Dubai has been the subject of gazillion news items in for several years now. Ranging from articles written in owe of the huge progress and growth the city experienced, to the bashing of its policies and it's "supposed" decline. Nevertheless, everybody agrees that the buzz this city created throughout the world is unmatched in the region, and in fact many regions across the world.
Reflecting on my five years I spent in this city, prompted by a discussion with a friend who finally decided to go back home, I decided to share with everyone some of the reasons why I, and many like me I would argue, consider Dubai to be one of the best places to live.
10. Business
Despite all what the doubters say, and indeed despite of the mistakes Dubai committed during its astronomically fast growth, it remains a perfect hub in the region. Let's face it. Dubai has the infrastructure needed to be the link between the East and the West. It also has what it takes to be the starting point for a regional and international business.
A huge airport, and a first class airliner, in Emirates, gives Dubai the privilige of being the perfect highway people can take travelling anywhere in the world through this region. Numerous Free Zones catering to the needs of multinational companies provides a perfect home for regional offices and logistic centres. Free zones like Jabal Ali, Internet City, Media City, Knowledge Village, Healthcare City, Dubai International Financial Centre cater to numerous business segments and model.
It's also equally important that Dubai historically doesn't mix business with politics. This is most clear in the huge trade volume between UAE and Iran despite of the differences the two countries have, and the ongoing occupation of two UAE islands by Iran. Therefore, you won't worry that one day the ruler will wake up on the wrong side of his bed one day and decide that certain country nationals are no longer allowed to enter the country, or conduct business in it.
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9. Weather
Europeans are in love with Dubai. The reason being that for a period of six month you constantly live under sunshine and temperatures ranging from 19 to 29 throughout the day. It's the perfect recipe. Perfect weather with a lot of sunshine that will significantly wipe off most of the reasons you might think of to be depressed. The only reason weather is not ranking higher than 9, is that for 4 months during the summer the weather is very unpleasant.
8. Mobility
For many of us, who are not blessed with having a passport stating in one way or another that your are not a terrorist, or not an illegal immigrant, living in Dubai gives you a great deal of mobility. Your visit visa is less likely to be rejected if you are planning for a vacation in Europe for example. Apparently, they believe that if you live in Dubai, then you have a good job and no good reason to runaway or go and kill yourself somewhere! So, if you are a Lebanese, Jordanian, Syrian, Egyptian, Iranian or from any of the other doomed countries, your chances of being able to travel are better off if you live in Dubai than if you live in your own country. Suffice to say, you are more likely to be able to afford it if you have a job in Dubai, in most cases.
Equally important is that of all the countries in the Gulf Region that offers financial stability and career opportunities, Dubai as part of the UAE offers the greatest level of freedom to expats. You don't need your sponsor's approval to go on a vacation, and if you want you can leave for a 2-day trip on a weekend without the need to request your passport from the company because you are entitled to have it with you at all times. Trivial you might think. But if you live in Saudi or Qatar you will know what I mean.
7. Safety
This is not to say that Dubai is the safest place on earth, or that crimes don't happen in here. But if you are familiar with cosmopolitans, you will notice the difference in Dubai. Whether a male or a female, you will notice that you can walk almost anywhere in the city at three o'clock in the morning without fear of being attacked or hassled. You can leave your car running, apartment open, laptop bag on a chair in a coffee shop and you are sure that they will be untouched by the time you come back. This is in large due to the fact that UAE has a strict policy of deportation of criminals, as well as the fact that most residents are professionals who are benefiting from their presence in the city and they don't want to jeopardize that fact.
6. Freedom
Whether you are Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, atheist or a follower of any other religion in the world, you have the freedom to practice your religion. The city has several churches and Hindu temples. Christmas is celebrated in a similar fashion like Eid, and Diwali is equally as important.
In Dubai you can choose to be conservative or a liberal. You can wear hijab and you can wear shorts. You can relax on the beach in your bikini, and you can set there dressed in a proper islamic costume. Alcohol is available in hotels, clubs and bars for those who drink. If you are a non-Muslim you can acquire a liquor license and have your own alcohol stock at home. The bottom line is, as long as you don't abuse it, and start getting crazy or intimate in the streets, no one will bother you. You do your own thing, as long as you are not publicly disrespecting the country's traditions and values.
5. Luxury
Everything in Dubai was built to reflect a life of luxury. From hotels to malls. Streets to parks. Public transportation to cars. Everything is new and done neatly. You can drive an SUV while you'll be dreaming about it in Europe. You can own a Porsche, while you would only call it a DREAM car elsewhere. Even in the metro, you can have your gold section tickets and commute as if you are on board a world class airliner.
4. Services and Facilities
If you are a European, you will know deep in your heart, even if you don't admit it, that Dubai provides a world class service in most aspects of life. All your bills and transactions can be done online. If you pay a handsome some of money for an apartment, you get your pool, Sauna, gym, security, facility management and parking with it. No compromises. Barring International City and Discovery Gardens, you always get value for your money. More so now that rents have went down to a more realistic and acceptable levels.
Gas stations are malls. business buildings are fully equipped, and almost everybody have their delivery services. Dubai residents are spoiled to the point of laziness when it comes to services, and people love it.
3. Activites
If you are an outdoor activities' fan then Dubai is the place to be. Walking, cycling, golfing, fishing, sailing, windsurfing, desert activities, fresh water activities and beach & sea activities. The facilities are available. You can always join a club or a community or do it on your own.
skiing, ice skating and bird watching. When in the desert, you can take the pleasure of activities like camel safari and desert jeep safari.
You can enjoy the sea with activities like scuba diving, snorkeling, sailing, parasailing and deep sea fishing
Team Sports? No problem. Some popular outdoor games are ball games like football, Basketball, Volleyball and Rugby.
2. Events
One of the most interesting things about Dubai is that you always have a feeling that there is something going on. It's true that the buzz went down a little bit after the crisis, but this normal even if you go anywhere else in the world.
Concerts and tournaments. Art galleries and plays. Fashion shows and exhibitions. The cultural agenda in Dubai is always full, and you can count on a dozen of big time events every year that will break you routine and give you a taste of how life is all over the world. In the past few month Nickelback and Sting were here. Soon David Guetta will play in Dubai, preceded by Kelly Rowland. Bands like The Killers, Coldplay, Scorpions performed in Dubai. The Dubai Movie festival is an annual event. Circus de Soleil is a regular fixture. Car, Technology, Healthcare, arts and architecture events take place all the time. In simple words, you will not be bored.
1. Multicultural Taste
In a world destined to shrink further into a tiny village, Dubai has taken the lead in becoming the melting pot of different cultures from all over the world, and definitely the only place in the middle east that practically lives the global village dream.
It's not abnormal to be sitting on a table with 10 people from 10 different culture and be able to call them friends. This unique experience helps you get out of your box. Learn to understand people in a different way that the one you were made to understand through TV and mainstream media. Dubai gives you the chance to meet people from different religions and social background, and serves as a bridge that helps people see beyond stereotypes. It's a given that through mingling with different cultures you create this panoramic view of life, and learn as you go about what matters and what doesn't. You become more adaptable to change. More flexible in dealing with the other. You learn about what's important to people and what they hold important to their heart and values, and this to me is the greatest thing about this city.
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18 comments:
You don't need your sponsor's approval to go on a vacation...
That goes in the plus column? lol
Just because something is not as bad as in other countries in the region, doesn't make it a plus. I didn't see anything on your list that would be at all appealing to the average American. The only reason I can think of why it would be "great" for an American to live in Dubai is money. But maybe you intended this list for non-westerners :)
Well Craig, I'm happy you have such a high standard of living. However, I see a lot of Europeans/ Americans, A.K.A Westerners enjoying it here and singing the praises of the country.
If you have, in one place, the ability to do business, feel safe for yourself and your children, have freedom whatever your ethnic background or religion is, experience a busy social calendar, have the ability to do whatever activity you want, have access to the East and the West, enjoy lovely weather, have a luxurious affordable life, enjoy impeccable services, AND meet people from all over the world without prejudice or pre-set stereotypes in the US, then I suggest you stay put :)
Last time I checked, you need L.A, Miami, Oklahoma, New York, San Francisco and a bunch of other cities to have all the above ten.
Having said that, for a different perspective, I suggest you connect with one of the Americans living in Dubai, and you would get a clearer idea.
But that's just me, already comfortable looking outside the box. Maybe for you it's a little bit different. Cheers :)
Ehab,
Well Craig, I'm happy you have such a high standard of living. However, I see a lot of Europeans Americans, A.K.A Westerners enjoying it here and singing the praises of the country.
How many Americans? What is a "lot", I mean? Because I've met a lot of Americans over the years and I've never known anyone who lived in the ME except people who were in the military and were stationed there.
If you have, in one place, the ability to do business, feel safe for yourself and your children...
My neighborhood here in Southern California is as safe as any place I'd ever want to live. At some point when there isn't enough real crime police start going after people for non-crimes just to keep themselves busy.
...have freedom whatever your ethnic background or religion is...
You aren't seriously trying to claim the Dubai is more free than the United States, are you?
As far as freedom of religion, I know for a fact that sharia law is enforced in Dubai, even on non-Muslim foreigners, because I've read about 10,000 stories about it. Forcing people to comply with religious laws when they aren't even followers of that religion isn't freedom of religion. It's a human rights violation.
...experience a busy social calendar...
What does that even mean?
...have the ability to do whatever activity you want...
Again: what does that even mean?
(maybe I don't understand those two because I've never lived anywhere where I didn't have the freedom to do whatever I want)
...have access to the East and the West...
Why would I want that? On an ongoing basis, I mean? I can't imagine any circumstances in which I'd try to be fully immersed in more than one culture. And since I'm western, my choice between east and west has already been made.
And besides, if you think the ME has access to the "east" then your perspective is very narrow. My ex-wife grew up in China and I guarantee that Arabs from the ME have even less in common with her than I do.
I could as easily argue that people in Dubai don't have easy access to both American and Latin American culture, like I do.
...enjoy lovely weather...
The weather here in Southern California is pretty good. Better than in Dubai, I'll wager. We have the sun without the heat. We also have some pretty decent beaches, the Rocky Mountains, and the Mojave desert. All within about an hours drive of where I'm sitting. I could go surfing and skiing on the same day, if I wanted to.
And if I didn't like all that stuff there, I could move to the east coast and get the 4 seasons and snow in the winter. The US is a big country, spanning an entire continent. Unlike Dubai :p
have a luxurious affordable life...
Affordable luxury sounds almost like an oxymoron. Bel Air, Beverly Hills, Malibu, Westlake Village, Brentwood, and etc ain't too shabby for those who can afford it, though :)
For people who prefer the city life, New York has some nice real estate.
...enjoy impeccable services..
I heard a British national got raped by a Syrian waiter in a 5 star hotel last month. And when she reported it, the Dubai authorities threw her in prison.
I think we have better service in the US. Not that such things like rape in hotels never happen, but at least we don't throw the victims in prison.
AND meet people from all over the world...
Los Angeles is more multicultural than Dubai. By a lot.
...without prejudice or pre-set stereotypes in the US...
Right. Instead, they get the much more better Arab stereotypes.
...then I suggest you stay put :)
I could do no other! My wandering days are far behind me :)
cont...
Last time I checked, you need L.A, Miami, Oklahoma, New York, San Francisco and a bunch of other cities to have all the above ten.
I disagree, but we still haven't established what it was on your list that was supposed to be attractive. Other than money. Tell you what... lets arrange for all those high paying jobs where westerners can make 5x or 10x what they make at home to disappear, and lets see how many westerners still choose to live in Dubai?
Having said that, for a different perspective, I suggest you connect with one of the Americans living in Dubai, and you would get a clearer idea.
Don't know any, but I've interacted with an Australian who lives in Dubai who posts on Dubai blogs. I think his name is Nick. He's less... enthusiastic... than you are.
But that's just me, already comfortable looking outside the box. Maybe for you it's a little bit different. Cheers :)
You think Dubai is "outside the box"? That's the part I don't get. The only way Dubai looks at all progressive to a westerner is when it's compared to other Arab countries.
Gotta go! No hard feelings, I hope. Just expressing my opinions based on my perspective, same as you :)
Craig,
I think you are overreacting a little bit, and quite honestly I don't know why!
If you noticed, the title of the post was 10 Reasons why it's GREAT to live in Dubai. In other words, I was under no illusion that living in Dubai is the GREATEST thing ever. No other place in fact is the greatest ever, for the simple reason that people look for different things. They have different priorities. As you guys would say, Different strokes for different folks. And so, your whole argument is structured to challenge something I didn't actually say.
One point I would like to comment on though, is the Sharia Law. Don't you think it's a little bit hypocritical to accuse UAE of restricting others freedom, when in France & The Netherlands Muslim women were banned from wearing Hiajb? Switzerland denied muslims the right to Minerates! This is the equivalent of a Church without and Alter!
I'm actually happy there are some reasonable restrictions. Because if I was a father, I wouldn't want to be on the beach with my kids and suddenly see two drunk idiots having sex or making out in public, which is why two British citizens were detained recently! You have to respect the culture of the country. You have your freedom as long as you don't step into others space!
I'm not going to go over every single point you have mentioned, but the bottom line is that I live here, and I know many Europeans and Americans who enjoy it. Why do they like it, is not up to me or you to decide. They just like it. All I did here was stating 10 reasons why I believe people like living in Dubai, and from experience at least one of them was a reason for every single person I know who lives here.
On a more personal level, I do love living in Dubai over Europe or the states. I work for an American Corporate and I have the choice to ask to be stationed in EU or US, but I won't. Simply because I believe nothing these countries have I don't find here, and to top it I won't be scrutinized for living according to my beliefs or culture.
For you, probably the US is the place to be, and it's not unusual since after all it's your home country. As for me, I'm an expat, and I look at it in a different way.
Finally, If you found the time and the desire, I suggest you come and visit Dubai. I'm not saying you are going to love it, or that you'll want to live here, but maybe you perspective will change a little bit and see what people who live here see.
I think you are overreacting a little bit, and quite honestly I don't know why!
Ehab, it's because of things like this:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8573565.stm
Steamy text messages have resulted in a three-month jail sentence for an Indian man and an Indian woman in Dubai.
And you tell me how free Dubai is? You compare it favorably to the United States? I don't get it. There are stories like that about Dubai in the news every day.
If you noticed, the title of the post was 10 Reasons why it's GREAT to live in Dubai.
I'm honestly glad you are happy there :)
Don't you think it's a little bit hypocritical to accuse UAE of restricting others freedom...
I'm not accusing. Dubai DOES restrict people's freedoms, and harshly. That's not a matter of opinion.
...when in France & The Netherlands Muslim women were banned from wearing Hiajb? Switzerland denied muslims the right to Minerates!
I'm not a big fan of Europe, actually. In addition to that, I'm not European. So unless you can come up with some stuff the US does to infringe on people's rights, I don't get how you call me hypocritical :)
This is the equivalent of a Church without and Alter!
I think the equivalent would be a church without a bell tower.
I'm actually happy there are some reasonable restrictions.
I don't think you'll find any westerner who thinks what Dubai does qualifies as "reasonable restrictions". I stipulated from teh start that I was talking about Westerners and what they might not find... appealing... about Dubai.
You have to respect the culture of the country.
I certainly do not!
You have your freedom as long as you don't step into others space!
And as long as you don't report it if you get raped. And as long as you don't send PRIVATE explicit text messages to your lover that have. And so on.
Finally, If you found the time and the desire, I suggest you come and visit Dubai.
I appreciate the recommendation, but I won't ever visit Dubai. I don't ever travel to countries where I might end up in jail even when I haven't done anything wrong. I spent a lot of time in countries where people don't have any rights, but that was when I was in the Marines and I trusted they'd have my back if something happened. And they did. But I don't trust the US state department at all.
True FOX style news reporting Craig, Thumbs Up!
The couple were jailed as part of a divorce lawsuit, when the husband accused his wife on adultery. Police don't really spend time spying on SMS. I guess that would be the job of Homeland Security as part of the Patriot Act!
These are the rules of the country whether you like it or not. Those who come here are fully aware of the rules, so if they choose to come that means they should respect it.
And since you are a Marine, and you " Certainly don't respect the culture ", then I suggest you stay put. We have more than enough of you in this region, and it's really unpleasant.
At ease Soldier. You don't like it, but others do. I, for example, think that Las Vegas is the most Ridiculous City in the world, but you don't see me complaining!! Because some people like it!
True FOX style news reporting Craig, Thumbs Up!
I thought everyone in Dubai was free of stereotypes? lol
The couple were jailed as part of a divorce lawsuit, when the husband accused his wife on adultery.
Nobody has been jailed for adultery in the United States in... forever. It's a moral (and religious) problem, not a legal one. Oh, but you're gonna tell me it's just a cultural thing, right? Well the couple was Indian. Not Arab and not from UAE. You don't have a problem with Dubai enforcing Arab and Muslim cultural values on foreigners, and not only that but imprisoning them? OK, fine. But do NOT tell me Dubai is free, or that people are not discriminated against.
Police don't really spend time spying on SMS.
I bet they do. I bet they spend a lot of time trying to find out who isn't in the Mossad. But I bet they don't tell you about that.
I guess that would be the job of Homeland Security as part of the Patriot Act!
Even if Homeland Security was monitoring somebody's SMS, cyber affairs are not even remotely illegal in America.
These are the rules of the country whether you like it or not.
I think I've pointed out from the start that I don't like them. I don't like them at all. And I'm baffled that you even try to compare Dubai with other, freer, places.
Those who come here are fully aware of the rules, so if they choose to come that means they should respect it.
I don't think they are fully aware. I think they are naive, and greedy. Do you think that British woman who went to Dubai on vacation with her fiance knew that she might get raped by a waiter at the hotel she was staying in? Do you think she knew that she'd be thrown in prison for "illegal sex" if she reported it?
And since you are a Marine, and you " Certainly don't respect the culture ", then I suggest you stay put.
We are in agreement on that :)
We have more than enough of you in this region, and it's really unpleasant.
So we see again that you are not really so free of bigotry and stereotypes...
At ease Soldier. You don't like it, but others do.
Just do a realistic review in the future, and we won't have any problems.
I, for example, think that Las Vegas is the most Ridiculous City in the world...
Of course you do. You said earlier that you don't mind people being jailed for inappropriate behavior like kissing. "Anything goes" in Las Vegas, so it's the exact opposite of what you like.
...but you don't see me omplaining!!
I bet you'd be complaining if you saw somebody saying a bunch of stuff about Las Vegas that obviously wasn't true.
I think both of you Ehab and Craig are over-reacting.
I don't want to get involved in such discussions, but I'll say this to each of you:
Ehab: Dubai is truly nice, and have great "reasons" to live in, but only if these "reasons" are what you are looking for. To me, most of these reasons are not strong enough. I agree with Craig that US has better freedom than Dubai, but I also agree with Ehab that this should not lead to disrespecting others. More importantly, the freedom I'm referring to here is not "doing whatever I want", it's the freedom that leads to success and creativity. Despite this, I believe Dubai is moving in the right direction, and will surpass many countries if it stayed on this path. Finally Ehab, believe it or not, concept-wise, I see Dubai and Las Vegas are synonymous.
Craig: I agree with you on multiple things, but I also disagree with you on many others. I agree with you on the freedom I mentioned above, also about the beautiful South Cal. weather, the best. I strongly disagree about the safety and economy, ESPECIALLY in CA. Another thing, US do ill-treat some Muslims and others, but I'll let you investigate this on your own if you are interested (check ACLU). Other examples? Look what happened to the Japanese post WWII, Blacks until MLK...etc.
One final point that makes USA surpasses Dubai and MANY countries is the flexibility to change and adapt. Anything wrong can happen in USA, but with the strong well of people, things can be changed and corrected.
I will end with my own view by saying:
If I want success with some relaxing life: I'll choose USA.
If I want a relaxing life with some success: I'll choose Dubai.
I hope my opinion didn't offend any of you.
Basil,
Thank you for your comment. As I mentioned, it's a matter of debate, and different people like different things. People"s priorities differ, and therefor their preferences are different.
Dubai is definitely not perfect, and obviously I wasn't claiming that. However, I agree with you that they are moving in the right direction. We need to remember that this is a young city, coming up in one of the most volatile regions in the World. So far, it proved capable of avoiding regional conflicts and politics by focusing on business and tourism. I think it's not fair to put the citt down despite its effort to diversify its econom, which is few oil-rich countries in the region did before. In fact, they started the trend. This alone merits a complement, as they offered the residents of the region a chance to be part of global business, considering the limited access they had to other business hubs.
Moreover, a lot of South East Asians, Indians, South Africans as well as westerners are making a living here. They are building their lives off what they make here.
Finally, you are bound to make mistakes when you grow very fast like Dubai did. They probably never stopped and sometimes got carried away with a few projects. But nobody seemed to complain before the crisis happened, and let's be clear that they didn't start it. Countries more mature than UAE suffered and are still suffering, like Iceland, Greece, and the U.S itself. But that doesn't mean we should condemn it to failure. People learn from mistakes and move on.
Craig, thank you for your comments.
Basel, your comment was very fair. Thanks for getting us back on track :)
I strongly disagree about the safety and economy, ESPECIALLY in CA.
I agree. I would not call California safe... especially the LA area where I live. However, most residents know where the safe enclaves are, and where the safe places to go are. And Los Angeles being as spread out as it is, the police are able to do a pretty good job of keeping the "high crime" districts contained, which is about as much as can be done in a country like the US.
I don't think I mentioned the economy in CA, but that's been going down hill since the early 1990s when the state government decided to tax the crap out of businesses. I work in software development, and luckily that's still doing OK. I
Ehab, I agree with most of what you said in your last comment. And I don't want Dubai to fail. I wouldn't bother criticizing if I didn't think there was something in Dubai worth salvaging and improving.
Thanks to both of you.
ya hala ya Ehab,
mashalla 3leik.. mudawinatak jameela jiddan..
3ajabni al 2ism :palordinia.. very original.
deer balak min al hoodi elli hon.. deer balak.
3ala fikra, 3ajbatni al 10 asbab li Dubai.. wo atmana innak tzoorna fil emarata 3an ma qareeb
akhook abu jassem min dubai
Hala b bujassem :) .. Thank you for your generous compliment. But I didn't undestand what you meant by hoodi? :)
And by the way, I've been living in Dubai for the past 5 years :)
Ehab, ya hala, 7ayyak!
so2alak 3an jad? fakkir bi duroos al deen? al nabi hood elli min 2ismo tal3at diyanet al rasool brahim wo musa... ana ma biddi akteb el 2ism mazboot minshan 3indak wa7ad suhyooni hown.
5 yrs in dubai? wow.. ur post is written from the viewpoint of someone who doesn't live here.. let me read again!
it's like something u'd read in the boston newspaper, u know the one with the pretty pics.
Ah.. Now I got it. Ya sidi basita.. Ma r7 y'3ayyer shi :)
Anyhow, I wrote it in a way for those who don't leave here to able to relate to it, I guess :)
Abo Jasim and Ehab.
I want to say that not everything is caused by "hood". Not pointing at the real cause of problem can lead to very bad consequences and inability to solve the problem in itself.
A simple example, imagine that whenever you go to the doctor he give your Aspirin for whatever disease or condition you have... Can you see my point?
I think we are Arabs/Muslims like to blame on others (hood in this instance) for our problems. But as long as we don't really open our eyes and understand things correctly and admit our mistakes, we will never rise.
I do agree that "hood" sometimes cause problems.
Thank you.
Thank you Basil.. I wasn't trying insinuate anything in that regards. But I do agree with you :)
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