Dinner at the Royal Stables of the Emir of Ajman, UAE

I was invited to attend a 3-day international conference on environmental issues that was organised by the Government of Ajman in late March. This conference was held every year or so, and there came a lot of participants and speakers invited from Europe, the States and other parts of the world.

Incidentally this time last year in Singapore I'd attended a reception held by the UAE Embassy over there for a trade delegation from Ajman. Some of the Ajman officials I had met in Singapore were now in charge of this conference.

Ajman is one of the 7 emirates that comprise the UAE, but it's the smallest by area size and has no major industry or commerce whatsoever. Ajman is pretty much a minor, sleepy emirate.

Despite this, invitation to the conference was generously extended to the families of those invited speakers and participants, so a delegation of some 60 foreign visitors was put up at Ajman's only 5-star hotel.

Welcome to the Royal Stables!

The presentations covered a number of topics and reports on city planning projects that were actually carried out in various cities across the globe. For the UAE, the challenge was how to balance the preservation of history and urban development for the future. Personally I found all those presentations quite interesting and informative and enjoyed them a lot.

At the end of the entire programmes, we were to attend a special dinner held at the Royal Stables of the Emir of Ajman. HH Sheikh Humaid had inaugurated the opening ceremony of the conference.

Outdoor Seating at the Royal Stables

The Stables were located in the middle of the desert, a good an-hour drive from the coastal areas of Ajman. Upon arriving we were given a quick tour of the entire Stables by the staff.

There were hundreds of medals and cups and all sorts of trophies along with countless paintings of horses. Horses as well as camels are undoubtedly a serious investment for the Arabs.

Dining tables were set right in the gardens. Many people believe the climate of the Arabian Gulf is intolerably harsh and hot throughout the year. It is true during the summer but now in March it's absolutely lovely, so the outdoor seating was an excellent idea.

The staff were seemingly all male, probably Indian or Pakistani. I bet most of the visitors and guests to the Stables are generally men, so this must be a venue for men's social gatherings.

Race Horse

The following day, we were taken to a dinner at a Middle Eastern restaurant in Dubai Mall. The restaurant was busy and seemed almost fully booked. The best tables on the balcony overlooking the Dubai Fountain show were specially reserved for us.

However, an Abu Dhabi Prince, Sheikh Ahmed had been killed in a glider crash in Morocco just a few days before. Consequently a three-day mourning period starting from this very day (!) was announced, during which entertainment of all forms in public was officially cancelled across the UAE. Sadly we had to go without the fountains and music despite the best view the organisers provided for us!

Dubai Prince is Guest of Honour: Ramadan Charity Dinner

HH Sheikh Maktoum (centre) is a Deputy Ruler of Dubai

This past Friday I was invited to a charity dinner. During Ramadan many such charity events are being held across the Muslim world since it is an obligation for Muslims to care for the poor and needy, and they are more encouraged to do so during the holy month.

I had been told this particular function was specially arranged for orphans, so the hall was filled with lots of young children. Other attendees included organising and support staff, accompanying adults, media and guests. The Emir of Dubai's third son, HH Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, was guest of honour at this charity dinner.

Dinner started at sunset as every healthy Muslim is required to observe fast during the month of Ramadan from dawn to sunset. Children are often encouraged to get used to this practice little by little from a fairly young age.

I had no idea if or to what extent those children were fasting, but as soon as the dinner started, every one of them rushed to the buffet counters and piled up their plates. Arab families are huge, almost everyone has several siblings on average. It's very unlikely that any of those children actually live in an orphanage; there must be other family members to raise and take care of them on behalf of their deceased parents.

On top of that, local people in the UAE are leading a very high standard of living, so hardly any children must be starving! I guess they just got a bit carried away. Given the very meaning of Ramadan and charity, the pity was that most of the children took way too much food to finish and ended up wasting much of it as a result. Oh well...

Children on the Stage

After the dinner, children stepped up to the stage one by one to shake hands and for a photo shoot with guest of honour, HH Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed, Deputy Ruler of Dubai. I left for home right before midnight but lots of children's games and programmes were still running one after another!