The UAE is holding parliamentary elections on Sunday. For the past few weeks, candidate campaign posters have been popping up everywhere. Almost without exception, these posters feature the male candidates in kandura/keffiyeh, looking very imposing; and the women candidates in hijab, looking very austere. There are so many of these posters around that it's getting to be quite distracting. It's not only that we have to look at them everywhere we go, but one time I saw a poster blow into the road and bring traffic to a sudden, screeching halt.
For a long time, I thought this tent was going to be an election polling station. Then it got a campaign advertisement plastered all over it, so I don't think so anymore. I've highlighted the other election posters in this picture with a orange - click to enlarge.
Another sample of the posters on offer, also highlighted in orange. For you, dear readers, I drove through this intersection a couple of times to see which view would give me the most impressive array of campaign posters. This was the best I could do without falling victim to a crazy roundabout (don't worry, I pulled over to the side of the road to take it).
Here's one of the female candidates. Her poster is all over the place. As far as I can tell, she has only one other major female contender, judging solely by the number of posters, mind you. I'm sure there are more on the ballots.
Enjoying the quirks of the election posters is about as close to voting as I can come, seeing as I am a member of the huddled, unenfranchised masses living in the UAE. If I had to choose one candidate based on his/her poster, I would choose Miss 641 seen above. The end.
Enjoying the quirks of the election posters is about as close to voting as I can come, seeing as I am a member of the huddled, unenfranchised masses living in the UAE. If I had to choose one candidate based on his/her poster, I would choose Miss 641 seen above. The end.