The Arabian Gulf - amazing place

I was given the opportunity to open my eyes to the Gulf region when my friend Richard was serving in the US Embassy in Abu Dhabi a half decade ago. As a person who is gay and Jewish, the notion of traveling to this part of the world was more of a personal journey to visit friends and to gain exposure to the local culture. I must admit I was a little scared the first time I was out there. And as we know, fear often comes from ignorance or unwillingness to learn.

Since that first visit about 5 years ago, I have come to have a greater appreciation for what this corner of the world is about. I can't say I fully understand it, but I am glad to have had personal exposure and so I can continue to learn. And form opinions.

I should say that the various societies and lifestyles in the Gulf region are somewhat different. The first lesson is not to paint an entire group of people with one brush. Dubai, as we all have read, has made a focused effort to make themselves a destination for trade and tourism. And when I say tourism, I mean tourism for Europeans as well as those in the Arab world who are looking for something more relaxed. And that, in itself, contributes to the social milieau.

And it is definitely more relaxed in Dubai -- to a point. It is relaxed in that there is entertainment, beaches with people wearing (or not wearing) western bathing attire and there is a free flow of alcohol in "private" which it turns out is not very private at all. I had the privilege of attending the opening of Art Dubai which benefited from a rather free flow of alcohol. Technically, I suppose it was a private event, but it was as public a private event as I've seen.

At the same time, some of you may have read about the arrest of a British couple for some type of sexual encounter. I don't really know what it was or think it's worth clarifying. But what it reminds us is that there is ABSOLUTELY a line that cannot be crossed. And I don't know enough about this line to opine upon it. My suspicion is that the line shifts around a lot -- perhaps in a good way. I think the government is inclined to provide more personal freedom than many of their neighbors but they also are trying to avoid Dubai becoming a sin city. That unto itself is not unreasonable. I know, for example, that there is a club that is gay on Thursday nights that has been operating for quite a while. Obviously, they could do something about it if they wanted to. But they choose to let it operate. Why?

And that question becomes even more powerful when you travel through the other Emirates as I did on this trip. I went to Sharjah (15 minutes north) as well as Ajman and Ras Al Kaimah where the shift in religious presence was obvious. In one shopping area, for example, I'd say 80% of the women were fully covered. This is all within 1 hour of Dubai. So like many things in all societies, it is a delicate balance between the varying beliefs, mores and societal demands.

On a personal note, I want to thank my former colleague, Norah and her husband, for hosting me and looking after me and introducing me to many of their friends in Dubai. It gave me a bit more exposure to the complex social environment which exists there -- and which makes it such an interesting place. I met a variety of people, including Saudis, Persians, Lebanese, local Emiratis as well as some gay men who were both Emirati and from other parts of the Arab world. This shouldn't be so surprising since there is a thriving arts scene in Dubai.

Next: the tour of the Gulf to Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar