UAE?’ and ‘What embassies can and can’t do for you’.

“Many people often think if they get arrested, the embassies can get them released, but it’s just not the case. So I think something along the lines of ‘what we can do for you’ would be a worthwhile route to explore,” he says.

Another local resident, 42-year-old construction manager Mike Quinn, who is heading down to a beach hotel for brunch with 12 of his family and friends on Christmas Day, said he heard about the campaign over the radio.

“At first I thought it was a bit cheeky. Like why is it only the Brits being targeted? But in the same breath, I found it quite harmless. It’s sending out a good message, and it’s been done in a fun way. I don’t think there’s any harm in telling us to behave, because some of us do need it from time to time.”

To see the daily snippet messages, which will continue till December 25, follow @UKinUAE, and remember...behave this Christmas. -kelly@khaleejtimes.com

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