To hoot or not to hoot.

Reports say that 'Hooters' is opening in Dubai.

My feeling is that this is a fishing trip. The Kuwaiti franchise owner is "...trying to secure a location to open..." and I think he's floating the idea publicly to see what the reaction is. (Much like the ludicrous 'Emirati-in-national-dress' building design, that it transpired had not even been submitted for planning approval).

I'm deeply suspicious of a restaurant that promotes itself not on its food/price/ambience/service combination but on the chest measurement of its female staff. As a result I've never bothered to eat in one of the many 'Hooters' I've seen overseas. If they do open in Dubai I won't be a customer.

I also believe there's a 'time & place' for everything. A leisurely drink in a bar or a social evening in a pub doesn't require topless barmaids, as I've seen in Hong Kong and the UK. If anything it spoils the evening.

Likewise, scantily clad females on the beach or around the pool are fine with me - but not in a shopping mall. And not just here either. I'm not talking about Muslim sensibilities, I'm talking about what's appropriate, and what I see too many western women wearing in Mall of the Emirates would offend me equally in an Australian mall.

So I would hate to see 'Hooters' open here. However...

Back in about 1978 I remember a conversation with friends. A Brit commented that we shouldn't be drinking alcohol in a Muslim country, that it was wrong. An Emirati friend replied that it was his government that made the laws and if they said it was OK, then it was OK.

The same applies to 'Hooters'. The government of Dubai will decide what's acceptable and what's not. If they give the approval to 'Hooters' I guess we should all stop complaining.

If we don't like it we can always leave!