Social customs in Dubai do not differ much from the social customs of other Muslim countries. Although Dubai lives with compromises, as the tourism makes an important segment of the business life of Dubai and the number of visitors is very high. Social customs of Dubai are considerably friendlier than some of its neighboring countries have.
Social customs of Dubai are mainly set by the Quran, and to the person who is not good at the basic rules of any Islamic country, will surely get surprised. Connecting to this, before your travel, get some information on the basic social customs and rules of the country Muslim countries tend to be the same on many levels, but there are some differences.
Most social customs are unwritten, like a code, people know about them and keep them, but they are not enlisted anywhere. To say a few words on social customs, let us start with the people’s relation with each other in a Muslim country like Dubai.
Dubai is inhabited by thousands who are not Arabic, neither are Muslims, still as they see it is still the Quran and the Muslim faith, which forms the everyday life in Dubai. First, as part of social customs, men and women, who are not couples, should not sit alone. This goes for most bars, cafés or sometimes even smaller restaurant. It is better to keep this rule in mind, especially if you are a woman.
Dubai has accepted the Western culture, until a certain level. You should never ever try to talk with a Dubai Arabic about political things. You can see the photos and the name of the Sheikh everywhere. Do not ever say anything that would put the Sheikh into bad light. In most Arabic countries, there is a police system spying on people in order to outcast those who seem to be against the country’s ruler. Many of these police officers look like any civilian.
The family is overly valued the highest in Dubai. Keep the peace by keeping your clothes up, if you are man or woman, and do not wear any too revealing clothes, except in the hotel. You might make friends or get invitations from locals to visit their home. Do not turn this down, in the Muslim culture, a guest has a very high value, also brings blessing to the house. However, this rule does not necessarily go for locals of other nation, so be careful here and go only when your host seems a good Muslim person.
As a social custom in Dubai, it is still the men who deal with the work and business segments. Muslim women have much to do all day anyhow, with the shopping, cooking, cleaning part. Arabic men usually shake hands, but they do not greet women this way, unless the woman offers her hand first. As another social custom, people of Muslim countries really like to dine together. If you get invitations to a family dinner, accept it with great respect. The consumption of alcoholic drinks is not allowed in Dubai.
People of the Muslim countries do not like to walk alone, as you will see that most people walk together, especially women with a known man. Couples in the Muslim countries do not hold hands, neither kiss publicly, so if you travel with your partner, wife or husband, then try to avoid such kind of contact in public.
If you treat others with respect, then you will be treated with respect too. That is the basic secret of all social customs in Dubai and all over the world. Before your travel, it is wise to know about the county’s social customs where you are travelling. Also learn a few words and greetings in Arabic; it is treated with much respect.