10 Reasons why it's great to live in Dubai

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. 

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.

An Advice to all Arab/ Muslim bloggers

You don't realize how little accuracy there is in network TV reporting until they cover a story in your hometown.  ~Robert Brault


I came across this post about a dog. As I understand, a guy did something nice to a dog, and as a result he deserves to be praised. 


Accidently, the guy who did the good deed is an Israeli. The outcome of the story is 25 comments so far. Ranging from complaining about Zionist Propaganda, to ranting about those who think it's a Zionist Propaganda and believe that it was only about a dog.


I personally have no problem with the post, and I didn't actually read it. But I read the subsequent post and the comments that it received and I would like to lend "Ange" the writer, and the rest of the Arab/ Muslim bloggers an advice. After all, it's free of charge, and the best thing about it is that you can totally ignore it. 


What is the most powerful weapon in the world? A nuclear bomb? A hydrogen bomb? No, I strongly believe that Media, in all its forms and shapes, is the biggest weapon of our time. As Arabs and Muslims, we clearly lack in this department. We are not powerful or influential. We don't own huge network channels like CNN, FOX, SKY, BBC or the rest. In many cases we lost wars before they even began. I'm not only talking about wars carried out by tanks and guns, and aiming at winning a territory or some natural resource. I'm referring to public opinion, and the way people look at us.


Now, if I came across Ange's post, I would have probably read it, and kept browsing without leaving a comment. I have my reasons not to leave a comment, but this is just me. However, some people were a little annoyed by the post and they made it clear in their comments. I understand why they felt so. Ange got offended, and extremely defensive. I also understand that. 


Sorry about the long introduction, but I had to put things in the right context. 


The problem, I think, is that there is always subtext to the things we write. or they write. Few weeks ago, when disaster hit Haiti, people across the world felt it. Countries and NGO's from across the globe sent aid. Either in the form of man power, clothes, medicine, food or Money. As I was watching CNN for a full day, there was one story that kept being repeated and repeated. I think it was a woman, maybe a man, who was saved from under the rubble. Her family and neighbours were ecstatic. Happy to have him/her back, which I totally I understand and respect. That person was a victim, and he/she deserved all the help possible. Then you have images of the local crowd chanting the name of the country where the crew who did the rescue come from. "Good job Israel, Good job Israel". This is the same Israel who is still killing, abusing and starving Palestinians while the world is watching. This is the same country that still illegally occupies the land of other people. This, of course, takes nothing from the good job the Israeli rescuers did, and we applaud them for that. But the question that baffled a lot of people like me I'm sure was, why all the emphasis on Israel? Why didn't CNN show the good jobs done by France, Germany, Cuba, Japan, Brazil or any of the other countries? I'm sure there were others? 


It's a world of propaganda. It serves to polish the image. They say, you are as good as your last deed, and therefore whatever you have done, especially if not covered by the media, will be wiped off by a good thing you did, which gets tirelessly and relentlessly repeated. 


The problem those guys had with your post is that you applauded and act of humanity an Israeli did towards an animal. While they believe that this same person, or the regime he comes from will NOT extend the same act of humanity to Palestinian humans. They got tired of the overwhelming propaganda about how good Israelis are, and how evil and violent Arabs are. They see this post as another serving in the plate of good deeds of the Zionists. 


Once a newspaper touches a story, the facts are lost forever, even to the protagonists.  ~Norman Mailer


To be clear, I don't agree with those who posted comments on that post simply because they have probably pushed the post up the Technorati, delicious, bloglines, twitter.. etc rankings! Making it more visible to the world. Clearly this might be good for the blog hosting it, but for all the wrong reasons. 


If a TV network wanted to feature this story on one of its shows, it will probably be something like this: "A post about an Israeli man who takes good care of a sick dog draws scathing attacks from Arabs and Muslims in an anti-semitic wave. The post written by an Australian woman, A catholic turned Muslim through marriage, sparked attacks on her for showing sympathy towards Jews. We were not able to interview or get a picture of the writer apparently because her Muslim husband doesn't want her to show her photo on her blog."


How does that sound? Good? I don't think so. Neither for the blogger, nor for the commenters. She will sound like an oppressed convert, and they will sound like mindless and angry terrorists. I know she says that she doesn't write about Palestine, because she has nothing to add. But it was surprising to see how much she had to say explaining the difference between Jews and Zionists. How there are good Jews as well as bad ones. She is definitely right, but this discussion only serves to add fuel to the fire and emphasizes the difference between what she supposedly represents as moderate oppressed convert, and what they present as angry and racist Arabs and Muslims. She could've ignored those comments, or simply deleted them. They could've skipped by the post and let it be. We often shoot ourselves in the foot, and then make things worse while we try to correct the wrongs that we have done. I know she is an animal lover, but had she looked beyond the dog, she would've picked a different story. After all, there are humans all over the world who at the very least are as kind to humans as they are to animals. As one of the commenters, Femme I think, said she wished her family received at the Gaza crossing a treatment as good as the one offered to a bug! It's her own experience, it's her pain and millions like her. She has the right to be angry, she has the right to complain about it, and she has the right to hate because of it! She is human after all. I don't hear people anyone complaining about the never ending milking of the Holocaust story! It happened more than sixty years ago by the Germans under the watch of the Europeans. Until now any criticism of Israel is an anti-semitic act, and whoever questions the actual event of the Holocaust or the mere magnitude of it is criminalized and accused of anti-semitism! And the worst part is that Palestinians are paying for it. They don't seem to get tired of connecting everything to the Holocaust, and it doesn't look like people mind it! In fact, they still feel guilty. Then why are people surprised that Palestinians are also obsessed with their own ordeal?  


it's a complicated issue indeed. There is always sub-text. There is always something that will be taken out of context to get back at you, and bite you. We don't have the media. We are not the ones writing history in these times. 


I urge you to be careful. If you want to write something about Palestine. Please be careful. Please look at it both ways. We have enough people questioning our religion and our rights. It does more harm than good to have people questioning the despair and frustration others feel. If you didn't understand it, then who will? And if you want to write about animals, food, music, culture or anything else you want, be careful where that might lead. Watch out for the conversations on your blog. Don't let it divert and lead to where nobody wants it to lead. At least nobody we care about. Nobody who knows what we are all about. 


It's an advice. You can take it, and you can leave it.


People can, and will mutate the truth. Use it to their own good. Propaganda is built to brainwash people, and if you are not there... You never really know the truth.


If one morning I walked on top of the water across the Potomac River, the headline that afternoon would read:  "President Can't Swim."  ~Lyndon B. Johnson


That's all I have to say

Half-Baked Ideas: Life, Raising Kids, and Arab's Memory

Of Life and Expectations.

Life happens in a very random way. It's somehow depressing yet refreshing to know that your plans will most likely fall apart. So my advice is never plan farther than a year or two. Don't assume or expect. Things and people change. Life twists and turns in weird ways. One of your best friends will be someone who you haven't seen for 10 years. People you had many things in common with will soon drift and others will replace them. Places you planned to settle in might be the places you send postcards to, and those you used to send to might be your new home.

Raising kids

This advice comes with a great deal of credibility. Mainly because I'm single and have no kids, and so, I'm free of all inhibitions and psychotic protective behaviors.

if you want your kid to be more successful than you are when he/ she grows up, as a rule of thumb, they should be different from you!

Unless you want them to be copy cats and bad re-runs, you should unleash them and let them do their thing in their own way. 

More successful means not the same as you are. It means different. 

On Arabs' Memory. 

 In general terms, Arabs don't have a big interest in their own personal history. Interestingly, we more than anybody else tend to retain the biggest stock of our cultural history, and in many cases take it with us, oh so romantically, to the grave.

We are not big on birthdays and anniversaries. We don't usually celebrate milestones, and we definitely have a thing against pictures. You are unlikely to find an Asian who doesn't have a dozen pictures of himself in the cradle, whereas you can find many Arabs who don't even remember how they looked when they were young.

It's probably a reflection of what's going on on the political scene in our era. We celebrate our long and glorious history, but we rarely take actions on our current events or celebrate our successes, if there was any to celebrate anyway!

Chapter 2: Jordanians "THE WINGERS"

THE WINGERS


In a world of superstars and celebrities those people take the different route of annonymity. They are socially outdated, and barely ever took a look at today's dictionary of Who's Who. They run through life with selfless dedication and make the best out of nothing. They're the ticking clock behind every functioning or barely functioning family, but life breezes past them like summer wind, and their unforgivable cluellessness is their only triumph.

They are deaf to The obscenely loud buzz of life, as somewhere along the line of their monochromatic life someone taught them that this is the best they're ever going to get. With an 80's hairstyle, and a 20JD- leather jacket they wake up everyday to do the same thing they did the day before. A weekend is for house shores. A picnic is a barbecue task on Airport road. Eid is family visits, and Jabal Al Hussein is the equal of the strip in L.A.

They pass by you like a Friday. As they exist, but to us we managed to strip them off every single meaning of spirituality. They've learned some 50 years ago that being a woman is a test. Being a man is an obligation. Work is routine, and life is a big greyscale scene.

They studied in public schools. They admire and resent those brats who graduated from schools usually referred to by 3-letter acronyms. Gel is as bad as Alcohol, and trendy Jeans are as sinful as thongs.

They roam the streets of East Amman and Every Jabal something during early evenings, wearing an empty look. Carrying a black plastic bag that is the only source of joy to that family. they are usually overwhelmed by how life left them behind. How their values are antiquities from the past, and how days move so freaking fast. They grow frustrated with the shadow they cast, but it's as far as the next morning that this feeling will last.

There pen is a stamp. They know how to guide you to the next office of that civil building with as few words as possible. they puff their cigarettes earth bound. They searched for their ambition but it's nowhere to be found. Unlike others, they usually underestimate themselves, but they compensate for that with their self-proclaimed high standard of morality.

They are the Janitors of a hospital. The infantry of a military. The traffic cops at intersections. The TA's in a faculty. The full backs in a football team. They play on the premises of the play. They walk at the edge of life. They are the wingers going forward and the guardians going back. They are the wings of a falcon. For without wings a falcon can't fly. But as he poses and stairs at you, those wings are held back. They just don't have the knack.

In their world, love is convenience, and respect is obedience. Fun is a travesty, and change is a tragedy. In their shells they are contained, writers, scientists, geniuses and hard workers! Unfortunately for the world, only few of them will ever break through that bottle knick called self esteem.

Algeria, Egypt and the Arabic competition culture

To start with, we have to congratulate Egypt for a convincing win over Algeria. It doesn't get clearer than 4-0, and the win is obviously well deserved. Having said that, this game is a living example of everything that is wrong with Arabic football, and this reflects the many flaws we have in other aspects of life.

Algeria is probably as good as Egypt, maybe a little better or a bit worse. 4-0 might lead observers to believe there is a huge technical gap between the two teams , but what it really reflects is how bad we are at losing, and how unequiped we are in defeat. 3 red cards for a team of professional footballers who've just celebrated a birth in the coming World Cup! One might be a result of an honest mistake, or a clumsy challenge, but 2 or 3 is just an indication of emotional immaturity! They gave up, were pissed off and decided to have a go at the players to vent and conceal their weakness! Let's be clear, what the Algerians did doesn't reflect dedication, patriotism or professionalism. It only indicates bankruptcy and desperation. We are emotionally defeated and immature. We give up and as a result we change the course of the fight and start our own objectives which no one cares about but ourselves. There should be a very big question mark over the maturity of those red carded, and their involvement in the team going for the World Cup should be re-evaluated.

As for Egypt. Well, a game of football can not be equated to October War. Sending the whole population on full alert and having actors, singers and all sorts of celebrities charging up the atmosphere is an indication of desperation and utter absurdity. You lost the game and Algeria deserved to go through to the world cup. Live with it. If they were aggressive in supporting their team, you were not exactly the most gracious of hosts! Algeria is not the enemy. Much bigger rivalries exist in the footballing world! Argentina and Brazil, Italy and Germany, Italy and France, Argentina and England who played each other few years after the Falkland War, and till now the players respect and show admiration of each other! Grow up and accept the fact that you always choke when it comes to the World Cup!

Egypt are likely to go home with the cup, and Algeria are likely to lose 3 games in the World Cup and go home. In both cases our media will hail the result as a success, and we will still talk about that game Algeria won against Germany back in 1982. Basking in old glories just as we do in any other field of life.

We need to be reasonable and consistent. We need to be mature and rise to the occasion. We need to stop choking when things matter and accept our failures and successes as our own doing.

To all those reasonable Egyptian fans, congratulations and good luck in the final. To all those reasonable Algerians fans, hard luck and better luck in the World cup. To all the rest, get a life!

The Arab National Anthem!

Well... Not exactly. It's not even in Arabic, but it says exactly what almost 300 Million Arabs give or take think and wish every single day of their lives!



Uprising by Muse. A song for the oppressed. for those who had their dreams stolen, their ambitions shattered, their hopes diminished and their life hijacked by fat cats and blood suckers!

Dubai... A Middle Eastern Dream

As I grew up people dreamt about going to the US, the land of opportunities. Some wanted the UK, others wanted anything out of this stagnating region!

As I graduated there was a new destination. One that is unusually close, and easier to fit in. An Arab country. Somewhere we don't worry about being descriminated against or punished for who we are or what we believe in. People came from all corners of the world to experience it and live it. To be part of the boom and part of the phenomenon. This place is Dubai.

Unfortunately, the world is not fair. And while we always demand the best from governments and coutnries, we tend to crucify those who dream. Even if there dream worked for awhile. We rush and compete in bringing those who dream down. We point the fingers of blame and we open our mouths and we say: I KNEW IT!

I don't blame Europeans or North Americans. It just amazes me how middle easterners and specifically arabs feel so vendicated by what's going on now! What was it that you wanted? One more mundane place? Inorganized, flat, dirty, dull, Oil-dependant, aid-dependant & grey City? 

Dubai offered people an alternative for our corrupted countries and cities. A place to work and live in security and peace. A multi-cultural environment. A platform to meet people from other cultures in an unbiased condition. Prejudice free. Tax free. 

Everyone is allowed to dream, and everybody is encouraged to. nevertheless, we jump into the forefront and race to step on the the shoulders of a giant that fell down to accelerate its demise.

One question for, Egptians, Lebanese, Jordanians, Palestinians, Iranians, Indians, Filipinos, Australians and others; What is your alternative? What is your plan B?

Was Dubai perfect? Definitely not. Was everyone here happy and living the perfect life, absolutely not! But for many of us it was the perfect solution and the perfect alternative? Thousands of families lived on remittances from this country. Thousands of other families were built because of careers and expereicnes which would have been otherwise impossible. 

I still believe that it is not over. Maybe it will never be the same booming city it was before. There were mistakes and they will definitely need to be fixed, but that doesn't mean that the dream is dead.

It better still be alive. For everyone's sake! 

Egypt and Algeria or Algeria and Egypt

Egypt and Algeria or Algeria and Egypt, doesn’t really matter which comes first, because in my eyes both comes last, the last 2 countries I will have any respect for after what happened lately because of a stupid football game.

I kept silent about this idiotic act for long enough until I saw an ad on the TV for a stupid, low budget, cheap Egyptian movie, the ad said, soon on all cinemas in all the Arab countries except Algeria!!!! When I saw this I thought, this must be a joke.




I don’t know who started this or how it started in the first place, but if there is one thing I’m sure of it's that it’s all the fault of the media, one dumb reporter says something stupid, whether he meant bad or good it doesn’t matter, then all the TV channels pick that up and start to build stories on it, and the simple people just watch this and the blood boils in their veins, it’s the honour of their countries, someone is insulting their countries, they want to go to war!!! They want to go to war because of a football game!!!

One guy on TV was shouting (the TV host was crying, I swear to god he was crying with tears) “they have insulted us, they have burnt our flag, we have to defend our dignity and honour”, he wants his dignity back! What dignity are you talking about, dude we are Arabs, I thought that ship has sailed, it has sailed since we lost Palestine, it has sailed again and again and again many times after, and never came close to the Arab countries since then, we lost Iraq after Palestine, and we lost thousands of people in few days just a year ago, and you want to get back at the Algerians?! Is that how you get your dignity back?!

Now I just talked about the simple people here, didn’t mention anything about the “highly educated” public figures of both countries and I didn’t say anything about the governments too, and I won’t, for one single reason, we Arabs are a hopeless case, the only thing we are good at is to find artistic ways to bring shame to ourselves.

The best Arabic TV show ever made

Khawater is a TV show that compares between Japan and the Arab world, in terms of life style.

This programme shows on MBC1 at 15:15 GMT, and I can say without even thinking about it that this show is the best show ever shown on TV in Ramadan, and probably the best Arabic TV show ever made.

Why am I saying that? It’s because I stopped watching TV about 3 years ago (apart from sports and news) because simply I lost any hope that the Arabic media will one day make a show or a documentary that will prove to be useful, they don’t want to, they just want to be like Melody Hits or the other prostitution channels we have on our great NileSat.

This show is the best because the presenter shows the truth, no compromise, no “ass kissing”, he simply is answering the question that every Arab has asked themselves one day, why does all the world call us the 3ed world? Or maybe a more direct question, why are all the others better than us?

The answer is simple, just watch one episode of this show and you will know.

Israel Condemned by Human Rights Watch

Israel has been condemned by Human Rights watch for using drones to kill civilians during Gaza War. According to the report, Israel used unmanned aircrafts during the war in Gaza, and has unlawfully killed 29 civilians in the process.

You can read the full story here:
http://www.gulfnews.com/region/Middle_East/10327469.html

It's nice to see that someone is actually paying attention!! However, this raises some serious questions, and only the reaction of the International Community in the coming few weeks can answer them. Would Israel be condemned by the UN, or the Security Council? Would the US denounce the Israeli actions?! Would that change Israel's policies towards the Palestinians?!! If yes, then maybe the International Community including the US will retain some face, and along with it some of its lost credibility. Because I'm sure a lot would agree with me that the reaction of countries like the USA or the EU would be very predictable if the condemnation was targeting countries like Iraq, Iran, North Korea, Russia or any other arab country. I'm quite sure that the US will be limbering up and flexing its muscles in preparation for a new Holy war, or a set of davastating sanctions.

Naturally, Israel denied those allegations and accused Human Rights' Watch of being biased. Come on! for heaven's sake. How can people develop such thick faces!

Ten things you need to know about your Arab!

There are certain things you need to know about Arabs. These are essential, and it is important to take them straight from Arabs, or from those who lived with Arabs. I'd say they'd be a more reliable source of information than CNN, FOX, SKY, Jack Powers...etc

Remember, these are basic, and are overwhilmingly standard among Arabs. So, here we go:

1) 90% of Arabs don't eat pork. They do so because 90% of Arabs are Muslims, and it's in their religion that they shouldn't eat pork, not because they hate you or don't want to be like you.

2) Arabs don't hate Americans' or Europeans' way of life! Actually we don't mind it. Some of actually live by it, and those who don't enjoy watching it on TV. We are just a little bit attached to our style of life, and we don't want some redneck like G.W.B to come and force a change on us.

3) Arabs don't hate Jews. If you check our genetic tree you will not find a gene that automatically enduces hate towards them. Actually, until 1920's we were getting a long just fine ans Andalucia, Morrocco, Egypt, Turkey, Iraq and Yemen are a testament to that. It's just a little bit hard to get a long with somebody who is occupying your house and living on your land, while occassionally getting a little bit naughty and killing a bunch of your own people.

4)Those Arabs you call middle easterns, are actually Cauccaisans. In other words WHITE!. Outside the middle east you have other types of arabs in Sudan & North Africa. They are ethnically black or Amazigh, and we love them just as much.

5) Just to emphasize point #3; Arabs are not anti-Semitic. For the very simple an obvious reason: Arabs Are Semitic.

6)Arabs usually, like in 95% of cases, have one wife! So, asking the same old question on how many women a guy is married to is not funny and is actually considered stupid and insulting.

7) When we pray we don't carry spears.

8)If somebody tells you he's Kanaanite, he is an Arab, Akkadian, he is an arab, A Pharoah, he is an Arab, a phoenician, he is an Arab, Lebanese, yes believe it or not he is an arab.

9) Arabs don't want to convert you. We don't care if you are Jewish, Christian, Buddahist, Bahaaist, or whatever. We just want you to let us be, mind your own business and we will mind ours.

10)People you might have seen in Jad Choueiri "Cool/Funky Arabs" are probably arabs, but they are neither representatives nor apologists for the rest of us. They are just a bunch of people with too much time on their hands and you can find people like these anywhere in the entire world. So please don't think that we are as cool or carefree as the Jamaicans!

This is how arabs make the world laugh at them. Courtesy of Mona Al Tahawy

I know a lot of people who would love to be called pundits, who like to shine on us with their wisdom and educate us and the world about all sorts of things!! Recently, I came across one of them. An Egyptian lady who posts on her website a long and impressive CV stamped by an award and a recognition as a columnist and speaker about Arab & Muslim affairs. Her last dose of wisdom was a lecture at the University of Delaware. It was titled understanding the Arabs!

Now, you would assume that the purpose of this lecture by an Arab "independent" pundit would be to help the world understand the Arabs. The People. How they think? What are their priorities? What are the causes that matter to them the most? And how can those interested reach out to the Arab people for the greater good. However, what you get is an incosistent and lame trial to promote and push and shove in everybody's head certain beliefs and certain agendas that will actually give "Those" interested all the needed tools to keep us as the most shattered nation in the world for centuries to come!

Ms. Al Tahawy took pride in announcing to her audience that Arab Unity has been shattered and forever. She did her best to throw about assurances that Arab Unity "and I'm talking about the Arab Street here" is an outdated legend that no one believes in anymore. In fact, she made an interesting announcement, and I quote "There is no such thing as an Arab Street". It feels like the kind of message a zionist would like to send to the American Government assuring them that no matter what you do to this pathetic nation they shouldn't worry about any comeback or a resilient and meaningful stand from them. It's an invitation for everyone to come and wreck havoc in the middle east!

But you kind of understand where that declaration she made comes from. Al Tahaway spent the most part of her lecture talking about regimes! and to be more specific four regimes. Carefully selected and for different but mirrored reasons. I think it was an ill-advised decision to call this lecture "Understanding the Arabs". It should have been called "Understanding America's proxies and its enemies".

I don't see how more than an hour of talking about the Egyptian, Saudi, Qatari and Syrian regime would help the west understand the Arabs! Aren't these the same regimes that made the world misunderstand us in one way or another? Aren't these regimes the screens put between us and the world that makes us look useless, violent and unready for democracy? How can she make such a mistake?... Or was it??

For someone who takes pride in being progressive, moderate and egyptian, it surprises me to hear the loaded words she was gracing the crowd with. She is actually promoting Saudi now! Talking about an important and commendable change in the highly conservative Saudi government. Pushing people to accept that change in Saudi is hard and has to be done slowly. You know, that kind of change with a pace that you will live you entire life without ever noticing. And then, she shrinks Qatar and its policy into the role of the jealous loser brother!! One that is desparately trying to piss the Saudis off!! Like a girl crying during her elder sister's birthday to get some attention. According to her, whatever Qatar does is merely the opposite of what Saudi does! Along the way, she did her utmost to shatter the reputation of the most reliable media outlet in the Arab world, Aljazeera. The only station where arabs can listen to the real story. The only channel that can actually reach the world, and tell them in English our point of view and what the other channels don't show. According to her, Aljazeera entices the masses by showing unnecessary and biased information and images from Palestine and Iraq. It's very depressing to see an "Enlightened" arab denounce the only free media in the arab world, and for the same reasons Bush and Netenyahu will flag. Again, in the process she promoted Al Arabiyya! A biased station built to counter Aljazeeraa and sell out to the masses any idea that comes to the head of the american government or any of its clowns in the region.

Altahawy carried that same analogy to compare the Egyptian government and the Syrian government. As expected, Egypt although a dictatorship, has a major role in the region and has structured its policy strategically for the greater good. Syria is just like Qatar, trying to piss off Egypt.

In very few sentences did Mona say anything about the people. What they want. how they think. Are they united or not, do the same things matter to them or not. These things clearly didn't mean anything to her, apparently because she didn't notice any uprising or support in favor of Gaza during the Israeli savage campaign. Basically, she didn't explain how the eguptians felt when their government took that shameful stand from the war, and as usual she downgraded the Islamic movement to a last resort, that people go to because of lack of options. Totally disregarding any value those parties might add and calling them "Nut Heads" in the process!!

One more nail in that lectures' coffin was the exclusion of 18 Arab nations and God knows how many muslim nations! Nothing about Palestinians, jordanians, iraqis, Sudanis, lebanese or the rest. and if you want to argue the small impact of these countries on politics, although it would be silly, how can she explain the absence of turkey in her hour or so of wisdom!?!

Promoting Saudi and Egypt, Bluntly denouncing Aljazeera and subtly denouncing Qatar and Syria. If you look at the political directions of these countries at the moment and the powers they are close to you start to wonder what agenda and purpose people like Mona Al Tawahy is serving?

She opened her speech stating that she intends to confuse her audience about their ideas of the Arabs and Muslims. One guy in the audience actually told her that she succeeded. But I think I was confused more than the whole crowd put toghether. It was the worst portray of the arabs I've seen in awhile, and sadly it came from an arab!!

For the video you can go to this link: http://www.ums.udel.edu/podcast/watch?c=198

Dubai & The Financial Crisis

All around the world countries have been hit badly by the financial crisis. People being laid off, companies going bust and houses stand empty like ghost houses from a Hollywood movie. Occasionally, you hear a comment here and there, about Ford, Lehmann Brothers, even Iceland. Not to mention the overwhelming amount of news you get fed daily about the effect of the crisis on the United States, which sometimes gives me the feeling that I’m actually living in an American State! Although it is probably safe to say that this feeling is not totally imaginary. On the other hand, for some reason you can feel that everyone have something to say about Dubai. They are all pundits and experts, and have the sight and the wisdom needed if they were asked to steer the city in the right direction.                                                                                                                                                                                

I can understand some of those people. It’s competition. Europe, Canada & The US started losing people to this city. Not those fat asses and useless people we used to get in the Gulf in the past, but actually people with skills, who can contribute to the place. Companies started coming here and sitting up headquarters, factories and logistic centers, as they realized that this is where growth is happening, or at least this is the closest point to where it’s happening. However, the part that I don’t understand, is how some of the city’s neighbors sound so wise and all knowing now. Everybody is cursing the boom, and everyone had anticipated at one point of time that this city is going back to the ground. Sand as it was once before. My question to those is, what is your alternative for Dubai? And if this city is going to go down, where else are you going to find a place that pays you that much and offers you this lifestyle!? Saudi? Kuwait? Oman? Jordan? Lebanon? Egypt? Or maybe the right choice is Qatar! A place where Jordanians and Egyptians are currently denied visas. A place where you still need the permission of your sponsor to go back home for a vacation!

Everyone now is critical of what Dubai did. I remember six months ago everyone was in owe, and many where envious! Now, they are like hyenas waiting to quench their thirst! Not with their success god forbids! But with the anticipated failure of others!                                                                                                                                                                                

For the good of everyone, this city should not go down. Because if it did, we will all go back to working as slaves in KSA, Kuwait & Qatar! Begging our sponsors for a holiday to spend at home. Suffering every time we want to change jobs. Living like prisoners in our homes because we don’t feel the freedom and the security we used to feel in Dubai!

But if you think about it for a while you realize that this city is not going back to the dark ages! It has the infrastructure needed for a business hub, and for a tourists’ destination. It might and actually did slow down, but as everything else, nothing lasts forever. That is why it was called a boom. They will have to adjust. The correction will take its course and things will and should pick up again. At that point of time, if any multinational thinks of establishing headquarter here, or focus on this market they will do it from Dubai. Simply because there is no other option! You may search for it as much as you want, but other than Dubai & Abu Dhabi, and I think they will do themselves a favor if they actually start giving those who lived here for 10 years or more passports or permanent visas “Something similar to a green card” because on the long run people will need more reasons to stay other than work!                                                                                                                                                                                      

I don’t see where else it can happen. Qatar? Well, maybe. But they need to start treating expats as humans more.                               

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The Forgotten Millions - 30 years in the wrong direction

Thirty years ago, Iraq announced that there are NO iletirate people in the country. So, to be on the safe side, I'd say the literacy rate was more than 95%, and Iraq was going through what I would dare to call a renaissance.

Now, in the twenty first century, the new statistics are:

1 Million divorced women
2 Million Widows
4 Million Iletirate

Why?
Was it because of the 8-year war between iraq and iran?
Was it because of the Gulf war?
Was it beacause of the decade-long economical seige the world enforced on Iraq?
Was it because of the American invasion of Iraq?
Or, Was it because of the ongoing occupation, and the mess associated with it?

No matter the reason, or the excuses. No promise, no goodwill, nothing, can make us escape the bleak outlook of the Civilization of Iraq! A whole generation has been lost, and all we can say is God saves the one coming.

Iraq has always bounced back. History is there for everyone to see! This nation never dies. Shame on those who think it will, and shame on the world for watching while all sorts of dogs, and vultures tried to kill it.

Americans flock to Jordan to study Arabic

AMMAN, Jordan - Young Americans studying Arabic like to joke that Jordan is "Middle East Lite" — a safe way into a tumultuous region without Lebanon's violence, Syria's tense relationship with the U.S. or the Gulf's conservative culture.

Drawn by that reputation, an increasing number of Americans interested in Arabic have been flocking to Jordan.
The capital, Amman, lacks much of the history and color that attract Americans to Cairo, the most popular destination for foreign students who want to learn Arabic. But Amman comes without the air pollution and crowds that plague Egypt's capital. It also feels more Western with its clean streets and numerous American shops and fast-food restaurants.
"I've traveled to Morocco but not to the heart of the Middle East, and Jordan was that good entry point," said Liza Hester, an Arabic student from Maine's Colby College.
She speculated that places like Egypt and Yemen would be more difficult to navigate and said her college would not give her credit for Arabic classes taken in countries on the U.S. State Department's travel advisory list, such as Syria and Lebanon.
Jordan, perhaps best known as home of the ancient red rock city of Petra, has generally been safe for foreigners despite an occasional flare-up in violence. A Palestinian gunman wounded six people outside a popular Roman amphitheater in Amman earlier this summer, while triple hotel blasts claimed by al-Qaida in Iraq killed 63 people in 2005.
But such attacks have done little to damage Jordan's image as a placid island of stability.
Amman has also become a doorstep to neighboring Iraq: Construction has boomed with Iraqi investments and Iraqi refugees have flooded in. Westerners traveling to Baghdad or using the Jordanian capital as a base for operations in the wartorn country are also common.
Still, Amman remains far sleepier than other Arab capitals.
"Amman is like the Kansas City of the Middle East," Kelly Nau, a 26-year-old Los Angeles native who came to Jordan to work as a nurse, said between puffs from a waterpipe at one of the city's stylish cafes.
It may not have the "allure of Damascus, Beirut or Jerusalem," but, Nau adds: "It is stable."
More than 300 Americans are expected to study Arabic at the University of Jordan in the fall, making up over half of this year's class of 600 students.
The size of the program has tripled since the Sept. 11 attacks in the United States, said Tawfiq Omar, the academic adviser for foreigners learning Arabic at the university.
It is the largest of more than 30 Arabic language programs offered in Jordan. Many charge about $2,000 per year in tuition — less than the cost of many programs in countries like Egypt and Syria, which have also seen an increase in Arabic language students from the U.S. since the 2001 attacks.
For some, the cheap tuition means money left over to party in Amman's nightclubs and Irish pubs. Others get jobs waiting tables in the city's restaurants or write English speeches for Jordanian officials to pay the bills.
Jordan's moderate government has encouraged Americans to visit the country, hoping the exchange will reduce misconceptions about the Middle East. The country's youthful Queen Rania launched a Web site on YouTube earlier this year devoted to breaking down negative stereotypes of Arabs and Muslims.
"I want the people to know the real Arab world, unedited, unscripted, unfiltered," said the queen in one of her videos.
The Jordanian government's moderate politics has made the country a sort of diplomatic "Middle East Lite" for the U.S. as well.
Jordan, which signed a peace deal with Israel in 1994, is one of America's most reliable allies in the region and rarely adopts controversial positions on issues such as the Israeli-Palestinian crisis or the Iraq war.
A large number of Jordanians in Amman speak at least a little English, which makes the transition easier for Americans who come to the country to learn Arabic for the first time. Also, many signs in the country are posted in both English and Arabic.
Even the country's summer weather is fairly moderate, a rarity in a region where temperatures regularly soar above 100 degrees Fahreinheit.
"The lovely climate is the main reason I came here. But the people are also very welcoming," said Mariam Shaheed, a Texas native who came to Amman over the summer to improve her Arabic.

From Yahoo News "An AP report"
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080902/ap_on_re_mi_ea/jordan_mideast_lite;_ylt=Alpp.s5BFMMfUmWVsBHpRUxvaA8F

Analysis: Arabs' contribution to the global economy

Arabs contribute 6% of the total headcount of the human race, and throughout history this group had their fingerprints on some of the biggest achievements of the human race. However, during the past 70 years, I would say, arabs have gone through one of the worst periods of their long history. In a materialistic and all the more Capitalist world, it would be interesting to look at the arabs contribution to the world’s economy.

The table below shows the population’s contribution to the global economy’s growth (USD of profit/ person). The data is collected from Forbes magazine (Economical), and CIA Factbook (Population), and the computation is done by me. The table includes all Arab countries with companies ranked among the world’s top 2000, plus some, and not all, countries considered as key players in world’s economics.

The Anlysis:

1. Arabs (6% of the world’s population) contribute 41 companies (2%) of the world’s biggest 2000 companies.
2. Switzerland, with a 7.5 million population, contributes 37 companies compared to the 41 that 400 Arabs contribute.
3. The US contributes 30% of the total number of companies!! With 5% of the world’s population.
4. Israel with 0.1% of the population contributes 0.5%.
5. Jordan with 0.092 of the population contributes 0.05%. I personally think this is great!! If you consider how little resources the country have!! As compared to the GCC countries which contributed 35 companies, or when compared to huge countries like Egypt & Morocco!
6. The Swiss are awesome!!

I wouldn’t go into more details of the figures!! It’s pretty obvious. But the point is, we must do better!! .

Finally!!

Top ten companies!!

1 HSBC Holdings
2 General Electric
3 Bank of America
4 JPMorgan Chase
5 ExxonMobil
6 Royal Dutch Shell
7 BP
8 Toyota Motor
9 ING Group
10Berkshire Hathaway

GCC Business: Trends & Realities

Dubai started the development process in the early 1990’s; the government of Dubai took big steps toward development, and contrary to what the rest of the world think about Arab nations, the government of Dubai was actually thinking and building for the future.

On the other hand Bahrain was busy creating an Offshore and Islamic Banking center; they started working on it on the 1970’s, and despite all the competition from Dubai, Qatar, and Lebanon; Bahrain is still the leader of these 2 business divisions.

But that was the past, what about the future? How can these countries keep the business going? Well, they don’t have to keep it at the same pace, but more mature growth rate. Since they only invested in one thing until now, which is infra structure, the answer to that question is business diversification, less investment in infra structure, more investment in tourism, or light less-polluting industries (Tec Industries), or even creating an education center, a city which all scholars and researchers want to go to, study, live, and work.

I’m not writing this to tell them how to run their business – I’m in no place to give such an advice – they created the business and I’m sure that they know how to run it,
I’m writing because I was navigating through my old saved articles from different sites and I came across this sentence from an article that was published on the Arabian Business site, here is what they said “Business confidence is falling across the GCC with Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates the most pessimistic in the six-nation group” and on another site here is what I found “The Wall Street Journal reports that international "financial analysts are starting to wonder about the amount of debt the city-state is racking up." The article paints a picture of a city with dwindling oil revenues but a limitless appetite for growth. It places Dubai's debt, relative to gross domestic product, at about 42%. That's pretty high compared to Abu Dhabi's debt of 2.9% of GDP”

In my opinion, the growth will continue, maybe in a slower rate but it definitely will, I can only hope that they work as partners and brothers, not as competitors.
What do you think?

In Amman

For the last three and a half years, and since I left Amman to work in Dubai, I've always had a special place in my heart for the city (Amman). I practically grew up there; making most of my meaningful friendships, and having what I still consider the best years of my life.

Loyalty

I've always yearned to Amman. I never accepted the fact that I might spend a big chunk of my life in another country. In my head, it was the final destination, and the place to be.

To me, Amman is a place where I can spend my time with family and friends, enjoy weather, people, places and hours of useless/usefull chats with people I've known for as long as I remember. It was fun, real, honest & most of all HOME.

Having all that saved deep in the ROM of my brain, I occasionally complained about everything I can complain about in Dubai! Melting heat, suffocating humidity, people's lack of loyalty, and the fact that everyone here is a temp! Just like in a bus station, staying for awhile in his/her way to another place. Some of my friends here thought otherwise. They believed that I will soon get used to it, enjoy it, and even stop feeling home sick or even wanting to!

They obviously had their arguments, but for some reason they were not convincing!

In Amman

Last time I was in Amman, I started seeing with new eyes. Things that I never noticed before became irritatingly clear to me! In Amman, everyone has a say in everyone else's business. In Amman, everyone knows better than anybody else (A carpenter knows the right medicine to prescribe more than a doctor, a doctor knows more about cars than a mechanic, & a taxi driver knows more about traffic laws than a police officer). In Amman, 70% of the population is having the worst day of their life on any given day, and are willing to pick a fight with the cat passing by. In Amman, they are all world class brokers, and Oil experts. In Amman, nobody has money!! (Never mind the countless Hummers, Audis, Merc’s, BMW’s, SUV’s you see in the streets) They still don’t have money!... And yea, I almost forgot!! In Amman, taxi drivers are the most impolite people in the world. I think the tourism department (or whatever it’s called) should give them mandatory courses in manners, just as important as their driving license! What a nightmare.

In Amman there are three subjects to discuss, and they are as follows:

Topics of choice:

1. Oil prices.
2. Inflation & rising prices (the price of 1 kg of tomato comes up as a good example).
3. Marriage! Somebody's got to get married between June-August or else there is a crisis.

You can not escape it! You get a sense of déjà vu, and after a while you realize that you could’ve taped your part of the previous conversation you had and just play it while you are sitting with the next person! Perfect fit, don’t bother speaking again.

Maybe it is that bad! What do I know! Either way, I think the society is about to explode! Not necessarily in a violent way. But in 5 years time, the whole community will change! IT IS NOT GOING TO BE PRETTY!!

One thing I wouldn’t miss though, if it miraculously disappears… Tribal Rule that is.