Dreamland Dubai

typical dubai-based article. Nothing others havent already talked/written about.

"And with that, yet another part of Dubai’s history will be wiped out. Yes, Dubai has fast developed into a shining city of material wealth, but it has done so without the slow nurturing care of a binding culture. "

What is the history fo Dubai...for that matter what is the history of any of such sultanates???

#85 agreed - arabs (whether ben laden destroying them in NY or rich arabs building them in the persian gulf) seem to have this thing about big buildings. But whereas the ben ladens and other underground cave-dwelling ignoramuses think tall buildings is all there is to progress, the persian gulf arabs are clearly a different breed - and so have not just the best airlines in the world, but also some outstanding philosophies (e.g. the Behraini ambassador to the US is a Bahraini jewish woman!!).

T Saab, not the airlines, I was talking about the UAE and its nationals, who are living under the false pretension that having tall buildings (as successful airlines) is akin to progress. Look at Delta and American Airlines, perhaps the worst in the world.

#83 kulharee: why do you think the arab airlines are trying to kid anyone? arab airlines like etihad, emirates, happen to be among the best run in the world.

In today’s New York Times, there is a 2-page article on young Arab women (Egyptians, Syrians, etc.) working for the airlines in Dubai. It paints a neat picture into the minds of young Arabs where male to female ratio is 2.7 Males to 1 Female. If there is any place more messed up than the Arab Gulf, it has to be hell. These people are under the impression that the oil wealth, tall buildings, tax free living is a substitute for progress. Who actually are they trying to kid?

Re: # 69
"how come it has been spared so far?.... "

Because it is run by the handlers of a database called a-Kayda (as Bush calls it). Since these elites have their teeth on the throat of Dubai, not resisting seems very clever by standards of stupidity!

Hope that answers the question--as Dr. Naik would say!

Re: # 64

He may as well resign and head home before the collapse!

Re: # 61

:) not really but it does add up!
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/03/12/business/main2558620.shtml?

Bu t actually it is banking family that has made a move to turn a desert oasis into the next Sodom and Gommorra!

Enjoy while it lasts.

Re: # 72

Rangeela Bhai

{The original visionary for the growth of Dubai was no one but Shaikh Rashid bin Saeed al-maktoum himself. It was under his guidance the Jabal Ali free trade zone, Dubai Dry Docks, DUBAL, Dubai Airport and other futuristic projrcts were started}

Late Shaikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Makhtoum suffered ill health and fell into a coma in the early eighties, since then it has been the four brothers running the show and moreso SH Mohammad. Shaikh Makhtoum had taken a back seat for quite a while and post his son's tragic death in 2002 he further receded into his own private world. Much of the progress that we see today can be attributed to the current ruler of Dubai SH Mohammad.

"#76 Posted by atif2 on December 20, 2008 10:18:36 pm
if that is indeed true, then this is the most discrete use of informants i have ever come across. you certainly dont see people speaking in whispers nor do you feel inhibited in your daily interactions."

atif,
overall a nice article. regarding informants, i must confess that over the 2 years i have lived here, i have and many people i know have always felt a sense of being watched over when walking in public places. i can't explain in words, but i feel much comfortable walking in public in other islamic countries like malaysia or indonesia.

rumour has it that the uae govt pays hafta money to the major terrorists to keep away. again, its just a rumour, but you will never know why saudi has been attacked many times and other gcc countries never.

all in all, dubai is a sort of a disneyland for people with free money not knowing how to utilise it.

rgds,
devkant.

shobig #73 [Dubai's history dates back to hardly half a centruy at max. So it was never a tourist attraction for its rich history or indigenous culture.]

shobig payee, you are indeed correct. dubai was never known for its historical aspect. i guess when i mentioned culture, what i had in mind was what i hear from expats from various countries who were near unanimous in their opinion that dubai was a place devoid of its native culture. the only native culture you see in dubai is when a traditionally garbed gentleman offers you kahva at a local hotel, or when you see dhows in the creek or perhaps when you see belly dancers (who are more likely to be russian/ukrainians).

but then again, as you pointed out, people come to dubai to make money. culture along does not put food on the table :) and besides, i wouldnt mind if, say, saudi arabia loses some of its "culture" too, a culture that does not trust women with driving. Not that we in the west trust the women's driving either, but still...

rangeela #74 [Majority of cab drivers are police informers as are the prostitutes and other low-life, the friendly grocery store owner from Kerala or the fatherly Imam sahib of the neighbourhood mosque from Cairo.]


if that is indeed true, then this is the most discrete use of informants i have ever come across. you certainly dont see people speaking in whispers nor do you feel inhibited in your daily interactions. yes, you have to get your luggage through a scanner even when entering UAE, but thats pretty much the extent of it. Unlike in neighboring saudi arabia, and in several other arab countries, you dont come across random and useless check points either.

rangeela #71.72 [I noted a minor error, you name Shaikh maktum as the ruler of Dubai which is wrong.]


when i said "sheikh maktoum" being the ruler of dubai, i should have spelled it out as "sheikh mohammed bin rashid al-maktoum.

but you are correct, it was current ruler's father who was the true visionary and who saw the potential of dubai. also, you seem to have quite a deep and intimate knowledge about the politics of the region. do you happen to live there?

interesting bit about smuggling and the bhattis and the seths you mentioned. another prominent pakistani to have capitalized on UAE rulers' money was Agha Hassan Abadi and his now defunct Bank of Credit and Commerce International. So yeah, these trade and commerce instincts of the UAE rulers are not rooted in the recent construction boom. Rather they go way back.

Re: # 73 Big G is rising up. A aframax size ship today is bringing 30,000 tons urea and unloading must have started.There is nice pic at port activity at big G.
Good day

A good summary Atif payee. Besides the mistake pointed out by rangeela, there's one more thing that's not entirely correct. Dubai's history dates back to hardly half a centruy at max. So it was never a tourist attraction for its rich history or indigenous culture. It was always material wealth, so not much has changed on that front. People who wanted to witness the historic connection would always prefer Lebanon or Jordan, even in the past.