A Legacy of Hospitality in the Arab World
The Arab world has long been synonymous with hospitality. Rooted in Bedouin traditions, the concept of karam (generosity) is deeply embedded in the region’s culture. For centuries, desert travelers found solace in the tents of Bedouin hosts who offered water, food, and shelter without expecting anything in return. The philosophy was simple: welcoming guests was a sacred duty, and their comfort was paramount.
Many historical travelers and writers have documented this legendary hospitality. Ibn Battuta, the famous 14th-century Moroccan explorer, described the warmth and generosity he received while traversing the Arabian Peninsula. British explorer Wilfred Thesiger, in his book Arabian Sands, recounts his journeys with the Bedouins in the 1940s, emphasizing their unwavering kindness and strong sense of community. These accounts highlight an era when hospitality was not just a service but an intrinsic way of life.
Fast forward to today, and the UAE stands as a global hub of luxury, commerce, and tourism. From ultra-modern skyscrapers to man-made islands, it has redefined opulence.
In search of tradition and modernity, we embarked on a family cruise holiday in the Persian Gulf hoping to glimpse a bit of the authenticity of the region. The time we spent in Abu Dhabi, Sir Bani Yas, and Dubai has highlighted the region’s dynamic and forward-looking mentality and aspiration to become a global tourism hub.
Yet, amid the extravagance and the traditional, we acutely felt that the country’s service industry doesn’t always live up to the region’s historical reputation for warmth and generosity. Instead, a transactional approach often takes precedence, leaving me to wonder: is something missing? So here I am, in search of what the UAE still lacks in terms of customer service.
Customer Service: No Smile is Sight
To be fair, we might have started with high expectations being used to customer service and tourism excellence in Turkey, on the one hand. On the other hand, we also had a couple of splendid customer experiences in the UAE, but they were the exception rather than the norm. I’ll illustrate what I mean with some details.
Firstly, nothing could have prepared us for the downright miserable experience of flying economy with Emirates Airlines. We’ve taken countless budget flights across Europe, but none have felt as cold and transactional as this one—ironic, given the airline’s reputation for top-tier customer service. What should have been a routine journey turned into a frustrating ordeal, starting with unnecessary baggage check-in issues that led to endless delays. Boarding was a mess, with grumpy staff sending us back and forth between different tunnels like a game of human ping-pong.
Once on board, things didn’t get any better. Our child missed out on the kids’ welcome package simply because she was asleep when the flight attendant first came by—apparently, there were no second chances. Meal trays sat in front of us for ages because they needed to be counted before being cleared. And as if that weren’t enough, blankets were abruptly snatched away from half the cabin a full hour before landing, courtesy of an overzealous flight attendant who seemed to be running on autopilot. Smiles were nowhere to be found; the most you could hope for was a curt, barked explanation.
Having barely survived the flight, the next ordeal awaited at Dubai Airport. Endless lines of passengers were waiting for passport control and the staff was doing a terrible job of streamlining the process. Every time a line moved forward at a reasonable pace, it was merged to another line, and the wait re-started anew. Over, and over, and over again for some good 3 hours or so. Funnily, the airport is deemed to be a silent one, with no loudspeaker announcements, which resulted in staff yelling instructions in an unfriendly manner, further contributing to the chaos.
The only thing I was grateful for was that our luggage was still there after the three hours, tucked away to the side, as the belt had already been allocated to different flights.
Secondly, since we were on a cruise ship, our interactions with hotel and restaurant services were limited. However, we set out to explore the shopping scene, particularly in Dubai and Abu Dhabi—an experience that ultimately left us perplexed and somewhat disappointed. In the end, we abandoned the idea of making any significant purchases in the UAE.
Prices were rarely displayed, and bargaining seemed to be the norm, even within the cruise terminal shops. While I understand that haggling is a long-standing tradition in the region’s commercial culture, the way it was practiced often felt counterproductive and at times aggresive. On top of that, some vendors quoted prices in euros instead of dirhams, tripling the actual cost if one wasn’t paying close attention. Even when the pricing was fair, transactions felt hurried, as if making a sale was the only priority. The sellers seemed more focused on closing deals than on providing any real customer service, often lacking the training or willingness to engage beyond the immediate push for a purchase.
Value for Money: Where Expensive Doesn’t Always Mean Quality
At its core, the lack of genuine customer engagement in the UAE seems to stem from the modern business model, which prioritizes profit over customer experience. Many establishments cater to high-spending tourists rather than fostering long-term loyalty, resulting in a service industry that values speed and sales over warmth and attentiveness.
An additional hurdle comes from the transient nature of its workforce. The country relies heavily on expatriate employees, many of whom are overworked and underpaid, leading to high turnover rates and minimal investment in training. With little incentive to build long-term customer relationships, service staff often appear disengaged, focused on completing transactions rather than creating a welcoming or memorable experience.
This issue is further compounded by a broader challenge: responsiveness and efficiency are not always prioritized. Visitors and residents accustomed to faster, more proactive service often find the experience frustrating.
Adding to this is the sheer scale of tourism in the UAE, which differs significantly from the intimate hospitality of Bedouin culture. In a country that welcomes millions of visitors each year, maintaining a personalized touch becomes difficult. Whereas traditional hospitality revolved around making each guest feel valued, today’s approach is more about managing high volumes efficiently. The result is a flashy yet often impersonal service landscape that prioritizes transactions over genuine connection.
The UAE is undeniably expensive, with prices in dining, retail, and entertainment often inflated well beyond the actual value provided. While the country markets itself as a hub of luxury and exclusivity, the assumption that high prices automatically translate to high standards does not always hold true.
This became painfully clear to us in both the cost of our organized daily excursions and the few restaurant experiences we had. Excursion prices often seemed arbitrarily high, with little correlation between cost and the quality of the experience. In many cases, the tours felt rushed, overly commercialized, or lacking the depth and personalization one might expect at such a price point.
Finally, on one such excursions, it became evident that crucially, what the UAE still lacks is honesty in relation to its customers and visitors. On an all-expenses-paid trip, we were suddenly faced with the situation that we were asked to pay retrospectively for services offered previously, as they were not included in our package. This was, however, not made clear at the moment the service was provided.
Bridging the Gap: Elevating UAE’s Hospitality for Lasting Impact
If the UAE truly aims to become a global tourism leader by 2030, it must act swiftly to bridge the gap between its luxury branding and actual customer experience. While its infrastructure and attractions are world-class, like the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi pictured above, service quality and value for money often fall short, risking long-term reputational damage.
A key solution lies in better training for service professionals. Beyond efficiency, staff should be equipped with cultural awareness and emotional intelligence to create genuine connections with guests. This requires fostering a workplace culture where employees feel valued, as engaged staff leads to better service.
Pricing strategies also need reevaluation. Costs should align with the quality provided, and greater transparency would help rebuild trust among consumers wary of inflated prices. Luxury should feel justified, not exploitative.
The UAE could also learn from global hospitality leaders like Japan and Thailand, where efficiency is seamlessly blended with warmth. By integrating these best practices while embracing its own rich traditions of generosity, the country can elevate its hospitality sector.
The UAE has already proven its ability to achieve ambitious goals. If it prioritizes authentic, high-quality service, it can transform its tourism industry into one that is not just impressive but truly welcoming—securing its place as a global leader.
