Ever since the UAE and Germany established diplomatic relations in 1972, the two countries have shared more than a political or business-oriented relationship — they have shared their culture.
Over the years, an increasing number of German expatriates have relocated to the UAE, bringing their talents to several industries such as hospitality, education, medicine and marketing. Sascha Winter, managing director of advertising agency Xperience, says, “I have been in the country for almost eight years now. I have met my wife in Dubai and we are now the proud parents of a baby boy.”
From German food and festivals to automobiles and the language itself, the UAE reciprocates the unspoken love affair with the federal republic.
Public relations professional Sonja Ohly, who shuttles between her homes in Germany and the UAE, came to the UAE in 1979, guided by her interest in Islamic studies and the Arabic language. She soon fell in love with the country and decided to stay and start a family. It is a decision she does not regret. “I have been here for 33 years and I love the cultural mix in this place and the openness of people,” Ohly, who has four sons, says. “When my children were young, I regularly met with fellow Germans who were married to Emiratis. Now that the kids are grown up, we meet once a month.”
In order to keep the German culture alive in a mixed household, Ohly makes it a point to celebrate birthdays and Christmas with a hefty dose of traditional German culture.
Others simply head to Oktoberfest, the festival synonymous with Germany, has been celebrated all around the world ever since its inception in 1810, and the UAE is no different. Every year, residents partake in the ancient Bavarian celebrations with hotels such as the JW Marriott, Sofitel Dubai, Jumeirah Rotana Dubai and the Sheraton Jumeirah Beach Resort lending their venues for the festivities.
Christian Berglehner, CEO of Brimaxx Consultancy, who has been in the UAE for more than ten years, says: “I might attend Oktoberfest here in Dubai,” says Berglehner. “The festival is all about traditional German food and beverages. However, I have to give credit to the hotels and organisers here — everything from the lederhosen (leather breeches) to the music is authentic and it feels like home.”
Oktoberfest gives German expats and UAE residents a healthy dose of German culture once a year. However, there are other establishments working behind the scenes, such as the SunFlower Bakery. The German bakery specialises in a wide range of German breads and cakes such as sauerteigbrot (sourdough bread), michbroetchen (German brioche), schwarzwaelder Torte (German black forest cake), streuselkuchen (German crumble cake) and the local favourite — brezel, a salty and delicious pretzel.
Beate Zipser is managing director of the SunFlower Bakery, which runs classes in traditional German cooking. “Germans enjoy good food, so do the people in the Middle East — this is what we have in common.”
Cuisine plays an important part of any culture and Berglehner claims that the closest you get to good German fare is at Der Keller in the Jumeirah Beach Hotel. Ohly agrees, “The leberkäse (a form of meatloaf) at Der Keller is my favourite.” Winter recommends the Hofbräuhaus Restaurant at the JW Marriott Dubai, and the dishes he suggests are the semmelknoedel (bread dumplings) and the rinderbraten (spiced roast beef).
If a love for good food makes for common ground between the two nations, another abiding passion is football. Winter agrees that the EuroCup, the World Cup and every other major football tournament are some of the many times he interacts with fellow Germans who share a similar passion. “I support VfB Stuttgart and there is the VfB Stuttgart-Commando Dubai supporters club based here. We regularly meet with friends in our homes to watch the weekly games and head over to the Atlantis or the Grand Hyatt for major competitions. This is where people can get a real and honest feel of German gemuetlichkeit,” he says, describing the kind of situation that induces a cheerful mood.
Berglehner appreciates the UAE because it is a multicultural society where one can interact with individuals from various nations. “It is a lot different from what I am used to back in Germany. Here you become a lot more open-minded, liberal, tolerant and your perception on life changes,” he says. Zipser agrees that the people, culture and languages you come across in the UAE are what makes it special. “I think it is the dissimilarities between the UAE and Germany that attract us to each other.”
