“Welcome back!” the AI (artificial intelligence) voice at the Dubai airport said as it swung open its immigration gates faster than I could find my passport in my bag as I entered the city for the nth time a few years back. It turns out, the airport has already recorded my biometrics so I don’t have to scan my passport anymore as I’ve been to United Arab Emirates (UAE) many times either for vacation or transit via my most favorite airline Emirates to Europe.
Apart from Switzerland and London, I feel the safest as a woman to travel alone in the UAE — as long as I stick within the city. Of course, the best thing to do in Dubai is to “do buy,” so whenever I’m there, I do mall-hopping and scouring outlet stores for Armani, Karl Lagerfeld, Balmain, Desigual, Dolce & Gabbana, Versace and the like that I could get for a bargain. In 2022, I scored one of only two pieces of hybrid scarf and baseball cap designed by Donatella Versace for Fendi, in a very rare collaboration and crossover between Fendi and Versace called “Fendace.” The cap is in the same desert color as my other treasured piece from another designer houses collaboration, a hoodie from the “Hacker” collection of Balenciaga and Gucci in 2021.
Not only is Dubai a bargain hunter’s haven; Filipinos there are the best! Once they learn that you’re a kabayan, they would give you discounts, offer you the best seat in the house or give you more than what you’ve paid for.
Likewise, as a woman, I’ve experienced nothing but respect from even locals in UAE, Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) and Abu Dhabi. I’d go to Dubai’s souks alone — but for as long as it’s in daytime because honestly, it’s scary there at night because there are hardly any tourists and many local men walk there in groups. I’d address the Muslim men tending the shops as “brother,” and they’d call me back as “sister,” give much attention to serving my needs and queries, give me discounts and even shower me with freebies.
I’d buy luxurious, hand-embroidered fabrics from the Textile Souk; jewelry from the Gold Souk; and scents and essences from the Spice Souk. In 2023, I got a one-off silver bracelet embossed with turquoise, Lapis Lazuli and other semi-precious stones. At the Spice Souk, a “brother” concocted my very own personalized perfume he called “Rose of Arabia” — because, as he said, I’m an adopted daughter of Arabia. How sweet is that?
But fashion in UAE is not only at the stores; it’s experiential. For example, in 2023, after covering the COP28, I treated myself to a glass of champagne mixed with edible gold, Giorgio Armani’s favorite cheese risotto and cheesecake topped with edible gold, at Armani Ristorante in Armani Hotel in Burj Khalifa. Two years prior, my family and I had dinner at the Versace Hotel Dubai, one of only two Versace Hotels in the world. The other one is in Macau.
At RAK, we went “glamping,” ate barbecued camel meat, rode a quad bike and got lost in the desert, immersed ourselves with Bedouin culture, got henna tattoos and posed with our OOTDs (outfits of the day) alongside camels and the magnificent Arabian desert sunset as backdrop — reminiscent of Sex and the City movie. While set in Abu Dhabi, the film’s production moved to Morocco due to filming permit issues in the UAE.
In the streets, I also enjoyed riding taxis alone in Dubai. Since landmarks are very far from each other, I’d find myself always chatting with a “brother” driver over Halal food and anything under their scorching desert sun. I never experienced getting ripped off or looked down upon — whether it is because I am a woman or a Filipina. Actually, many of them spoke so highly of Filipinos and our overseas Filipino workers as very warm, friendly and hardworking.
Even at mosques and palaces, women from other faiths and cultures are welcome to enter — for as long as they abide by the dress code. After trying on the Emirates’ traditional costumes in a photo booth in Dubai Mall, I was able to appreciate the story, history and artistry behind the costumes and the symbolisms they represent. At the same time, as a woman from a free country like modern-day Philippines, I felt sad and empathize with women who resent wearing these traditional wear every day as a symbol of oppression and subjugation of their freedoms.
Truly, the Middle East is very dear to me and many others not only as a travel destination, an exotic cultural hub, a fashion capital and as a shopping paradise, but as a part of our global family. So my prayer is for our brothers and sisters in the UAE and the entire Middle East to find peace, freedom and equality for all.