First Impressions

My flight to Pakistan involving an overnight layover in Abu Dhabi, the capitol and one of the seven emirates of the United Arab Emirates.  The layover was very brief only allowing time to check into the hotel next to the airport and get at least some sleep before my early flight to Islamabad.  Small details hinted at the area's opulence in a Muslim country.

I didn't see one non-luxury class car waiting outside the airport nor in the parking garage I walked through to get to my hotel.

White Lexuses outside Abu Dhabi Airport

In the airport, I picked up a "Time Out: Abu Dhabi" magazine, which ran a cover story of "Are you paying too much in rent?" From the story I learned that not only is rent pricey, it is common practice to pay rent annually.  This dismal situation is further burdened by the fact that landlords can legally increase the rent whenever they like.  A rental price cap was removed 4 months ago, and since then rent has increased by 16%.  This article also introduced me to Sharia Law, the Islamic religious legal code.  According to the article, in the UAE, Sharia Law does not allow unmarried couples to live together and is punishable by a prison sentence.  Sharia Law systems differ by country and are nuanced enough for a much longer discussion later.

First Images

News Anchors in Abu Dhabi (Note: the man in the lower left is signing in sign language)

Qibla, or direction of prayer, glued to bedside table

Water nozzle in the bathroom for washing feet and head for daily prayer

Religion, health, and governance seem to be the key themes for this trip.  While I'm here my project is working on a strategy to engage ulama, Islamic religious leaders, in a program that aims to create more public demand for maternal and child health services and hold the government accountable for the provision of quality services.  No easy task, but more on this later.