We have just returned from a weeks worth of holiday in Dubai. It was a wonderful trip.
Why Dubai?
This trip satisfied numerous curiosities that I have had about the area and we were just looking for a real vacation. It is hard to be an ex-pat anywhere in the world and not hear about the opportunities there. Ex-pats talk and when they talk, often Dubai comes up. I had to go to get a sense of what is going on there to satisfy my own curiosity as to if that is the next logical step for us. Not to mention the beaches are clean, the water is clear and the hotels are beautiful.
As far as Arab countries go, this one is somewhat tilted to the West. The locals tell of the reasons why Dubai has become so popular. Our scuba instructor (from South Africa) took some time to tell us what he knew. The government estimates that it has about 10 years worth of oil reserves left before it runs out. Despite that not being their largest export, they want to diversify the income stream and they have decided with an abundance of other natural resources like clean beaches that tourism is as good a choice as any. The benefits for them are compelling. If they can become a regional hub for finance, commerce and for tourism, they can divorce themselves from the issues currently facing the oil industry- limited supply, high demand and very limited refinement capacity, not to mention war, if there is to be any.
It is estimated that a third of the world’s construction cranes are in Dubai. I can’t say for sure but I can attest to the fact that it is pretty darn close. When we landed in Dubai, there are a few things that we noticed right away- there is a huge amount of infrastructure investment for such a small country. The airport is impressive. In the early hours that we landed I counted close to 100 Emirates planes in various stages of fuelling and boarding. Think of that- one airline with that many planes in one place was just staggering. The airport is a modern facility that can handle tens of thousands of passengers a day.
The short ride to the hotel confirmed the rumour on the cranes. It is hard to look into the horizon and not see one. In fact it is hard to look into the distances and not see 20 of them. Some sites have multiple cranes and that is impressive in its own right. Being from a construction background, I can understand their value.
Customer Service
Another thing that impressed me is the fact that everyone you meet is on message. They all have the same message. They want to be known as the premier location in the world for business, shopping, and leisure. The real estate there, like other things is just booming. Our mini bus driver was so happy to see us he could not contain himself. He was our first encounter with a local person that did his best to impress upon us a few things. Dubai is a very safe country. There is very little visible crime. It is a clean country and there are many people working hard to keep it what way. It is also a Muslim country which means that discretion must be exercised in your dress and when drinking alcohol. But he also stressed that all people should feel welcome there. I was weary at first. How welcome would I feel there? I was an American after all and the politics of the region did not lend itself to welcoming us with open arms. To boot, I am also a Jew. How would that go over? I am pleased to say there were no issues. We employed our don’t ask, don’t tell policy and that seemed to work OK. Lastly, we have scheduled our Israel trip to be after our Dubai trip as we have come to know that Israeli passport stamps do not bode well at Dubai immigration desks. Fact or fiction? Don’t know, don’t care to know.
Our bus driver quickly ran out of superlatives- and we could see why. Everything in Dubai is being done in a grandiose way. It has the world’s only seven star resort (The Burj Al-Arab). We stayed ‘across the street’ so to stay in a five star resort connected to the Burj called the Jumeirah Beach Hotel. Only five star… we were so deprived…
The country will soon be home to the world’s tallest building. The actual height of which will be a closely guarded secret until it is actually done to prevent anyone thinking of out doing them. That building will have the world’s largest shopping mall at its base with several thousand stores.
The Burj Al-Arab
A few words about the hotel. It is hard for me to find the superlatives to describe it. It is incredible. It is on a man made island that was reclaimed from the ocean. It is in the shape of a large sail. I recall reading in a magazine that it is so opulent and cost so much to build that if it had 100% occupancy every day, it would not turn a profit for 500 years. Fact or fiction, I am not sure, but wow- the place is amazing.
The Conclusion
The trip was very good and relaxing. I think the girls enjoyed themselves as well. As far as working there- I am not sure I can get acclimated to 50 degrees centigrade in the summer months. Regardless, until Jews can feel fully comfortable there, I won’t be able to live there.
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