Episode Details

Hannah noticed something from the airline websites alone: Emirates and flydubai offer a level of hospitality that feels worlds apart from Western carriers. That observation led her to a deeper question — what is Emirati culture actually like underneath the skyscrapers and luxury branding? In this episode, we unpack the UAE's Bedouin and maritime roots, the meaning behind the kandura and the abaya, the etiquette of Arabic coffee, and whether a transit stop at Dubai International can offer any glimpse of the real thing. Plus: how a country where citizens are only 11% of the population preserves its identity at the center of a global crossroads.