Some of the most strident opinions I have heard about Qataris, Emiratis and other citizens of the Middle East are made by expats who do not know even one such individual personally. When I drove to Abu Dhabi a couple weeks ago, I had to change the radio dial because a DJ show was full of invective towards Emiratis. The list went on; they were spoiled; full of entitlement; disrespectful; loud and obnoxious. What slays me about the opinions oft-expressed have been made by expats in Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain who often are spoiled; full of entitlement; disrespectful; and yes, loud and obnoxious.

The truth, obviously, is far more nuanced, and it is easy to attack a group of people when you do not bother, or have made no attempt, to develop relations with them personally.

Anyone visiting the United Arab Emirates should spend time at the Sheikh Mohammad Centre for Cultural Understanding (SMCCU) while they are in Dubai. Visitors to the breakfast or other programs the Centre organizes are free to ask just about any question they wish. Everything including history, culture and dress is fair game. Answers given include the background of the red and white keffiya; women’s roles; Islamic finance; the logic behind dishdashas and abeyyas; and under Islam, why a man may marry up to four wives. The answers are far different, and more pragmatic, than many of us who live in the West would assume. You may not accept the reason, but it is only fair to hear an Emirati’s side of the story.

Visitors who have their own notions about leadership, gender roles, democracy and yes, sustainability in the Middle East, would do themselves well by scheduling a breakfast or tour with the SMCCU. Their stomachs benefit, too: the Emirati breakfast (which is hard to find here) is hearty, and best of all, you can take leftovers home--the Centre would be a great hub from which lessons on food waste could start. If you travel to Dubai, make sure an event here is on your itinerary. This is a great example of how countries can build upon their cultural sustainability.

An Australian expat tries on an abayya while our hosts explains its purpose

An Australian expat tries on an abayya while our hosts explains its purpose

Read about how Dubai’s sustainability agenda must start with public health on Triple Pundit.

About The Author

Leon Kaye

Leon Kaye is the founder and editor of GreenGoPost.com and its advisory division, GGP Media. Contact him to discuss how he can work with your organization or event. His focus is making the business case for sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR). He writes for San Francisco-based Triple Pundit, Inhabitat and now The Guardian, for which he writes about corporate responsibility, water, and green building. He has also written for AIA's Architect Magazine. Leon works out of Fresno and Silicon Valley, California, and when he has free time, he enjoys hiking, gardening, cooking, weightlifting, and planning his next trip to one of the 60 countries he has visited. He has an MBA from USC's Marshall School of Business and is also a proud graduate of the University of Maryland-Baltimore County (UMBC) and Cal State-Fresno.