Dubai - The Red Light City

Middle East has done well for itself. It has transformed the city from sands to castles. It has used oil revenues to build and improve the life style of its people. Those that used to stay in tents now have centrally air-conditioned palaces that would put the European Monarchs to shame.

They have seen through wars in the region and the growth that ensued thereafter. The deserts turned into small towns with small roads. Which then grew into a formidable city with huge roads. Where once people dared to walk, only fools tread.

I remember back in 1990 when I was told that I have been posted to Abu Dhabi. All I knew is that I would make about 4 times the amount I was making in Pakistan. A friend of mine had told me that she lived right across from the Bank, so I assumed that it must be a small town, may be not more than a few road each side. How wrong I was. The place was well organized, a good road network, and the police to ensure that everybody complies with the law. All this was a decade back.

My recent visit to the Dubai after a decade was a shocker. Yes the city had grown still further. People no longer restricted themselves to the Diera side of Dubai, Bur Dubai has become more vibrant. And for those people that previously went to Bangkok, now have something to look forward to when they visit Dubai. People may remember that after the fall of the Soviet Union, Dubai was the main beneficiary of the major consumer goods trade flow out of Dubai to Russia. Well, now Russia has started its exports too. This has taken Dubai like Russian flu. You can see these Soviet women standing all around Mankhool Street near Choitram Supermarket and around Ramada.

If you happen to be in the vicinity about 6 p.m. You will see these workers religiously come down from their apartments to walk the street. You might want to visit the nightclubs that are dotted across Dubai from Jumeriah Beach to the Airport. The owners while charging you an entrance fee (unless you are a guest staying at the hotel) would ensure that their bars have these women available for your pleasure. Mind you, liquor has always been available as far as I can remember but the new twist has been drawing the tourists in like bee to honey.

The tourist visas are easy to get. In fact you do not need a visa before hand if you have one of the developed countries passport. Even, if you do not have one, and your stop over in Dubai is temporary, between five hours and ninety-six hours, you will be granted a visa. You may take a trip down to all the excitement that Dubai has to offer.

Driving licenses used to be hard to get. But no longer, that is, if you enroll in a training institute registered for imparting driving education. You would think that this would be good and that people would become more conscious about the driving regulations. Far from it. Today, you would see people changing lanes without indicators. At the turning where there is a stop sign, people practice rolling stops, and they stop for the signal on the pedestrian crossing.

Its unfortunate that Dubai is no longer a family city. It is more a tourist resort with load and loads of entertainment. And as one magazine that was in my hotel room in Dubai – “Millionaires City”.