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Promoting tourism without making compromises

Sharjah is living up to its name as the Islamic cultural capital in the Arab world by keeping its rich history and culture alive in the face of modernity and spreading this message to thousands of tourists across the globe.

Visitors from all over the world may have come to Sharjah without any concrete information of how it is to be like in an Islamic country. Women, particularly, have to avoid indecent dresses that expose their stomach and back, short clothing above the knee, tight and transparent clothing that reveals the body or its shape. Men’s dress code frowns on wearing short pants in public places or chest and arms nudity.

But, as they come to Sharjah, they blend well with the emirate’s cultural and religious values as their licensed tourist guides and Sharjah Police come to the picture to assist visitors in a manner that represents Sharjah’s effort to maintain and improve its position as a leading tourism destination.

How they do it

Manar Al Ali of the Destination Development Department says that the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA), in collaboration with the University of Sharjah, is holding a series of classes on Sharjah Tourist Guide Licence Course targeting all tourist guides in the UAE in June, September and October.

The training is particularly useful for all of those who enjoy meeting others, socialising with people from diverse cultures and backgrounds, and wish to be cultural ambassadors for Sharjah. “It seeks to ensure quality standards among all external tourism stakeholders by providing participants with in-depth destination knowledge in several subjects ranging from the emirate’s history and culture to architecture, archaeology and commerce,” Al Ali says.

Jordanian Jasem Zaiton, who has 15 years’ experience in the Gulf and more than 12 years as a tourist guide, says that lectures by professionals in the fields of history, archaeology, economy, geology, nature and environment coupled with visits to historical and archeological sites and buildings bearing Islamic architecture dominate the training. “I love this training. As a cultural ambassador of the emirate, we have been equipped well in all aspects that any tourists may want to know. I am amazed at the Al Nabooda House architecture, the various museums around Sharjah and the Cultural Palace in Al Falaj area of Sharjah overlooking the Cultural Square.”

Jasem, who was a recipient of the SCTDA’s ‘Best Tourist Guide Award in 2012’, also expresses delight over the briefing on the life of an Emirati family before and now, impact on generations by young Emirati female, and the status of Emirati women. “To most of us, who are not Emiratis, the information is helpful to fully explain the UAE culture and traditions to the tourists we are guiding around the emirate.”

Decency and Public

Conduct Rules

The SCTDA has been publishing brochures and flyers on the Decency and Public Conduct Rules, which specify what to and not to wear, what to and not to do, and other related rules. The literature is distributed through Sharjah’s hotels and Sharjah International Airport.

On several occasions, Sharjah’s licensed tourist guides have to do emergency purchases of large sheilas to cover up tight and transparent clothing or exposed tummy and back. A glaring example of this is a pregnant visitor, whose bulging tummy is exposed. Her tourist guide has to ask the tour bus driver to stop at a nearest souvenir shop or department store to buy a big sheila to wrap around her exposed tummy to be suitably dressed and to move around the tour sites with ease.

British Jenny Barrow, a freelance licensed tourist guide for nearly 13 years, says that the tour operators have to inform the incoming tourists of the UAE laws and rules on decency such as the dress code. “We only meet the tourists when we pick them up at their hotels, and they are already dressed to go. Hastily, we can advise them to change their clothing, but the tour operators have to inform them beforehand to avoid embarrassment.”

She mostly bring tourists to the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization, Al Nabooda House, Souq Al Arsah, the Blue Souq or Central Souq, University City, and to Arabian Wildlife Park and festivals. “These are my preferred destinations in Sharjah. I call them “very exclusive tours”. It is, however, sad that not all tourist companies have included the Desert Park and Arabian Wildlife Park in the packaged tours in Sharjah. These are great places that many tourists, particularly Europeans, long to see — something unique and uncommon to other destinations,” Barrow adds.

Barrow’s message to tourists is “Sharjah is a safe destination” to woo them back . “In the emirate, they can taste good food, go to beaches, explore the culture and Islamic civilization in the region through the various museums. German tourists are very much interested in culture. In fact, many tourism companies are very interested only in culture. This is what Sharjah offers,” she says.

No arrests of tourists

Before, many tourists did not know about this, Barrow says. Now, tourists coming to the UAE, Sharjah in particular, are very much aware of what to wear and what to do during their tours in the emirate.

A top official at the Sharjah Police says that dress code is included in the Decency and Public Conduct Rules, issued by His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, on June 16, 2001.

The rule aims at minimising indecent acts, which are against the religion and tradition and offend residents of the emirate, as well as to preserve public civility.

It is not legal for a man and a woman, who are not associated in a legal relationship, to be alone in suspicious times or circumstances. For example, the police have caught a number of men and women, who sat in their car parked in the dark and isolated areas in the middle of the night and found doing indecent acts.

The police have designated a special team to enforce the Decency and Public Conduct Rules and ensure visitors’ adherence to them  in all parts of the emirate.

The police officers have never arrested those who violate the dress code but they issue them warnings, instructions, advice and clarifications. The police would not arrest anyone except in case of a negative response from the person.

The official added that the police intensify the public decency campaign during Ramadan, summer months and throughout the year to curb objectionable practices and behaviour like wearing of skimpy outfits, eve-teasing and fighting on streets. “Visitors and residents should respect the emirate’s rules and its society.”

He called on the diplomatic missions to spread awareness among their people living in the emirate on the importance of respecting the culture and conservative tradition of the local community.

Awareness publications to explain the law have been kept in tourists areas such as museums, hotels and airport to educate the visitors and tourists about the law.

The official said that since the issuance of the rules, the continuous campaign has achieved its goals in Sharjah. “The initiatives taken by the Sharjah Police in educating the public about this particular law have decreased violations among the visitors and residents. I thank diplomats for educating their citizens about the Sharjah law.”

Decency tips

• Wearing swimming suites by women and men in open beach areas, in the street or public place is not acceptable
• Men are not allowed in ladies places such as ladies salon, spa or club, but only in acceptable circumstances based on the social norms and culture
• Public disturbance of peace with acts of vulgarity or loud noise also included in public decency
• Women, particularly, have to avoid indecent dresses that expose their stomach and back, short clothing above the knee, tight and transparent clothing that reveals the body or its shape
• Men’s dress code frowns on wearing short pants in public places or chest and arms nudity

lily@khaleejtimes.com

afkarali@khaleejtimes.com