Khaleeji Club Iftar at American University of Dubai

My company does some business at American University of Dubai and in the past we've been a corporate sponsor of the I.T. Club. Lately, the Khaleeji Club has contacted me about helping them out with some leadership training or just coaching. Khaleej means "Gulf" as in the Arabian Gulf. So the Khaleeji Club is essentially the "Gulf Arab Club". Students from the UAE, Oman, Saudi, Bahrain, Qatar, and Kuwait could be a part of it.

Tuesday night they had an iftar dinner (the meal to break the Ramadan fast each day) and I was invited as a guest. In addition, two local TV personalities were invited. These guys are local storytellers and reciters of poetry.

As soon as they entered the tent they came to me and wouldn't let me just kiss their cheeks... they pulled me closer and face to face for a "local - only" nose to nose touch. That's the way the locals kiss. And they were laughing hard the whole time. These guys were hilarious and couldn't understand 98% of what they were saying! Every once in a while they pointed at me and said something like "America".

Later that evening they left for the TV studio to broadcast their program. It was a great evening of fun and cultural enlightenment.

The two TV personalities... a hilarious pair!

Gulf Arab students from AUD

The guy on the floor in front of the coffee pot is a Saudi student who tells poems himself!

My friend Yaser on the left is a recent graduate of AUD.