the western region
i live way, way, way out in the desert in a little town called madinat zayed (or beda zayed, depending on who you ask). it is a small town with very little to do. there is no movie theater, no bowling alley, no clubs or cafes or boardwalks, no bookstores or coffee shops, no real gathering places. however, there is the beauty and serenity of the desert…. the endless sea of sand, the sight of camels being herded over the dunes, the whisper (or sometimes the howl) of the wind across the desert.
my little town also has many lovely, green parks, a nice produce market and a small shopping mall. there is the “industrial area” of town (which i have become fascinated with), and, of course, there is more sand.
at the park
chillin'
this town is made up mostly of men. i know that there must be women somewhere, but when you venture out into town all you see are men. literally. i can go out to the market or bank or pharmacy – any of these very normal places where one would expect to see women, right? i don’t see a single woman … but there is a plethora of men. i mean an extreme amount of men. at certain times of the day you can’t drive through the main road, as it is completely clogged by men.
a street full of men
and still more ...
i would not even consider trying to go the ATM in the late afternoon. i made this mistake once when i first arrived ~ the line was about 50 men deep. no exaggeration. (the plus is, being a woman, you get hurried to the front of the line!). the post office (which is also the money exchange & wire) – forget about it … the line is out the door, down the block, to the street. amazing.
in line at the ATM
madinat zayed appears to be somewhat of an industrial town. there are many links to the oil refineries and the electric companies close by. this brings in a great number of immigrant workers. you guessed it, all men! their wives must stay in their home countries or hidden behind the walls of their homes.
the population is made of four distinct and very separate groups of people: emeratis, egyptians, asian expatriates, and western expatriates.
tea with a local
at the gas station ...
the emeratis are an interesting group of people. no emerati has to work. they simply do not need to worry about earning a living – that is taken care of by the government and oil money. however, many do ‘work’ at little hobbies (like owning villas or a shop or such). the egyptians make up the “professional” class of workers and are very assimilated into local culture, as they share the language and, often, the religion. the asian expats are from all over southeast asia (sri lanka, bangladesh, india, the phillipines, nepal, vietnam, etc…) and make up the “laborer” class of workers. there are SO many asian workers here, working and walking everywhere. everywhere i go i am surrounded by these men. at the supermarket, 3 men sweep the floor as i walk through ONE isle, at the bank one man brings you tea while 2 more empty the trash and wipe down the door handles, in the parking lot 8 -10 workers pick up trash and wash cars, in my villas there are always 3 to 4 men in my building alone – sweeping, mopping, and wiping away sand. it can be overwhelming. then, there are the western expats – me! we are the smallest of the four groups and the least assimilated. western expats are from all over europe, australia, south africa, canada, and the us. we are herded together and all involved in education reform in some manner. there are also many men from afghanistan and pakistan .. they tend to be craftsmen, artists, tailors, specialty workers, restaurant owners. they are an amazing group of people – incredible artists & cooks! they, much like the egyptians, are very well assimilated into the local culture.
i tell you about the people that make up the population because it is a huge part of my experience in the western region of abu dhabi, a huge part of the culture here. i have never experienced such segregation on such a large scheme. women and men are completely segregated. they do not eat together, work together, or socialize together. it is quite amazing. yet, they all seem to be married. i am fascinated with the process … how, exactly, do you meet a potential mate if there is no fraternizing? that’s for another day …
globalmidtown 
I have visited Keitsa in her small town and yes there are men everywhere. I found the people to be friendly and helpful and have not experienced one time when I was made to feel uncomfortable. I must say however a westerner is a curiosity and found myself being stared at often. The language barrier though difficult and at times trying can be quite fun. While Keitsa was at work I experienced the town on foot and although the roads are good, street signs and names or numbers would be helpful. The area all looks the same and being lost, if only temporarily, in the heat is a cause for concern.