Danish in Dubai: signs

Showing posts with label signs. Show all posts

Best company name ever!

Perhaps a bit unfortunate name for a gas distribution company...

For years, I have had it as a hobby to collect photos of funny and/or strange signs whenever I came across one. Dubai and the rest of the UAE is one of the easiest places I have been to spot them. The multi-ethnicity and cosmopolitan nature of the city and its inhabitants from literally all corners of the world makes it difficult not to loose things in translation from time to time when trying to convey an otherwise appropriate warning or message in English.

Here are some examples from different parts of Dubai and a couple from Sharjah too:

No public, straight parking.

Tecom Area.

Sharks not allowed either.

Dubai Metro.

Nudes only.

Union Coop Hypermarket, Al Barsha Mall.

No flashy cameras.

DWTC.

Meet the birds up for sale

Sign on Al Rashadiya Road.

4991.5 graduates later...

Exiting Dubai Emirate on Sheikh Zayed Road.

All you need for furnishing the tent of your nomadic bride.

Al Khan area, Sharjah.

Poor lift!

Sharjah Aquarium.

Frisking coming your way.

Near Jebel Ali Club.

The company returns in 3 days.

Al Noor Tower 2, Tecom.

"Waste" clothing charity collection bin.

Discovery Gardens.

You can see more strange and funny signs from around the UAE in my previous post:

Signs in the UAE

One of the most interesting things about life in the UAE is the cosmopolitan nature of the country. The population of almost 6 million people is roughly made up from 80% expats and 20% Emiratis. There are people living here for shorter or longer time from more countries and territories than there are members of the United Nations.

It is like a global village and over time you will meet and interact with people from all over the world. The official language of the UAE is obviously Arabic, but English is the language most commonly used in business and when out in public. Since only the minority of people here are actually native English speakers, sometimes things go horribly wrong when it comes to communication. Certain ethnic groups tend to have their own special variety of “English” using phrases and terms taken directly from their own language and translated to English where it is then used to bend the language in ways which the Queen would never use. There are loads of examples of “Jinglish” as the native English speakers call it. On many occasions this improper use of English can be hilarious, especially when “Jinglish” is applied to signs displayed in public. On other signs it is the spelling, grammar or punctuation which is not quite spot-on and makes things go wrong. Even the sign itself and its layout might cause problems understanding it properly.

Although many signs serve a serious purpose offering sound advice or warnings, sometimes the message does not really come through or it gets completely lost in translation.
Below are a few examples of some of the signs I have come across here in the UAE. It is very easy to find some funny examples when driving or walking around the city and it can become a great sport to be sign-spotting once you get the feel for it. Enjoy.