?

Wants to live and work in UAE, thinking Qatar more specifically. Only problem is, what to wear! Ridiculous I know. My field is construction/facilities/property management. As it's a male dominated field generally I'm thinking that being too feminine i.e. wearing skirts usually, isn't going to be beneficial for professional success.

I LOVE to wear abaya however don't want to make people think I am trying to emulate emiratis (in a bad way, simply because I'm white blue eyes etc), as from what I read most western people don't make too much bother to adapt. Also, don't know how well that would go down. Similarly hijab/shayla. Also, business suits don't really come in long skirts - I will have to design/make my own I think.

I sort of feel I will be damned if I do and damned if I don't (wear islamic dress). Maybe it's such a dichotomy as I experience negativity from every direction being muslim in a western country i.e. not fully accepted/thought to be strange by muslims and non-muslims alike.

Also I think many of the companies operating there are western-based? I expect that I would be working with a mix of people but probably more international people than emiratis themselves...?

However the thought of living/working in UAE makes me all giddy and excited - the architecture and building scene is amazing, with the islamic design influence that I LOVE, I so want to do it but I am aware that once an impression (visual i.e. the way one dresses) is made then it's always good to keep it consistent.

NB I have experience living in an islamic country (2 years), so I'm not oblivious. But I didn't work then, I was a housewife, so it's quite different.

What is the best for professional success?

My idea at the moment is to design sort of like super long shirt dresses (i.e. to the floor), as opposed to wearing abaya. Or overshirt things which come about knee length at back but higher at the front, with pants.

Because frankly I simply couldn't wear knee or under knee skirts. And other skirts don't seem professional, at least I have not seen full length suit style skirts. And trousers - well they would be OK with a shirt-dress I guess (to the thigh length). It's very hard to balance professional and islamic!

How about hijab/shayla? Better or not?

Thanking you for your answer.

which we have these strange emotional attachments to, as they 'seem' to be of significance to us or our identity; who are we? I also mean things like the past you and your idea of future you. Who are we right now, without emotional ideological and physical baggage? What are we?

I am/We are...

i mean, isn't that just because they are afraid that they will be proved wrong? ok i'm really just making a statement here, but feel free to say if that has happened to you / your opinion on why.