UAE // Shalom Dubai

By Elianna Mintz Perez

We were in the midst of Souk Madinat Jumeirah, an outdoor bazaar in Dubai, when we heard the Hebrew word for hello. Needless to say, we did a double take. We had heard plenty of Salaams during our short time in Dubai but no Hebrew outside of the Chabad house. Sure enough, an Arab man was waving and smiling at us because he noticed my husband Asher’s yarmulke. He introduced himself as Saif and told us he was from Iraq but in Dubai on business. Saif explained to us in English how happy he was to see Jews in an Arab country walking around so openly. We exchanged numbers and discussed how Jews and Arabs are cousins and have so much in common and should focus on their similarities instead of their differences.

This was October 2020, less than a month after the United Arab Emirates signed the Abraham accords. It was a huge moment that normalized the relationship between an Arab country and Israel, but it was still fresh. Earlier that day, Asher and I had a debate if he should wear his baseball cap or yarmulke while walking around Dubai. I voted for the baseball hat, worried that the yarmulke would bring unwanted attention. Jewish community members told us they were hiding their religion until about a year ago and are still careful in many ways. Yet Asher chose to wear his yarmulke and had confidence in his faith.

Our overall experience in Dubai reflected that moment with Saif. There is a Glatt kosher restaurant in the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, where you have a prime view of the famous lights show in between courses. The restaurant, Armani/ Kaf, was created even before the Abraham Accords was signed. The owner of the building wanted to ensure the tallest building in the world had a kosher restaurant in it. Another fun fact is that the Armani/ Kaf uses a smart oven so whenever the chef needs to turn on the oven, he can have the Rabbi do it with his phone from a distance.

After being impressed by the gorgeous space and attentive service, we ordered the Bruschetta, Classic Bolognese Arancini Tomato Chutney, Chicken Nuggets (cause I’m a child and it’s my favorite food) and the chicken caesar salad. The bolognese and bruschetta were delicious but we weren’t as impressed with the chicken nuggets or chicken caesar salad. Our overall review was that the food was good but the ambience and prime location is what sealed the experience. Being able to eat kosher food in a high end restaurant in an Arab country was truly priceless.

Armani/Kaf offers takeout for Shabbat but we opted to eat Friday night dinner at the Chabad house run by Levi Duchman and Shabbat lunch poolside at our hotel catered by Ellie’s Kosher Kitchen (certified OU). On Friday night, we met people visiting Dubai from France, the United States and Israel, including the singers Omer Adam and Chaim Yisroel. We also met people from the local Jewish community who were excited to see so many Jews visiting the country. We had a great time and decided to extend our trip for a week so we could stay another Shabbat.

During the week, we visited Al Maha, a resort in the middle of the desert. We alerted them ahead of time that we were kosher but brought our own food, thinking it would be limited availability. When we arrived at the resort, the chef came out to greet us.

He was excited to hear that we were kosher and told us he had some kosher couples in the past. He had a full set of kosher pots and pans and told us that we are allowed in the kitchen to turn on the fire. He seemed to know a lot of the kosher laws and said he would prepare special food for us. Boy, did he deliver. We ate two meals a day at the resort and were always satiated. They even gave us sorbet in between each course as a palate cleanser!

Our favorite meal was on our last day when they delivered a fully kosher breakfast to our private pool.

Not only was Dubai extremely accommodating to our kosher needs, but we were also super impressed by the modest dress options in the stores. Nike stores had running dresses instead of just leggings and shorts. Department stores had knee length skirts and high neck dresses with sleeves. It was a frum girls’ paradise!

Want to do more than eating in Dubai?

The range of activities in Dubai blew us away. Our favorites include Ski Dubai, an indoor ski resort in one of the malls, and Jebel Jais Flight, the longest zipline in the world with an exhilarating view of the Jebel Jais mountains.

The best part of Ski Dubai is that a full ski outfit with gloves is included in the price of admission. Besides for skiing, you can meet (and touch!) penguins and go on all sorts of snow related rides. We felt like kids again as we enjoyed a snow paradise in the middle of the desert.

Dubai was wonderful and I highly recommend a visit. Reach out to me on Instagram for my itinerary and any other recommendations!

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Elianna Mintz Perez is a former CBS This Morning Producer and current world traveler. Shortly after her wedding, she left a surplus of wedding gifts at her in-laws' home and set off for a year of travel with her husband. Though it was in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, the determined duo boarded a one-way flight without looking back. To see and learn more about her travels, check out her Instagram@aroundtheworldincoronadays. Feel free to DM her for itineraries and travel ideas!