Residents at ease walking around alone

Yiqin Han, 45, a Chinese expatriate, said she feels confident walking alone at any time of the day. Silvia Razgova / The National

ABU DHABI // Women and men generally feel safe walking the streets day and night alone, a survey has found.

Regardless of gender and nationality, the majority of those polled in a crime survey felt confident walking around unaccompanied in the UAE.

“It is a very safe country,” said Dubai resident Mahmoud Al Nassier, who works for the Mohammad Omar Bin Haider Holding Group. “I would walk the streets at any time day or night.”

The 70-year-old Jordanian said he would also feel comfortable for his female relatives to walk alone at any time of the day.

“I am here a very long time. I feel very happy and feel safe here, said the businessman.

Of the 1,008 people quizzed in the YouGov crime survey, 9 in 10 (91 per cent) respondents feel safe walking alone in the UAE in the day while just over three — quarters (77 per cent) feel safe walking alone in the UAE at night.

“People feel safe here. Especially among expatriates — they feel it is much safer than back home,” said Lara Al Barazi, associate research director of YouGov. “They feel more safe than Emiratis. Of those asked, 91 per cent agreed they felt safe walking alone in the UAE.”

Men felt safer walking alone than the female respondents questioned.

Of the 623 men polled in the survey, 74 per cent strongly agreed they felt safe walking at day time while 17 per cent said they somewhat agree. Eight per cent were unsure and only 1 per cent felt unsafe.

When asked the same question about walking alone at night, 49 per cent of men strongly agreed they felt safe while 34 per cent somewhat agreed. Thirteen per cent were unsure. The rest disagreed or strongly disagreed.

Of the 377 women polled, 69 per cent strongly agreed they felt safe walking alone in the daytime while a further 23 per cent somewhat agreed. But when asked how safe they felt walking alone at night, only 30 per cent strongly agreed they would feel confident doing so, while 38 per cent somewhat agreed.

Sixteen per cent were unsure while 16 per cent either disagreed or strongly disagreed.

Yiqin Han, 45, a Chinese expatriate, said she feels confident walking alone at any time of the day.

“I think it is a very safe country. It is the number one for being safe,” she said. “My husband is English and he tells me if it is 10pm in the UK then it is dangerous to be on the streets. “But here it is safe,” said the travel agency worker.

Asians felt the least safe during the daytime while Westerners felt least safe walking alone at night.

Of those asked, 68 per cent of respondents agreed there are some places in the UAE they would avoid being alone. Highest agreement comes from respondents residing in Dubai (70 per cent), followed by respondents in Sharjah (69 per cent) and other emirates (69 per cent) and Abu Dhabi (63 per cent).

Many residents pinpointed. specific areas across the emirates — especially in Dubai and Sharjah — they might avoid if walking alone.