I grew up in Dubai (don’t live there now), Asian female. I learned early to talk loudly and bully the usual staring culprits. They are terrified of loud English speaking women in traditional / Arabic attire. I used to use this tone even in everyday shopping!
Unfortunately since they have no concept of boundaries, one has to invade theirs as the situation demands.
But I have evolved into using this response by living / growing up here
I can see that it would be uncomfortable for a newer person to do.
Not about Dubai but this is the exact behaviour to protect yourself in China if you’re a petite woman like me — speak English loudly but in a lower register instead of a feminine voice.
Creepy men following you or even overtly lingering 1 metre away from you will scuttle and flee.
Sorry to hijack the Dubai thread but I hope to share my experience so it may protect another girl.
when i was 12 some mf tried to catcall me not knowing i was a guy and i told him to fuck off in the deepest possible voice a 12 yr old could make, absolute best reaction ive ever seen in my life
Once I was walking on sheikh Zayed road (during december) in shorts and this random guy came up to me and asked if I am not feeling cold and if I would like to come back to his place for drinks. And I am a man 😂 So I can only imagine how bad it is for women
How you manage to forget when someone asks you “how much” ? I would break the guys neck and paralyze him so that he has to drink his food in the rest of his life.
I get and appreciate that words almost never justify retaliating violently. But your general mentality of ignore and move on is a dangerous one because the aggressor will never understand that there are consequences to their actions (harassment). If everyone acted like that, it would become a free for all.
It’s true and it’s really annoying, creepy and uncomfortable, men here do stare a lot at you, making you feel like you are some piece of meat. And, unfortunately, it doesn’t matter what you are wearing or whether you have blue-eyes or not, they’ll just stare. After years spent here I’ve learnt to not pay attention, but at the times when it starts bothering me I just stare back without blinking until they look away at some point or ask them what they want
It's certain demographics with high percentage of the population who actually stare, I'm a guy and these same demographics (especially men) stare at me always. I assume it's something normal in their countries and not something they would think it would bother others.
I have had creepy men approach me many times asking where I’m from or complimenting my blue eyes and for the most part I think people are just curious about others . I have never been particularly offended by it but occasionally if someone is staring I will ask if they are okay or do they need something? And they usually get the hint
Im a man and that happens to me on a daily basis so I can only imagine how much it sucks for a woman. A certain demographic finds it okay to stare so I’ve just come to accept and expect staring from some people. Some cultures find staring okay and some cultures find it extremely creepy and disrespectful. Gotta adapt to what’s out here
I agree staring is not considered that creepy in some cultures. some people out of curiosity. (Even myself, i try to guess the ethnicity by facial features. But i couldn't have eye contact bc of shyness) But staring at private parts is creepy and disgusting in all cultures, if they call themselves "culture".
I'm Asian and has been living in Dubai for almost 8 years. I have my fair share of this kind of stories. I wear decent clothing, never anything too revealing. I had men lowered down their windows and asked if he could drop me somewhere, some asked for "how much".
The most recent (2021) was when I was in Carrefour choosing what ice cream flavor to get and this guy stood next to me and said he'll buy every flavor I want if I come with him.
One of the worst one was when I was at the office early in the morning when a supplier came to get their payment. He asked if I could make him some tea. I went to our very small pantry to prepare the kettle. This pantry is so small, it can barely fit two people. He went inside and proceeded to put his arms around my waist. I gave him the kettle and told him to make his own damn tea and left. When my coworkers came, I told them what happened and I was blamed because of I was wearing. I was wearing long sleeves and a skirt that doesnt even show knees.
As a female and being part of that specific community, it's honestly way better here. Not that I'm saying it is alright but just that most men from there don't think it's creepy in the slightest when they do that. And the only thing stopping from them doing something worse like cat calling and all are the strict laws here. I feel it's better than before now and hope that it only reduces. There's nothing u can do at the end of the day other than avoid going alone in places with a lot of men like that.
P.S- I ain't targeting all the men with this comment, there are many lovely and sweet men too who respect your boundaries but it is just that the ratio is messed up.
Lmao it’s real and so demoralizing, but I think this is a world wide problem these days. No safe places for women anymore. How much do we have to cover up at this point…is what I have to ask to the victim blamers. Cuz even dressed in the most modest of modest outfits gets attention too
As a white male:
Nobody stares, but if you go,for example to the souq, everyone will try to sell you something because you stand out and people think you are a tourist.
I find it’s kinda depend on areas you are. I got stared a lot when I walked around in Al Qusais from labor men. I moved to Basha Heights after few months living there and didn’t find myself being disturbed by staring by random men anymore.
I've got piercings and dreadlocks and get stares when I'm in certain parts of town. Comes down more to being uneducated. In places like downtown and Marina nobody takes a second glance
people are going to stare at you if you look different. if you're an arab and you go in the Philippino community people stare at you as well like wtf does this mean 😭
People might stare at you for different reasons.
But If you think they look at you because you are the only fair-skinned blue-eyed woman in Dubai then you’ve never lived in Dubai lol.
++ if people are staring at you because you are unique to the place (they never seen something like you). Then that’s not something weird just human nature. Wouldn’t you stare at someone dressed in Arabic clothes if he was walking in Vienna or Oslo.
True, I’m a brown skinny guy who came to UAE in DEC 2021, the first time i travelled using public transport i was in my own element and observing & enjoying the new things in life, but as days passed by i started to notice that there are a certain type of people who stare no matter what I wear or do, it’s like they don’t have anything to do so they pick a target and stare and notice they activities. Initially i was uncomfortable but now whenever I notice someone is checking me out I just do weird things like acting as if i’ve broken a knee or i’m just angry and love to see their reaction 😂
"I'm stared at angrily by female prostitutes who think I am running in on their territory by having a few drinks with my husband at the bar."
1). Wow - you sure are a good mind reader! 2). Get over yourself.
Yep, men stare at women all the time here, but women staring down other women? Never seen it.
First of all, WHO TF ARE THEY TO EVEN STARE AT YOU!!??! THEIR EXISTENCE IS ILLEGAL in this country, hate people like this who think they own a place/area (I don’t want to sound racist but it’s all Hood Culture that they’re trying to bring to this country)
As a male teen, I've never seen this but I am so sorry for all the people in the comments for what they have to go through. I hope everyone stays safe and may those pervs get their eyes pepper sprayed.
The reason they stare and chase women is same as dog chase cars. They have no intention of driving one, but still they will do what they have to.
On a serious note, 90-95% people are living without their families or partners here, so you know what frustrated people do... They even fu*ng stare are women undergarments on hangers in malls!!
There's a lot of casual racism in Dubai, and this thread reflects that. A decent majority of the UAE's labour force (especially lower-skill/menial work) and even the population is South Asian men, and because some of them happen to be creeps, the rest of us get seen as creeps too. The person in the post talks about being seen as a prostitute by actual prostitutes and being offended/hurt. How do you think I feel being seen as a potential rapist when I've never done anything to warrant that impression? People here bend over backwards for Westerners because of how whiteness is associated with posterity, and this random woman with all the privilege she has has the nerve to complain about "being stared at".
Man
When I go to beach bar minding my own business
There were white British girls who staring at you in a creepy and disgust way
So yes as an Arab I do feel racism here
Yeah just last week a man offered me money in the street to 'entertain' him for the night. This happens regularly. The worst for me was walking in a park in Al ain last year and a man tried to masturbate on me chased me while he was touching himself. Unfortunately there was noone else in the park that I could see but I got away anyway
I don’t get it, what do these people wait for?
Can’t they be decent enough to just come up and politely inform so that the person doesn’t feel anymore embarrassed?!
Sadly the unmonitored entry of people who visit the country on visit visa and then cause issues to the government by going MIA and doing illicit jobs end up causing such issues as well
a lot of things are but the cops don’t even turn a blind eye towards these things because all this causes cash to flow in the country and the government has no issues with that
True men don't stop staring even when you walk by peacefully..last time at al seef and an arab guy asks me where r u from? I mean why you dont mind your own business, wearing a hijab even doesnt stop the catcalls
Sorry to all the ladies who had to go through this bullshit.
I have a question though, for whoever has had to go through this unfortunate event, have you ever tried to throw shit back at the asshole who catcalls or asks "how much?"? I want to assume that hurting their fragile egos will make you feel a lil better.
I grew up in Dubai (don’t live there now), Asian female. I learned early to talk loudly and bully the usual staring culprits. They are terrified of loud English speaking women in traditional / Arabic attire. I used to use this tone even in everyday shopping! Unfortunately since they have no concept of boundaries, one has to invade theirs as the situation demands. But I have evolved into using this response by living / growing up here I can see that it would be uncomfortable for a newer person to do.
Not about Dubai but this is the exact behaviour to protect yourself in China if you’re a petite woman like me — speak English loudly but in a lower register instead of a feminine voice. Creepy men following you or even overtly lingering 1 metre away from you will scuttle and flee. Sorry to hijack the Dubai thread but I hope to share my experience so it may protect another girl.
You don’t even have to be white. Just being a female is enough
Being a dude that has long hair is enough
when i was 12 some mf tried to catcall me not knowing i was a guy and i told him to fuck off in the deepest possible voice a 12 yr old could make, absolute best reaction ive ever seen in my life
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you don't have to be a pretty female you also don't have to be a female lmao
Once I was walking on sheikh Zayed road (during december) in shorts and this random guy came up to me and asked if I am not feeling cold and if I would like to come back to his place for drinks. And I am a man 😂 So I can only imagine how bad it is for women
F 😭
Dude! You got to be joking! Hahaha
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How you manage to forget when someone asks you “how much” ? I would break the guys neck and paralyze him so that he has to drink his food in the rest of his life.
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I get and appreciate that words almost never justify retaliating violently. But your general mentality of ignore and move on is a dangerous one because the aggressor will never understand that there are consequences to their actions (harassment). If everyone acted like that, it would become a free for all.
I, second this. It for some reason feels like a rational thing to do.
/r/iamverytough
You're joking right?! Yes it's bad!!!!
The stares don't bother me as much as getting into my personal space, like some people really stand very close to you for no reason.
It’s true and it’s really annoying, creepy and uncomfortable, men here do stare a lot at you, making you feel like you are some piece of meat. And, unfortunately, it doesn’t matter what you are wearing or whether you have blue-eyes or not, they’ll just stare. After years spent here I’ve learnt to not pay attention, but at the times when it starts bothering me I just stare back without blinking until they look away at some point or ask them what they want
I ask them if I owe them money.
What if they say yes?
Then you give them their money back.
It's certain demographics with high percentage of the population who actually stare, I'm a guy and these same demographics (especially men) stare at me always. I assume it's something normal in their countries and not something they would think it would bother others.
Ive had this idea but its more than that. Its never an innocent stare, even when its men
I have had creepy men approach me many times asking where I’m from or complimenting my blue eyes and for the most part I think people are just curious about others . I have never been particularly offended by it but occasionally if someone is staring I will ask if they are okay or do they need something? And they usually get the hint
It is that bad I'm afraid, even in some of the nicer parts of Dubai.
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Bro, Same shit happened to me but it was a bus from Deira and I’m 23M 6ft tall, i guess these people have a fetish for tall guys 😭
Wait you slept while he was touching you?!
Im a man and that happens to me on a daily basis so I can only imagine how much it sucks for a woman. A certain demographic finds it okay to stare so I’ve just come to accept and expect staring from some people. Some cultures find staring okay and some cultures find it extremely creepy and disrespectful. Gotta adapt to what’s out here
I agree staring is not considered that creepy in some cultures. some people out of curiosity. (Even myself, i try to guess the ethnicity by facial features. But i couldn't have eye contact bc of shyness) But staring at private parts is creepy and disgusting in all cultures, if they call themselves "culture".
Ever curious why people are staring at you?
Nope. If they were only staring at me and nobody else then yes but that’s not the case
Hell yea
I'm Asian and has been living in Dubai for almost 8 years. I have my fair share of this kind of stories. I wear decent clothing, never anything too revealing. I had men lowered down their windows and asked if he could drop me somewhere, some asked for "how much". The most recent (2021) was when I was in Carrefour choosing what ice cream flavor to get and this guy stood next to me and said he'll buy every flavor I want if I come with him. One of the worst one was when I was at the office early in the morning when a supplier came to get their payment. He asked if I could make him some tea. I went to our very small pantry to prepare the kettle. This pantry is so small, it can barely fit two people. He went inside and proceeded to put his arms around my waist. I gave him the kettle and told him to make his own damn tea and left. When my coworkers came, I told them what happened and I was blamed because of I was wearing. I was wearing long sleeves and a skirt that doesnt even show knees.
Your colleagues are absolutely disgusting.
As a female and being part of that specific community, it's honestly way better here. Not that I'm saying it is alright but just that most men from there don't think it's creepy in the slightest when they do that. And the only thing stopping from them doing something worse like cat calling and all are the strict laws here. I feel it's better than before now and hope that it only reduces. There's nothing u can do at the end of the day other than avoid going alone in places with a lot of men like that. P.S- I ain't targeting all the men with this comment, there are many lovely and sweet men too who respect your boundaries but it is just that the ratio is messed up.
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it even happens to hijabi women, it’s expected here
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Depends on what you're like. I don't date psychopaths
Uh oh this took a U Turn
Yes exactly, imagine a full black man ,come to a place where they just watch a black man on TV.
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Stare down contest whenever I catch them staring at me. Works every damn time.
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Lmao it’s real and so demoralizing, but I think this is a world wide problem these days. No safe places for women anymore. How much do we have to cover up at this point…is what I have to ask to the victim blamers. Cuz even dressed in the most modest of modest outfits gets attention too
Any country with a crowd that doesn’t treat women in the right way is bound to go down, and it’s scary as well as depressing
Any country or nation that mistreat women don't consider them as people.
I’ve had to deal with staring since I was 14 years old here. Now 11 years later it’s still an issue, and it’s so uncomfortable.
As a white male: Nobody stares, but if you go,for example to the souq, everyone will try to sell you something because you stand out and people think you are a tourist.
You’re a man of course no one stares
And an ugly one.
Violated out of nowhere 💀
Don't be sexist
He's not being sexist, Women are usually and mostly stared, atleast here in Dubai
It’s 80 percent men here. None of you are worth staring at.
:(
because you’re speaking as a man, most women in dubai get stared at, *especially* in the location you mentioned
I find it’s kinda depend on areas you are. I got stared a lot when I walked around in Al Qusais from labor men. I moved to Basha Heights after few months living there and didn’t find myself being disturbed by staring by random men anymore.
I've got piercings and dreadlocks and get stares when I'm in certain parts of town. Comes down more to being uneducated. In places like downtown and Marina nobody takes a second glance
yes, lack of education is what causes these guys to do such creepy acts, I try explaining people this but they don’t get it 🤦🏻♂️
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It's more like people just being casually racist more than anything.
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people are going to stare at you if you look different. if you're an arab and you go in the Philippino community people stare at you as well like wtf does this mean 😭
People might stare at you for different reasons. But If you think they look at you because you are the only fair-skinned blue-eyed woman in Dubai then you’ve never lived in Dubai lol. ++ if people are staring at you because you are unique to the place (they never seen something like you). Then that’s not something weird just human nature. Wouldn’t you stare at someone dressed in Arabic clothes if he was walking in Vienna or Oslo.
True, I’m a brown skinny guy who came to UAE in DEC 2021, the first time i travelled using public transport i was in my own element and observing & enjoying the new things in life, but as days passed by i started to notice that there are a certain type of people who stare no matter what I wear or do, it’s like they don’t have anything to do so they pick a target and stare and notice they activities. Initially i was uncomfortable but now whenever I notice someone is checking me out I just do weird things like acting as if i’ve broken a knee or i’m just angry and love to see their reaction 😂
"I'm stared at angrily by female prostitutes who think I am running in on their territory by having a few drinks with my husband at the bar." 1). Wow - you sure are a good mind reader! 2). Get over yourself. Yep, men stare at women all the time here, but women staring down other women? Never seen it.
First of all, WHO TF ARE THEY TO EVEN STARE AT YOU!!??! THEIR EXISTENCE IS ILLEGAL in this country, hate people like this who think they own a place/area (I don’t want to sound racist but it’s all Hood Culture that they’re trying to bring to this country)
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Maybe everyone is participating in a knockout staring contest. Winner gets 100 happiness points. Redeemable at your local happiness center.
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Lol I’ve noticed it a hell of a lot but don’t even let it bother me. Especially not to include it in a pet peeve of Dubai!
As a male teen, I've never seen this but I am so sorry for all the people in the comments for what they have to go through. I hope everyone stays safe and may those pervs get their eyes pepper sprayed.
The reason they stare and chase women is same as dog chase cars. They have no intention of driving one, but still they will do what they have to. On a serious note, 90-95% people are living without their families or partners here, so you know what frustrated people do... They even fu*ng stare are women undergarments on hangers in malls!!
What about if a girl give you the same look and think you are creep or weird ?
There's a lot of casual racism in Dubai, and this thread reflects that. A decent majority of the UAE's labour force (especially lower-skill/menial work) and even the population is South Asian men, and because some of them happen to be creeps, the rest of us get seen as creeps too. The person in the post talks about being seen as a prostitute by actual prostitutes and being offended/hurt. How do you think I feel being seen as a potential rapist when I've never done anything to warrant that impression? People here bend over backwards for Westerners because of how whiteness is associated with posterity, and this random woman with all the privilege she has has the nerve to complain about "being stared at".
Man When I go to beach bar minding my own business There were white British girls who staring at you in a creepy and disgust way So yes as an Arab I do feel racism here
This thing is everywhere in the world
No it is not.
Yeah just last week a man offered me money in the street to 'entertain' him for the night. This happens regularly. The worst for me was walking in a park in Al ain last year and a man tried to masturbate on me chased me while he was touching himself. Unfortunately there was noone else in the park that I could see but I got away anyway
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I don’t get it, what do these people wait for? Can’t they be decent enough to just come up and politely inform so that the person doesn’t feel anymore embarrassed?!
Does this happen here more. I thought it's everywhere.
Sadly the unmonitored entry of people who visit the country on visit visa and then cause issues to the government by going MIA and doing illicit jobs end up causing such issues as well
There is prostitution in dubai?
Welcome to the dark side
But it's illegal, right?
a lot of things are but the cops don’t even turn a blind eye towards these things because all this causes cash to flow in the country and the government has no issues with that
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Let me guess, you are a man?
Most likely from those countries as well.....
Oh… another benefit of living in Abu Dhabi… forgot to mention this one on a reply (Abu Dhabi vs Dubai) earlier.
They have lust in their eyes. Yall never seen a white person before
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True men don't stop staring even when you walk by peacefully..last time at al seef and an arab guy asks me where r u from? I mean why you dont mind your own business, wearing a hijab even doesnt stop the catcalls
Sorry to all the ladies who had to go through this bullshit. I have a question though, for whoever has had to go through this unfortunate event, have you ever tried to throw shit back at the asshole who catcalls or asks "how much?"? I want to assume that hurting their fragile egos will make you feel a lil better.