Over the course of this voyage, we have often discussed the question of the Emirates’ claim to authenticity (see posts below). When visiting the Abu Dhabi mosque, some of us felt like the place was lacking history, or perhaps a sense of heritage or tradition. In contrast, the Heritage village in Dubai, with its “traditional” camel rides, henna making and camel burgers tasting, was very popular among the group. Personally, upon arrival in Dubai or Abu Dhabi, I felt overwhelmed by the rising buildings, the racing highways, and the incredible pace the city seems to be evolving at. With such intense pressures for development and urbanization (the economic growth has to range in the double digits in order to match the fast population growth) how can the UAE remain “true” to its values and culture?
Edwin Longsden Long (1829-1891), The Date Seller
I would like to argue that claiming that the UAE lacks authenticity comes down to saying that the Emirates haven’t fulfilled our touristic Western desires. We yearn for a foreign place that remains “traditional”, or at least conform to the representation that we have of it. Arguably, this representation stems from the popular imagery of the colonial world (think: Lawrence of Arabia), and the “high art” representations of the Middle East and of Asia.
Jean-Léon Gérôme (1824-1904). Left: The Snake Charmer.
Right: The Arab and His Steed.
This relates to the theory of orientalism of Edward Saïd, one of the most renowned postcolonial philosopher and thinker. According to him, the Western world constructed during and after colonization a fantasy-like representation of the Middle East and Asia as places of exoticism, romanticism and foreignness. I believe that these representations still endure. In a way, are we not disappointed by the modern aspect of the Abu Dhabi mosque because it doesn’t meet our standards for exoticism? Do we not have an image of the Middle East, with camels and souks in which the traveler can wander for hours, that we look forward to consolidating with the reality? Arguably, we, as white Europeans and North Americans, would like the regions we visit as tourists to be available for exploration, to offer a change of scenery and a certain wildness.
Giulio Rosati (1858-1917), The Carpet Merchant
Perhaps this is the reason why I have been so fascinated by Syria. Cities like Damascus or Aleppo really lead to that sense of disorientation that I seek when I travel abroad. Since the country has been relatively closed, in terms of trade and politics, to the outside – crossing the border is a lengthy process that can be nerve-wracking for Americans that wait for their passports to be approved –, I felt like it was really “authentic” and traditional.
However, I realize now that these expectations are problematic, in the sense that they narrow the Middle East to a single representation that was constructed from the outside, and from a Western perspective. I am convinced that the UAE have remained true to their core values and traditions (see Tala’s post below). The values of hospitality and openness to the world that prevail in the Arab culture are well present. The merchant traditions of the Emirates – the Bedouin population that inhabited the region before 1971 concentrated on the trade of pearls – live through the business-oriented mindset of the region. And lastly, Islam is at the center of the laws and organization of the Emirates.
I am certainly not arguing that this is the universal vision of the Middle East, but I think that we need to keep in mind that the way we consider the region is rooted in the past interactions between the Western world and the Middle East.
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