Global Village and Yemeni Honey

A friend of an ethnicity and nationality that cannot be mentioned under UAE law belives that the best honey in all the world is that from the Yemen. He was only in Dubai for two days, and hoped to go to Global Village and purchase a suitcase-full of Yemeni honey as gifts, and, of course, some for himself. He arrived in Dubai late Sunday and is leaving today (i.e., Tuesday), so the only day available for him to go to Global Village was yesterday, i.e. Monday.

He drove out to Global Village and found that only families are admitted on Mondays, meaning women, children, and men who are accompanying women and children.

His response (not mine), 'Dubai is trying to convince the West that it is an open country, while trying to convince the Islamic world that it follows strict Islam. It can't do both, and how long will it be able to continue the pretence?'

I remember when Global Village was primarily for women and children. On several days of each week, no men at all were allowed inside the Village. Other days, only husbands were allowed with their wives and children, to help haul their wives' purchases back to the car (and a friend carried his wife's purchases back to the car, was refused re-admittance, and they only had one cell phone between them, so he couldn't call his wife to tell her what had happened).

Now, men are allowed into Global Village every day, but on Mondays only husbands escorting their wives and children are allowed into the village.

My own take is that this is not at all unreasonable, but it should be more widely disseminated. Every ad for Global Village should make it clear when single men are and are not allowed in, so people like my friend wouldn't make a long trip for nothing.