What it’s like to visit Dubai as a women – By Femke, SeaBookings cofounder:
To visit Dubai as a woman is becoming more and more frequent, especially considering business trips. I had the chance to visit Dubai for a business too as I went to participate in a travel fair. Dubai is considered the biggest city in the EAU. In fact, it’s the most impressive and massive city I’ve ever seen.
I live in the countryside near Lagos, a small city on the south coast of Portugal. Working from the countryside, on SeaBookings, we were invited by Turismo de Portugal, the Portuguese Tourism Board, to travel to Dubai and participate in the big Arabian Travel Market in Dubai.
This was the most exciting news as the Arabian market was already catching our eye. And I’d have the opportunity to discover a new culture, city and business environment.
I was quite nervous about this trip, as I was concerned about being young women travelling alone. People had scared me about the big differences between women and men in Dubai and that I should be careful to visit Dubai as a woman.
Regarding how I felt during my visit to Dubai as a woman… Well, one thing’s sure, I never felt threatened or unsafe in Dubai.
In fact, due to the harsh sentences, everyone is behaving and very polite. There is also good police control and many cameras all around the city.
By reading some blog posts, I decided to respect the local culture. The best is to wear clothes that cover up more than usual.
I saw many women, who do not respect this, but as a female solo traveller, I prefer to respect local customs.
To visit Dubai as a woman, you don’t need to cover up your hair, but I wouldn’t recommend going around in short skirts or dresses.
Having to cover up makes you sweat in the hot climate of Dubai. Fortunately, all shops, hotels, public transport have air conditioning, which makes it easier to deal with the extreme heat.
Although, be prepared to sweat. In my opinion, the best way to travel in Dubai is by Metro. The metro is not expensive and very safe, fast and comfortable.
Both in the bus and metro, there are women-only areas. Normally the front of a bus and one or more carriages for the metro. There is also a “Gold” carriage if you want to travel with space and more comfort.
To get from and to the airport, I used Uber. It’s impressive how affordable, reliable and safe this service is. Also when you visit Dubai as a woman.
In sum, I have had a great experience during my visit to Dubai. It’s all a matter of respect and being responsible. If you have any other experiences to share about visiting Dubai as a woman, let us know. Feel free to contact me for any other comments or questions: [email protected]. Enjoy Dubai!
