Lessons learned by a UX specialist while working in Qatar, Oman and the United Arab Emirates
“Wait… what?? You’re moving to Qatar?”
At first, my friends and family couldn’t really understand why I had decided to relocate to Qatar. It certainly seemed like a spontaneous move. During the two years that preceded the decision, I had been travelling back and forth between the Middle East and Europe while working on various user experience and design projects. It’s been such an eye-opening adventure. So when the opportunity arose, my husband and I packed our suitcases and jumped on the next flight to Doha with a one-way ticket. It hasn’t all been easy (our daughter was 6 weeks old at that time), but we haven’t regretted it for a second!
Working in the Middle East is very different from working for European and American clients. Let me share with you my experiences and the four contradictions I have discovered during my projects in Qatar, Oman and the United Arab Emirates.
Contradiction #1 – Tradition and Modernity
Have you ever seen a camel race? 10 to 15 camels racing in short sprints around a track that resembles a hippodrome. Not so long ago the competing camels were controlled by child jockeys (the lighter the jockey, the faster the camel), but then allegations of human rights abuses led to nationwide bans on child labour in both Qatar and in the UAE.
So, who’s riding on the camels now?
Well… robots. Or more precisely, remote-controlled robotic whips. These robots can also monitor and transmit the heart rate and speed of the camel. Proud camel owners drive around the track in their white 4WD and can remotely smack their camel whenever needed.
A modern camel race is a perfect synthesis of how I see the Middle Eastern world (or more precisely, the Arabian Gulf countries). In various areas such as business, architecture, sports and cuisine, this beautiful fusion of the old and the new world is increasingly apparent.
Let me show you a couple of examples of my projects in which balancing between tradition and modernity was extremely important:
- Camel racing (Proof of concept design for Predica Middle East)
iPad app for tracking camel races that displays a live feed with the current performance parameters of each camel, such as speed, cadence and ranking as well as camera view from the camel and different parts of the track.
Camel racing app visual by Agata Braja - Teaboy (Mobile app and web design for Predica Middle East)
Middle Eastern countries are famous for their hospitality and delicious coffee with cardamom. Teaboys walking around offices and serving beverages is a very common sight. The Teaboy app takes advantage of beacon-based location information and makes ordering your favourite drink easier through a simple mobile interface.
Tea boy app visual by Agata Braja
In order to understand how such a fusion of technology and an attachment to tradition is possible, let’s rewind a bit and see how the local perspective has changed over the last 48 years.
It’s 1970. The United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain don’t exist yet. Sultan Qaboos opens up Oman and embarks on economic reforms, increasing spending on health, education and welfare. This is also the year in which slavery is outlawed. At this point, Oman has just seven km of asphalt road, two primary schools and one hospital.
At the same time, somewhere else in the “developed” world, Apollo 13 is launched, the Beatles break up and the Concorde makes its first supersonic flight.
Fast forward to 2018. This same region now boasts the most modern skyscrapers, thousands of kilometres of highways, hyperloop constructions and self-driving taxis. People living here have experienced the fastest technological changes in human history. And this makes them special. They are not scared of the new.
‘New’ is a constant to them.
They are ready to adopt innovation and are now living in one of the most modern places on the planet.
Contradiction #2 – Arab Identity and Multiculturalism
Gulf countries are not densely populated. There are only an approximate 300,000 Qatari citizens in Qatar, 2 million Emirati in the UAE and 2.2 million Omani in Oman. In order to make the magic happen these countries rely heavily on migrant labour. In Qatar for example, Qatari citizens constitute only 12% of the entire population.
So, on the one hand, Gulf countries have a very strong Arabic identity felt most conspicuously through their architecture, art, food and overall atmosphere. At the same time, these countries are home to people from so many cultures and backgrounds, that while living here you are able to discover Indian, Pakistani, Filipino, Syrian, Sri Lankan traditions and customs to name just a few.
So what does this mean for you, when you’re working as a user experience specialist and designer? Well… Your product demands not only an Arabic identity but also a great ease of use and flexibility, making it suitable for the wide range of user types that will be interacting with it. Arabic identity is strongly reflected in the visual side – ornaments, mosaics and arabesques are very popular and highly appreciated (But don’t be afraid to give these symbols a modern twist, it’s often graciously approved by clients!).
A helpful aspect of such a multicultural mixture is that English is the main language of business. You don’t need to worry if you can’t read and speak Arabic. Many people with an Arabic background can’t actually write in Arabic because on an everyday basis they mainly use dialects and these have only an oral form. I’ve been learning Arabic for a couple of years now, although currently, I see it more as a hobby and not a professional requirement. A small chat in Arabic (even with numerous mistakes) can be a great icebreaker, and an interest in the Arabic culture is highly appreciated by the locals.
Contradiction #3 – Technology and Nature
Two years ago, I was responsible for the design of the new mobile app and portal for Omantel – the Omani national telecom operator.
During focus groups and interviews with users, I quickly discovered that the mobile app had a much higher priority than the online portal. Oman became a rich country not so long ago and many users got familiar with technology in the smartphone age. Using mobile applications is, for many of them, a much more natural way of accessing digital content than through traditional websites. I also found out that 99% of Omantel’s customers use prepaid mobile plans. Finally, I learned that Omani families are often very large in number (the birthrate in 1990 was >7 children per woman).
While designing the new mobile app I was trying to meet the specific requirements of the Omani users. Here are some features that have gathered positive feedback and ended up in the final release:
- Top up request.
When a kid runs out of balance on his mobile phone, he can always send a top-up request to his parents at no extra charge. A parent can instantly approve such a request and top up their kid’s account instantly. This quick and easy to use feature saved users a lot of time and gave both parents and kids a sense of safety and connectedness. - Donations.
Charity is one of the five pillars of Islam. Omantel is proud to represent national and Islamic values. When paying bills or topping up through the app, users can donate to a charity of their choice in the same transaction. - Day and Night.
The background of the app is sky blue and its colour changes according to the time of the day.
Omani people are very attached to nature. The “Day and Night” feature is just a small example how this attachment can be reflected in the user interface. Solar and lunar cycles are important aspects for defining the rhythm of life in the Gulf peninsula. A large proportion of land in the region consists of desert. Locals spend their free time dune bashing, sleeping in their tents and smoking shisha while watching the sunset over the dunes. I like to think that their colour preferences (gold, crystal, silver) are also rooted in their natural environment and the palettes they encounter daily. Gold sand, clear waters and cloudless skies.
Contradiction #4 – Modesty and Aiming very high
I find Khaleeji people (people of the Arabian Peninsula) very calm and poetic. A greeting can go on forever. Instead of a simple “Hi”, the Arabic language is full of salutations such a “morning full of light”, “evening full of goodness”, “rose morning” and “jasmine evening”, just to name a few.
And then there is “inshallah”, the commonly used expression meaning “if God wills”. It refers to events that one hopes will occur in the future and expresses the belief that nothing happens unless God wants it to happen. Some might see it as a convenient excuse for intellectual laziness and lack of planning… But this philosophy of fatalism leads to peace of mind and simply being in the present moment. And in the end, they get things done (sometimes with a little help of the less mindful and less laid-back expats that make up the majority of the population).
With the 2022 FIFA World Cup approaching, the time pressure to prepare accordingly is getting high. There’s no room for delay. The deadline is well known and the whole world is watching these preparations. I had the privilege to design the interface of the intranet for the Supreme Committee for Delivery Legacy – the organization responsible for delivering the World Cup. This was an incredibly critical tool for internal communication, reporting, tracking progress and motivating those involved. Simple details were very important, such as the countdown to the opening match or the blog of the charismatic leader of the institution. Successfully completing this project in such a demanding and fast paced environment was a very rewarding experience.
In addition to being calm and relaxed, my experience with the locals is that they are very modest people. For Muslims, modesty is a part of faith. It’s reflected not only in the way they dress but also in the fact that they rarely boast about their achievements, skills or possessions (and this last one can be pretty impressive in the Gulf Peninsula!).
At the same time, collectively they really want to be the best and break all records.
They always strive to be number one, to compete and to show how fast they’re advancing. The world’s tallest building, the world’s biggest firework display, the fastest roller coaster, the building that leans the furthest without toppling (forget the tower of Pisa!). The list could go on forever.
It’s also a place where money is not such a big limitation when incredible things are in development. In this interesting environment, there is always room for innovation, crazy ideas and solutions that might not always meet the rational restrictions of other regions.
Reflections after one year
If you get the chance to work on projects in the Middle East, I strongly recommend that you go for it – it’s a fascinating multicultural journey.
If you are a user experience or a user interface designer, here are a couple of additional tips that you might find useful:
- Talk to people.
For gathering requirements, interviews are better than focus groups. People in large groups in hierarchical environments rely on the opinion of the highest ranked employee. Partly because of modesty and partly due to a culture of high power distance.
- Test, test, test.
I was told that in Arab countries women rarely post their pictures online. This assumption led me to refrain from including profile pictures on one of my initial prototypes in a mobile app project. While testing two interface versions, one with and one without a profile picture, I discovered that the majority of users preferred the option with a picture. They just used it as a space for flowers, landscapes and other images. A display of personality does not have to be one of vanity.` - Work in small stages and get approvals.
It’s not unusual for local clients to change their minds about the scope of a project. Keep your work organized into relatively small stages with well-defined scope and make sure to get approvals along the way. It will save you a lot of time (or generate a lot of paid change requests).
And if you don’t yet have the opportunity to work here, come and visit! Enjoy this exceptional region. Make use of that beautiful sun, nature, diversity, culture and delicious food.
Today marks 14 months since I decided to embark on this awe-inspiring journey. Looking back, I don’t regret it – I am very glad that I can call Doha home. The desert remains just as beautiful as I found it at the beginning, I am still learning new things and I keep on being amazed how everything grows and evolves with every single blink of the eye.
Thank you for reading! If you’ve enjoyed this blog post, feel free to share it on social media
If you would like to find out more about my Middle Eastern experiences or UX and UI projects, don’t hesitate to contact me. If you’re based in Doha and would like to exchange some ideas or if you need some UX/UI assistance, I will gladly get in touch as well.