Sharjah, the lesser known, but lovely Emirate

Sharjah Masjid, along the corniche

      Sharjah is a lovely city, that really is not spoken of enough. It is the 3rd largest emirate in the UAE, and has a lovely corniche in an ocean inlet.
      The ruler of Sharjah, H.H. Sultan bin Mohammed AlQassimi, and his family have a huge interest in art, culture, and education so there are a number of art fairs all year, and more museums than one can see in a day. There is a fabulous museums website showing the many options. Some of my favorites are the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization, the Calligraphy Museum and the Sharjah Aquarium.
      As with the Abu Dhabi and Dubai, there are plenty of restaurants from various countries, a number of malls, great beaches, and wonderful walkways along the corniche.
     For coffee and dinner at night with a great location, I recommend the Qasbah, which has a famous ferris wheel and plenty of evening visitors.

Downtown Sharjah across the corniche

Ferris Wheel at the Qasbah, Sharjah

Sharjah Masjid on the water at Magrib (sunset)

Abu Dhabi, capital of the UAE- Corniche water front beauty

Abu Dhabi, center for culture and government capital of the UAE.

     Although I have visited the capital of UAE quite e few times, I can't get enough. My favorite places are usually along the water (since I came from a beach town in California). The water is warm, the people are friendly and there are plenty of events, particularly in the winter time, when the weather is most comfortable. This year, I have lounged on the beach, at coffee shops and restaurants along the corniche (the water front) and enjoyed free music concerts in December... including a very awesome free concert with Wyclef Jean, former FuGees member.
    There is art, Ferrari world, the world's 3rd largest Mosque (which welcomes ALL visitors, except on Friday), and more hotels and international restaurants than I can count. Unlike Dubai, the town in not as  widely spread, and it is fairly easy to get between 2 places expediently.
   The corniche has walking and biking paths and there are a fair amount of parks and a nice heritage village to visit in order to see traditional handicrafts and local lifestyle pre-oil.

Abu Dhabi view from the corniche toward the Marina 

Sunset over the corniche

Abu Dhabi, beach with old traditional Dow boats

Abu Dhabi corniche beach, from a coffee shop along the way

View of downtown Abu Dhabi Corniche from the Marina

The Marina looking toward the masjid and downtown

Dubai, all its cracked up to be, and more

So far I've attended countless lectures, events, and conferences about women and leadership here in the UAE. For all the opinions we Westerners may have, the Emirates is here to counteract many of our stereotypes, and in fact, spread a little bit of love, and a lot of wealth to many around the world. Women here are involved in all aspects of life, business and certainly in the economy (Emirati Women's leadership is the basis of my research). They are inspired by family, friends, teachers, professors and more. Their work spans education, politics, medicine, business, ecology, and so much more. I am so excited to have had this opportunity to learn about Emirati culture and the Emirati women who are leaders among their peers.

Since I'm not revealing anything else about my research, I will tell you a little more about the UAE, one Emirate at a time.

The most famous Emirate is Dubai; land of glitz and glitter, plus a whole lot of construction sites and malls.  Half of what you have heard is really true. The world's tallest building is here, a ski slope in a mall in the desert is quite factual (and fun, although more expensive than skiing back home, although demand here should be much harder to meet).

Burj Khalifa in Dubai the world's tallest building

Ski slope in the desert, Mall of the Emirates- Dubai

In terms of shopping, night life, and excitement, there is plenty to see here. There are countless green spaces, beaches, hotels, art exhibits, shopping malls (over 40- but you must see Dubai Mall and Mall of the Emirates). My favorite place to people watch on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday night is Jumeirah Beach Road (JBR as it's called locally).  They also have amazing coffee, dessert, food from every nationality (including a few classic diners and 2 Mexican restaurants).

Nominate Emirati Women Leaders

Success.... My research surveys and interviews have been approved.

I am now accepting nominations for Emirati Women Leaders, and I would enjoy hearing from my friends here online or anyone who comes across my blog.

I am studying Emirati women's leadership and cultural change on a Fulbright research and study grant in the United Arab Emirates. I am affiliated with the UAE University

The UAEU ethics board has formally approved my research titled "Emirati Women’s Leadership and Shaping Culture." The purpose of this case study is to find how Emirati women negotiate their roles as leaders by identifying their inspirations and barriers. This includes the collective capacity building they currently employ and how their increase in leadership shapes Emirati culture. My goal is to write an academic article and possibly a book, inshallah, about the Emirates and the amazing women I have met and been inspired by. All of the participants of surveys and interviews will be kept confidential.

To begin my research about Emirati Women’s Leadership I need to first get nominations of Emirati women who are seen as leaders in their fields. I am requesting nominations for the following categories:
Health Care
Education
Government
Law
Business
Urban Planning
Journalism
Women’s Halaqas (ladies religious circles)
Children/ Family Programs
Engineering

I'm hoping you will contact me to nominate leaders from any of the above categories, along with their contact information such as email or mobile number.

My goal is to tell the story of the successes of Emirati women and how their leadership shapes and retains Emirati culture. I first visited the UAE in December 2008 (you can check my old posts for more info), and was impressed with the moderate Islamic path the nation chooses. There are people from 152 countries and various faiths working here. In fact, native Emiratis are a minority in their own country (roughly 20% of the population). There are churches, gudwaras (Sikh temples), Hindu temples and more. Emiratis and their government advocate the advancement, education, employment, voting, and equal opportunities for women in government jobs and private sectors.

Their moderate Islamic views, coupled with a great deal of influence due to oil wealth give me hope that there is a bright future of advocating coexistence and flexibility by this understated Gulf Nation. While the UAE is known for Dubai, and its grandiose buildings such as the world's tallest Burj Khalifa, or the indoor ski slope in the desert of the Emirates mall, there is so much more culturally and technologically here. Women are advocates for public awareness campaigns, green technology, political discourse regarding women, and so much more.

Sign From Abu Dhabi General Women's Union

The ability of Emirati women to balance family, education, and employment while actively defining, retaining and even changing cultural values is fascinating. I have spent my time here attending debates, lectures, leadership seminars, and much more related to Emirati women and culture. There is such an amazing swelling of women in the workforce, while simultaneously strengthening family and cultural values. As societies we are constantly defining and establishing new parameters for interaction or social mores; the Arab and Islamic world is no different. I hope to gain important insights into inspirations and successes of women in the Emirates to share them, and show others the amazing strength, power, resilience and determination of Emirati women caring for their families, jobs, and nation in a country known for men, big buildings and sand... There is an intriguing and inspirational undercurrent.

I am also hoping to make contacts with women's groups in all of the Emirates, to speak with and receive nominations for women's leaders representing all of the Emirates. Please let me know of any contacts, or women's organizations, (for example like the Abu Dhabi General Women's Association, or the Dubai Women's Associaton), by replying to this email or contacting me in any way. We can also meet for coffee, or tea, as you like.

Thanks for your time.
Emiratis have always been so helpful, kind and friendly. I hope to pass on this information and share with people the inspiration I find here. Please call or email me regarding nominations of Emirati women leaders, or Emirati women's organizations I can visit.