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Emily at the American University of Sharjah on her exchange to the United Arab Emirates

Emily with camels

Burj Khalifa in Dubai

Emily is a fifth-year environmental studies student with a concentration in politics, society and the global environment.

As an experienced traveller, having been to Europe, South America and Ghana, Emily wanted to expand her repertoire. After looking over her options, she found somewhere new where she could still speak English with locals, be safe as a solo female traveller and experience a new culture.

Despite all the stereotypes about the Middle East, Emily went into her exchange at the with an open mind, excited about being in a new part of the world. 

“This is obviously a safer place to be able to go, and both schools are on your side. They organize things for you. You're protected. You have people to go to if something goes wrong. It's definitely worth getting out of your comfort zone. For me at least, I've travelled quite a bit, so I was looking for somewhere that was kind of new that was going to blow my mind a little bit.”

For Emily, one of the best parts of her exchange were the three-day weekends that she indulged in at AUS. Only a 40-minute drive away from Dubai, Emily spent her first week between Dubai and Sharjah, seeing the sights and finding her footing in her home for the next four months. Although Dubai was a sight to behold, Emily, as a budget backpacker, appreciated the authenticity of the smaller city of Sharjah. She was pleasantly surprised to find that the UAE had more to offer than just the glamour of its capital city. 

Similar in size to New Brunswick, the UAE is easy to navigate, and with the help of the exchange office, Emily took weekly trips across the country. A particularly memorable one was to Khor Fakkan, a town on the Gulf of Oman. Nestled by mountains, adorned by waterfalls and natural pools, the familiar yet alien landscape was oddly mesmerizing. 

“This was a crazy, mind-blowing multicultural experience that you wouldn't get anywhere else.”

Apart from the extra free time and travel, Emily got somewhat free rein on her courses too. 

“They don't limit you to certain faculties or certain program courses. It's cool because they have classes that are quite relevant to the region. I've enjoyed being able to learn about the country that I'm in, aside from just going to museums.”

When you have access to the internet and social media, it's easy to form opinions about a place. Emily found that a lot of her misconceptions were shattered, which only amplified her appreciation for the UAE. That despite all the unfounded judgement, its culture and values persevere. 

“Realistically, this is one of the safest countries ever because the security is topnotch. And the first thing people were telling me was how safe it is. You can leave your laptop places and nobody will take it.”

Emily’s determination to get out of her comfort zone and travel to a place so different to what she calls home, turned out to be an unintentional quest for authenticity — to truly understand what the world is like.