About the Comic

The comic is a satire representing some of the most common stereotypes that visitors and people from the outside hold about the United Arab Emirates. The authors of the comic are Mai Khaled, a UAE national, Luize, a student from Latvia who lives and studies in the UAE, and Navya, also a student and originally from India. The authors share what stereotypes they have come across about their lives in the UAE from both the perspective of being a local and living here as an expat. Mai has received many curious questions about the UAE when traveling abroad while Luize and Navya have been asked questions by their friends and family in their home countries. The comic is meant to address the sometimes ridiculous images that people draw when imagining the UAE. The two characters – the visitor and the local Emirati – guide the readers through our stereotypical story and eventually reveal a more accurate representation of the country.