Elaborate Doesn’t Begin to Explain It

I spent the entire day looking for Nermal and she was nowhere to be found. I had known there was a place called Abu Dhabi ever since I was a kid and watched Garfield ship Nermal to Abu Dhabi in so many episodes. I can only hope that he sent her in the winter and not summer when temperatures reach 135 degrees.

This morning we went to the Sheikh Zayed Mosque for a cultural experience that will not soon be forgotten. Upon arrival all of the women received an abaya and shela. The abaya is a loose-fitting black gown that covers you from neck to fingertips and all the way down to your toes. They shela is a light headscarf that covers the hair and neck. Just changing into these clothes was an experience. I put mine on backwards and Marshall, our tour guide, was quick to approach me and tell me I had in on wrong.

We entered the mosque grounds and immediately removed our shoes. Imagine some of the most elaborate set designs at Disney World and now imagine they are made of pure marble and real gold. This is what we witnessed inside the mosque. We also received more information about the customs of the Islamic religion. For example, women are asked to be completely covered and pray in a separate room from men in the mosque in order to prevent impure thoughts while praying.

We also were told that men and women visitors should not touch one another in the mosque and should not be photographed together at all. This surprising custom caught many of us off guard but once we learned about the reasoning (to prevent impure thoughts), we understood. After all, we are in their private religious sanctuary and need to follow their customs and traditions. I thought it was generous to even allow women into the main prayer room of the mosque at the same time as the men after that. This was the only time I experienced any inequality in the UAE between women and men.

That afternoon we saw the site location of the new Ferrari World and the Formula One racetrack, both projects of the ALDAR Development Group on Yas Island. Our presenter was more resistant and defensive than others had been when we asked about marketing plans and how they expected to attract visitors to this region. I will say it was impressive to witness.

Today we learned a lot more of the relationships between the Emirates as well. Since one large family rules the Emirates, a lot of the wealth that Abu Dhabi receives through its oil industry is still shared with the other Emirates. We also learned that the sheik of Dubai is married to the daughter of the sheik of Abu Dhabi. This intermarriage of the family also results in sharing the wealth between Emirates. This is important to know when discussing the financial future and doubts westerners have about Dubai’s future.