I recently met a friend for coffee and she showed me an email she received as a resident of a gated community in Dubai, where she lives with her family.
It was a polite reminder about dressing modestly in shared outdoor spaces: no transparent clothing, no offensive slogans, cover shoulders and knees, and reserve swimwear strictly for the pool or beach and no nudity poolside. It was respectful in tone, but still unmistakably a directive: please be mindful of how you dress in public.
This wasn’t the first time I’ve seen such notices. There are some outside many of Dubai’s shopping malls for instance. But it did spark a deeper question: why is there a continued need to remind people of what is “appropriate” in a country such as the UAE? And perhaps more importantly, why is the meaning of appropriateness no longer clear?
The UAE is one of the most diverse societies in the world. It is home to more than 200 nationalities, and it has done an exceptional job in balancing openness with the preservation of its identity. People from almost every continent live here, some temporarily, some for decades. People raise families and build lives here.
This diversity is a part of what makes the UAE remarkable. But such diversity also brings the challenge of dealing with very different cultural reference points. What is “appropriate” or “modest” is no longer universally understood.
One reason for this, I believe, is the global shift in fashion norms. What was once considered “beachwear” is now worn to cafes and shopping malls. Garments that used to be reserved for private or athletic spaces are now mainstream streetwear.
Often clothes are designed to be revealing and expressive – and this is true across cultures, not just in the west. Young people everywhere, regardless of background or religion, dress differently than people did 20 years ago.
At the same time, the words “modesty” and “appropriateness” remain subjective. For someone with a conservative upbringing, short shorts in a public space might seem shocking; for someone from a cosmopolitan background, it may be normal. These perspectives often collide in the country’s shared spaces. When people unfamiliar with the cultural and religious values of the UAE arrive – sometimes for the first time – they may not even realise that they’re violating unspoken norms.
The UAE, notably, has never taken a heavy-handed approach to this issue. The country’s success lies in its moderation
That raises a critical question: is it fair to assume that everyone knows how to behave or dress respectfully in a new environment? Or do we need to do more to help people understand – not through imposition, but through gentle guidance?
The UAE, notably, has never taken a heavy-handed approach to this issue. The country’s success lies in its moderation. It does not enforce rigid public dress codes. There are no fines for uncovered shoulders or short skirts in most spaces. This level of trust and flexibility is admirable and rare in the region. But perhaps because people are not regularly reminded, many assume there are no boundaries at all.
In other parts of the Middle East and the wider Islamic world, we see varied approaches. In Saudi Arabia, public dress codes – particularly for women – have relaxed considerably in recent years.
In places such as Qatar or Oman, public modesty is still encouraged, but the expectation is more social than legal. Jordan and Turkey present a different model, where religious identity and state governance have a clearer separation. These countries have more secular public spheres, but even they maintain strong social expectations, particularly in family-oriented spaces.
By contrast, western societies tend to rely almost entirely on informal norms. Dress codes exist, but they're often unstated and apply only in specific contexts – workplaces, restaurants and religious institutions. People are unlikely to wear beachwear to a business meeting, but they’re also unlikely to be told not to dress like that to a public park. There is no formal need to remind people – because the social fabric is built around personal autonomy and the clear separation of religion and state.
In the UAE, culture, religion and society are more intertwined. Here, modesty is a religious concept and part of the national ethos. And that is not something you can always read in a tourism brochure or on a sign. It requires an attuned awareness of your environment.
This leads to a more nuanced question: What does it mean to truly belong to a place, not just live in it? Fitting in doesn't mean abandoning your identity or suppressing your self-expression.
But it does require understanding the social parameters around you. As someone who was born and raised in the UAE, I’ve always seen this understanding as a kind of mutual respect. We learn to read the room, so to speak, and adjust accordingly, not because we’re being told to, but because it’s part of participating in society.
To the UAE’s credit, I’ve rarely seen Emiratis or other Arabs react negatively or rudely towards people who dress in ways that diverge from cultural expectations. In fact, the restraint and tolerance shown in most public spaces is remarkable. People co-exist without confrontation. No one stares or makes others feel uncomfortable. And that says a lot about the country’s values. But it also underscores how important it is that we not take that tolerance for granted.
The goal shouldn’t be to police what people wear. Instead, we need to create greater cultural fluency. Perhaps more communities can adopt creative ways to raise awareness, through visual guides, light-hearted campaigns, or orientation materials for newcomers. Schools, malls, and even airlines can play a role in sensitively sharing what is expected in family-friendly areas.
The idea is not to limit people, but to help them thrive in the environment they’ve chosen to be part of. It’s about recognising that the UAE’s openness is built on a delicate social contract – one that requires all of us to contribute to a respectful, thoughtful and inclusive public space.
Modesty, in my opinion, is not only about how much skin you show. It is fundamentally about self-awareness. It’s about understanding something that feels normal to you might feel disrespectful to someone else. And in a country like the UAE, where difference is embraced but identity is protected, that awareness is a courtesy, but it is also a responsibility.
Cinco in numbers
Dh3.7 million
The estimated cost of Victoria Swarovski’s gem-encrusted Michael Cinco wedding gown
46
The number, in kilograms, that Swarovski’s wedding gown weighed.
1,000
The hours it took to create Cinco’s vermillion petal gown, as seen in his atelier [note, is the one he’s playing with in the corner of a room]
50
How many looks Cinco has created in a new collection to celebrate Ballet Philippines’ 50th birthday
3,000
The hours needed to create the butterfly gown worn by Aishwarya Rai to the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.
1.1 million
The number of followers that Michael Cinco’s Instagram account has garnered.
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20IPHONE%2014%20PRO%20MAX
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Essentials
The flights
Emirates flies direct from Dubai to Seattle from Dh6,755 return in economy and Dh24,775 in business class.
The cruise
UnCruise Adventures offers a variety of small-ship cruises in Alaska and around the world. A 14-day Alaska’s Inside Passage and San Juans Cruise from Seattle to Juneau or reverse costs from $4,695 (Dh17,246), including accommodation, food and most activities. Trips in 2019 start in April and run until September.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
SANCTIONED
- Kirill Shamalov, Russia's youngest billionaire and previously married to Putin's daughter Katarina
- Petr Fradkov, head of recently sanctioned Promsvyazbank and son of former head of Russian Foreign Intelligence, the FSB.
- Denis Bortnikov, Deputy President of Russia's largest bank VTB. He is the son of Alexander Bortnikov, head of the FSB which was responsible for the poisoning of political activist Alexey Navalny in August 2020 with banned chemical agent novichok.
- Yury Slyusar, director of United Aircraft Corporation, a major aircraft manufacturer for the Russian military.
- Elena Aleksandrovna Georgieva, chair of the board of Novikombank, a state-owned defence conglomerate.
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Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
How the bonus system works
The two riders are among several riders in the UAE to receive the top payment of £10,000 under the Thank You Fund of £16 million (Dh80m), which was announced in conjunction with Deliveroo's £8 billion (Dh40bn) stock market listing earlier this year.
The £10,000 (Dh50,000) payment is made to those riders who have completed the highest number of orders in each market.
There are also riders who will receive payments of £1,000 (Dh5,000) and £500 (Dh2,500).
All riders who have worked with Deliveroo for at least one year and completed 2,000 orders will receive £200 (Dh1,000), the company said when it announced the scheme.
UK’s AI plan
- AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
- £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
- £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
- £250m to train new AI models
RESULTS
1.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,200m
Winner: Lady Parma, Richard Mullen (jockey), Satish Seemar (trainer).
2.15pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,200m
Winner: Tabernas, Connor Beasley, Ahmed bin Harmash.
2.45pm: Handicap Dh95,000 1,200m
Winner: Night Castle, Connor Beasley, Satish Seemar.
3.15pm: Handicap Dh120,000 1,400m
Winner: Mystique Moon, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson.
3.45pm: Handicap Dh80,000 1,400m
Winner: Mutawakked, Szczepan Mazur, Musabah Al Muhairi.
4.15pm: Handicap Dh90,000 1,800m
Winner: Tafaakhor, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
4.45pm: Handicap Dh80,000 1,950m
Winner: Cranesbill, Fabrice Veron, Erwan Charpy.
MATCH INFO
Liverpool 3
Sadio Man 28'
Andrew Robertson 34'
Diogo Jota 88'
Arsenal 1
Lacazette 25'
Man of the match
Sadio Mane (Liverpool)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
More on Quran memorisation:
Zayed Sustainability Prize
More on animal trafficking
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Last-16
France 4
Griezmann (13' pen), Pavard (57'), Mbappe (64', 68')
Argentina 3
Di Maria (41'), Mercado (48'), Aguero (90 3')
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3.5-litre%20twin-turbo%20V6%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E456hp%20at%205%2C000rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E691Nm%20at%203%2C500rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E10-speed%20auto%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E14.6L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Efrom%20Dh349%2C545%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Enow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs: 2018 Audi RS5
Price, base: Dh359,200
Engine: 2.9L twin-turbo V6
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 450hp at 5,700rpm
Torque: 600Nm at 1,900rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.7L / 100km
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Francesco Totti's bio
Born September 27, 1976
Position Attacking midifelder
Clubs played for (1) - Roma
Total seasons 24
First season 1992/93
Last season 2016/17
Appearances 786
Goals 307
Titles (5) - Serie A 1; Italian Cup 2; Italian Supercup 2
What is tokenisation?
Tokenisation refers to the issuance of a blockchain token, which represents a virtually tradable real, tangible asset. A tokenised asset is easily transferable, offers good liquidity, returns and is easily traded on the secondary markets.
The biog
Hobbies: Writing and running
Favourite sport: beach volleyball
Favourite holiday destinations: Turkey and Puerto Rico
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
Company Profile
Name: JustClean
Based: Kuwait with offices in other GCC countries
Launch year: 2016
Number of employees: 130
Sector: online laundry service
Funding: $12.9m from Kuwait-based Faith Capital Holding
