Many of you in the States have expressed some concern about my safety here in Abu Dhabi with all the unrest in the Middle East right now. There is nothing to worry about. The UAE is very stable and very safe. Cairo, where protests brought down Hosni Mubarak who ruled for over 30 years, is 1000 miles away and in the opposite corner of the Arabian Peninsula. After Tunisia fell the citizens of Egypt came together and through peaceful protest changed their government. Talk about a step towards democracy? Wow. It was a very momentous few weeks or so to watch on television here, especially seeing so much of it live. I felt a slight connection to what was going on there because I had been there only 18 months ago on a trip.
There are of course other countries in this region going through their own protests and potential changes. Some a little more violent than others, Libya for example. It is so violent there because Moammar Gadhafi is fighting back with his military actually using fighter jets on unarmed protesters. He is not longed for office after 41 years. No big loss or at least that's what most people think.
Change can be good or at least that's what most people think, as do I, but in the end no one knows what they're getting into when they push someone out of office.
So what are we keeping our eyes on now. We see Bahrain just up the coast on this side of the gulf dealing with organized mostly peaceful protests. The other thing to understand is that most of the protesting going on is peaceful and only turns violent when the government starts the violence with the military or the police. Then it can get ugly like in Libya. Manama, Bahrain is experiencing peaceful, scheduled protests mostly because the government has opened the door to discussions with protesters and their representatives.
Jordan is seeing scheduled organized protesters on Friday afternoons after prayer time. Up to about 10,000 people or so. The King of Jordan dismissed his the Prime Minister weeks ago as Cairo erupted, simply to head off some issues. Protests will continue until changes are made in Jordan.
Things are quiet here in the UAE. It seems there was activity in Muscat, Oman which borders us to the east and some protesters were killed by some rubber bullets. A significant factor in these uprisings is the unemployment rate, especially among the young and educated. There are no jobs for them at home and they want to contribute to their country and its success. So after being denied for years they are speaking out against dictators that have been running and plundering their countries for years and in some cases decades.
Jordan has a high unemployment rate, the UAE is relatively low for Emirates and any ex-pats (workers from other countries) that are unhappy are simply allowed to go home. Another thing we see happening is the governments and leaders over some countries are coming up with payments for their citizens, such as Kuwait giving the equivalent of $3500 to every man, woman and child in the country based on oil revenues. I guess if we keep driving those big SUV's they'll keep getting checks. I also know that over 1000 families in Sharjah, one of the 7 Emirates, received free homes courtesy of the Sheikh there. I don't live in Sharjah so I didn't get one.
So where does that leave me and the rest of us here in the UAE. I think pretty safe and secure in the idea that NYUAD will continue to grow and build a new campus on Saadiyat Island and I expect to be here for that. There is no unrest here, very little unhappiness so no protests.
On Wednesday I fly through Bahrain to Jordan as one of the group leaders for 21 NYUAD students who we're taking to run the Dead Sea to Red Sea 150 mile relay. 2 10 person teams and one cyclist who will be on a 3 person team. We'll also take about 6 staff and a few other students as support to drive vehicles and be student trainers. The students we're taking represent 13 countries. The cool part is we'll start at the Dead Sea with a little swim and then finish at the Red Sea. In between we'll run and drive all night. Then we'll head to Petra in Jordan, an ancient city started by the Bedouins in the cliffs and caves. A rather unique experience that I look forward to writing about when I get back.
I need to write about two visits I had recently, yes people do want to come visit me, or at least Abu Dhabi. I even have pictures to share.
QOB - "Unstrange a stranger". It comes from my friend Kathleen who was here in November. I think she got it off a Life is Good calendar. I like it and hope to "unstrange a stranger" in Jordan.
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