UAE Traditions

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UAE Traditions Feb 20, 2006
UAE Traditions

I have been reading up on the Heritage and Traditions of the United Arab Emirates as background information to a business research plan and would like feedback information on anything I have perceived wrongly.

Please note these comments and conclusions are my interpretation of what I have read about the United Arab Emirate and its people of whom I have no personal experience having never met a member of the tribes and other then visiting via the Internet have never been there. My apology for any ignorance on my part.

What came across to me was the Arab tribes resourcefulness in making the most of a harsh environment. And the good will the people must have towards each other in order to survive.
That need is I think reflected by the traditional social structure
structure in which each family was traditionally bound by obligations of mutual assistance to members of his tribe. Among the tribe an individual’s selfless hospitality is the source of his honour and pride on which his own life could depend on the hospitality of others.
Any society that has such an ancient environmentally driven ethic of helping and sharing probably promotes the ability of co-operation.
It is resourceful and creative to have greatly extended their lands and beaches taking advantage of relatively shallow coastal waters and provided protection from any possible future pollution of the beaches at the same time.
It seems to me the Bani Yas, Awamir and Manasir tribes are doing what they are traditionally good at and The palm Islands are a very very impressive example of it.

Moving in the desert and crazing places with the imperative of reaching an oasis
Before your food or water runs out makes for excellent geographic memories and navigation skills.
Determination to get somewhere under severe conditions of thirst combined with physical and heat exhaustion are probably character building experiences that the tribe’s people expect in life and to which they are adapted.
With the
the exception of fishing groups like the Al Rumaithat the tribes people are used to and ready to move their home locations at short notice although apparently
most of the tribes spend some of their time engaged in fishing and pearling.

Today the march of technology have made some of the seemingly impossible possible and although life in the UAE today may bears little resemblance to that of 30 or 40 years ago in terms of the skills needed to sustain a life in the desert and are probably no longer cultivated amongst the people. Although I guess the human characteristics that underpin that survival must still be there as a solid basis to meet the challenges of the future.

The world is now such a small place in terms of almost instant communication anywhere and with transportation not far behind. That we all share fundamental environmental challenges that we are all in a very real sense travellers in the desert in need of the same spirit of creative and imaginative resourcefulness, cooperation and determination that can see people through difficult times as well as good.
A main pre occupation of the UAE seems be water supply and the dream of turning desert into cultivatable land.
I wonder if anyone could doubt that technology perhaps through a process of reverse osmosis could see pipelines from the sea through the desert with abundant supplies of potable water, cheaply and effectively and in the not so distant future

Reference
If you would like to see the business plan please go to
the Dubia Business discussion and ideas section under the tread title Bicycle boat ! sales and hire business.
http://www.dubaiforums.com/viewtopic.php?p=32191#32191

I don’t often say a lot but when I do it’s a lot.

netfan
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Feb 20, 2006
i have said this before, in my humble opinion your water bike venture is commendable, but it will not work in dubai.

Try Spain, Majorca or Portugal.
arniegang
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Feb 20, 2006
Lebanon...
Liban
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UAE Traditions Feb 22, 2006
Hi arniegang
”Try Spain, Majorca or Portugal”
I might after I have collected all the information I need to make a fair viability judgement.

The waterbike niche is in the unique palm islands, which have a lot of opposing beeches (1500 miles of them) providing reasons for using the waterbike for transport and fun. I belief even the world islands are only 50-100 meters apart. Jumping on the waterbike to visit your neighbour is probably quicker then the time it takes to start an outboard motor.
Water ever the waterbike is in concept at least an attempted (first try) introduction to UAE culture and I need to have some understanding of customs and traditions if only to recognise where it could or could not fit in.
netfan
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UAE Traditions Feb 22, 2006
Hi Liban,
And wow
I found Your choice of Avitar as probably highly provocative to the sensitivities of the people of the United Arab Emirates.
Perhaps you are trying to raise a discussion into the health issues surrounding smoking and passive smoking which effect babies. I think the Avitar with a slogan saying cut it out would be a good one.

As far as I know there is a general Arabic custom of smoking through pipes but I am not sure what it is that they smoke
I noticed the babies hat has a cannabis leaf motive on it and guess 99% of the western population will recognise it.
As I understand it the smoking or cultivation of cannabis is illegal in the UAE and no doubt there are severe repercussions for people who break the law.
Cannabis smokers
In places such as Amsterdam smokers can chill out and relax in the many bars and coffee shops where it is not illegal to do so. But even those days may be numbered with new laws prohibiting smoking anything illegal in public places full stop.
Next year such a law comes into force in England.

I am a nicotine addict have been since I was 10 and that was 40 years ago.
What am I going to give up a lifetime addiction or stop going to community bars?
I guess a lot of folk will simply start home bars with a lot of empty clubs and bust businesses.
They came they saw and boy did they pillage.

I gave up smoking for nine months once and had nicotine cravings all that time. What made in worse was that I could smell the passive smoke in bars, which is like a constant nicotine craving reminder. I suppose the new law will make it easier to give up smoking.

Is it illegal to smoke in public places in the UAE?
netfan
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Re: UAE Traditions Feb 22, 2006
netfan wrote:Hi Liban,
And wow
I found Your choice of Avitar as probably highly provocative to the sensitivities of the people of the United Arab Emirates.
Is it illegal to smoke in public places in the UAE?
\

Hey dude,

1) Emaratis have a great sense of humor, as do most arabs like myself :)

2) No it is not. Not at all... Well in cinemas and hospitals and government buildings and airports it is forbidden... In theory that is... :wink:
Liban
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netfan... Mar 24, 2006
could work...i dont know about dubai...mght just work if you have atleast a 60foot waterbike with a full crew and a/c...thats how they like their water...oh, yeah...their watercraft.

and liban...i like the avatar.

hindus smoke pot to commune with their gods...native american indians have payote...and come on...pot is legal for some...:) lucky bastards...

anyway, i think its better to smoke pot and get along, than not smoking it and starting wars...just like bush and blair did. if they smoked more, this would be a more peaceful world. :) :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
Kitster
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Re: UAE Traditions May 11, 2006
netfan wrote:Hi Liban,
And wow
I found Your choice of Avitar as probably highly provocative to the sensitivities of the people of the United Arab Emirates.
Perhaps you are trying to raise a discussion into the health issues surrounding smoking and passive smoking which effect babies. I think the Avitar with a slogan saying cut it out would be a good one.


I do like Liban's avatar too! It's certainly sublime! However, I think you're erroneously associating it with things it was not meant to signify. Judging by the discussions I've had the time to read around here, Liban seems too cosmopolitan, sociable, and witty to fit into the Western stereotype of a religious fanatic or that of an inhibited Muslim woman fettered with "religious slavery chains". Don't judge a book by its cover! Rather, take the time to open it and soak up the contents! (I guess today is another one of my "philosophy days"; LOL!)
ShamanWhisper

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Re: UAE Traditions May 11, 2006
ShamanWhisper wrote:
I do like Liban's avatar too! It's certainly sublime! However, I think you're erroneously associating it with things it was not meant to signify. Judging by the discussions I've had the time to read around here, Liban seems too cosmopolitan, sociable, and witty to fit into the Western stereotype of a religious fanatic or that of an inhibited Muslim woman fettered with "religious slavery chains". Don't judge a book by its cover! Rather, take the time to open it and soak up the contents! (I guess today is another one of my "philosophy days"; LOL!)


Well thank you very much ShamanWhisper!! :D

You are an enlightened soul and are one that sees the truth in an ocean of lies and deception.

Peace!!!
Liban
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