Dubai Landmarks. IE- If you go, these are probably the best things in Dubai to see!
Jumeireh Beach
The beach is so exclusive and the water so hot, you can pick fully cooked lobsters off the ocean’s surface. It literally felt like I had stepped foot into a hut tub, and had to dive down several feet before getting any relief from the heat.
Jumeireh Beach during Ramadan
It is normally way more crowded, I went during Ramadan.
Burj Al Arab
You'll notice the sailboat shape of the Burj, it is the world's first "7 Star Hotel," or so it is advertised as.
The rooms run from "as low" as $1,000, to up to $60,000 a night! And people call me crazy!
The Best Way to get into the Burj?
What you think, you, a "commoner" can just walk straight into the Burj. Hahahah! Don't make me laugh. You need a reservation, which will cost you Monneeeyyyyy just to go see it. If you want to eat something, a non-guest breakfast costs about $65 a person, or afternoon tea for $70.
But, if you want to know the cheapest way to get into the Burj Al Arab, make an appointment for a manicure or hair treatment at the Frank Provost beauty salon inside the Burj. A manicure is only about $20.
Once inside you walk around and witness the beautifully designed hotel.
Burj Al Arab- 7 star hotel
Fountains at the Burj
Burj Al Arab lobby
Bar/ Lounge area inside the Burj
Burj Tall Khalifa- World's Tallest Building
In what is architecture purely for bragging rights and ego, Dubai has constructed the world's tallest building. It's $30 and an advanced reservation if you want to go to the top. Being scared of heights, if I want to ascend to that elevation, I'd rather go a few feet higher and go skydiving!
Sky Dubai
Snowboarding in the desert. Mankind trounces the forces of nature once again, creating a refrigerated ski zone.
Ski Dubai
It is located in Mall of the Emirates, and in a lot of ways, kudos to those who created it, which took guts, no matter whether or not I'd rather be on real slopes.
For those of you who found us via search, please feel free to follow by email/subscribe/ forward links to your friends. Please feel free to check out the following Dubai write up, called Dubai- BIG MONEY, No Soul which has been very well received by readers.
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Part II
We continue our discussion from Life in Dubai Part I <-- see part I here if you missed it)
Ali: Well, look, every place has its good and bad sides. Jerome: For one, as I touched on earlier, there is discrimination. If you're from Asia you'll get a very low salary and you will not be treated nicely, but if you're from Western countries, you're considered superior. Ali: I tend to agree on salary discrimination. Usually Arab countries and decision makers trust Western educated people and their skills/capabilities without even checking their backgrounds. Western people get higher positions and much better salaries due to their proficiency in English , work specialization , and better protection from their Embassies. On the other hand, often many of the Asian workers come with fake degrees, lousy English, and are untrained, so it is largely the corruption and educational system of their country to blame, and not necessarily the system here. Jerome: What about the British? Ali: Well, it’s definitely true that British citizens have the most influence of any of the expats, and are almost always on the board of any high profile corporation. Me: Is that because the Emirates used to be a British protectorate? Ali: That undoubtedly plays a part. Me: Before we move on, Jerome, you stated that people from the Western countries are considered “superior?” In what way? Superior to Asians, superior to Arabs, or both, and why? Jerome: Superior to both. People here see Westerners as more civilized, educated, moral, and fair. Ali: This is mostly true. Most of us desire to work under American or British owned companies as well. Jerome: Let's say for example you and I are applying for the same position. I have a bachelor's degree, and you are only a high school graduate. Employers will choose you over me 100% of the time, just because you're American. And if we’re working at the same company, with the same position, you will get a higher salary, even working fewer hours than me. Ali: This is reality here in the UAE. It’s unfair but true. Some Arabs and Asians think British and Americans do nothing and get high salaries. But also, in partial defense, they do not understand that Europeans work more efficiently, and thus are more productive.
The Dubai Marina
Jerome: I can tell you a few more things. Labor rights for foreign workers are lacking, and the laws in this regard are inconsistent. Ali: I have to disagree here. If a laborer respects local rules and labor laws no one will bother him. If he is sponsored to work without high qualifications in hand, then he should accept the deal offered upfront, of working for two consecutive years with the same employer before being able move on to another opportunity. Me: Two years. That sounds like indentured servitude to me. Jerome: If, as a foreigner, you have signed a contract to work here, it means you are tied to the company for at least two years, often three, because your employer is your sponsor, meaning they provided you your visa. You can't easily shift to another job if you found a better one. If you desire to change companies before your contract expires, you will have a labor ban and be unable to work for six months. If you want the ban lifted, you have to ask for a Non Objection Certificate from your previous employer which is very difficult to get, and even if you’re lucky enough to get them to agree to sign-off, you still have to pay a minimum of 5,000 dirhams ( $1,390). Ali: This is the deal offered upfront, and made to protect local sponsors from being at a financial loss from paying to bring employees here from foreign lands, and then to find them leaving the next day. However, I must state, this does not apply to senior manager positions with bachelor or master degrees. Me: What about work hours? Jerome: Most of the employer's don’t pay workers overtime. More work, less pay. In my case, once a week I'm working twelve hours a day, and fifteen during Ramadan, with no overtime pay. It's because my colleague is taking her day off, and vice versa for her. Ali: C'est la vie, due to high competency rates here, an employer can easily find people to replace you, so if you start asking or nagging for overtime the day after you start, you could be fired easily. Working in any oil rich/wealthy country, people need to show great levels of sacrifice and extra effort to keep their job. However, this does not always apply to Westerners as sponsors usually count to ten before firing them as the worker is likely to go to court to demand all contractual compensations. Me: I wish Tea Party members in the U.S. who think it’s best that corporations have completely free reign, and should the supply and demand of the free market dictate it permissible for companies to publicly flog their employees with a slave whip, that the S+P 500 should be allowed their "constitutional right" to exercise their triceps in such a manner, would read this balanced argument and perspective on labor laws ... But, let me be fair to the the Tea Party who believe NO regulations are the only good regulations, companies should only be allowed should to do so IF employment opportunities in the free market are so scarce, that people would allow themselves to be subjected to floggings because they need to feed their families. After all, the wheels of capitalism mustalways be left to spin to their own devices. A beat. Ali: And I thought Jerome went on rants. Jerome: Oh, don't get started! Most employers here abuse their workers, My Lebanese boss is always shouting at me, calling me a fool, and I find it hurtful.The owners of the company I work for have every desire for us to cheat customers to remain profitable. You’ve seen yourself firsthand Richard, the outrageous prices we charge. There's nothing special about the items, and sometimes we are knowingly selling damaged goods at margins of 500%. I told you before our products sell well. that was a lie. Why did I tell you that? Because there is a live video feed in my store, and I was afraid my boss might overhear.
Dubai's 7 star hotel- from a distance
Me: And what is it like to live in the city? Living conditions? Jerome: Very congested accommodations due to high rent. Ali: This applies only to low income workers, anyone making below 4,000 AED a month. ($1,100)
Jumeirah Mosque
Me: What is the police force like? Are the Emirati? Jerome: No, like any low to medium level job, they are performed by expats. Because police provide security, the royal family chooses to employ people closer to their blood lines, generally Arabs from Yemen and Oman. Most of the policemen speak no English, which makes it really tough for Asians like me here. Ali: I have to step in, I believe Jerome's statement is inaccurate, perhaps not good English, but in general they speak some. Me: Are the police fair and protective of everyone? Jerome: Fair? Ha! Please. Ali: Again, I'm a tad annoyed, I think what Jerome is saying is inaccurate. Police in the UAE respect all nationalities and treat everyone equally. Jerome: Really? Ali: Absolutely. Jerome: Care to eat your words? Watch this. The three of us huddle around Jerome's IPhone watching the following Youtube clip.
Before you watch, know that is not for the squeamish. What you see here is a brother of the Crown Prince torturing and attempting to Kill an Afghan grain trader
Scary torture shown on ABC News of the Crown Prince's brother torturing an Afghan. THIS STUFF IS DISGUSTING be careful watching!!! Not for the squeamish!
Me: This is not something discussed in the UAE is it? Jerome: Actually, it made the front page, it was disgusting, just swept under the rug, his defense attorney said he was drugged, and therefore not responsible for his actions. Despite that, look at us, we're clandestine, we both gave you this interview on anonymous basis, there's no real freedom of speech here. Me: Hey, who are those guys looking at us. We look over at what are likely plain clothed security officers. Or thugs, maybe the same ... Ali: I thank you for your time, but if you'll excuse me, I must be going. Me: I have plane to catch to SE Asia. Gentlemen. And with a nod and a handshake we all walk briskly away.
Closing thoughts on the UAE
First of all, the more I travel, the more grateful I am to have been born in America, and for the foresight of our forefathers and founders of our nation who created the First Amendment, something most US Citizens can thankfully take for granted growing up.
When I see places like the UAE which look progressive, and actually are compared to much of the world, and then discover the fact that law enforcement was involved in the torture and attempted murder depicted in the above video, and that they got off, and the people who leaked the tape, and also shot it it, were the ones convicted, in absentia, and the royal family just sweeps this horrific act under the rug because it was some utterly sick member of the ruling family who was the perpetrator, I am doubly grateful to live in a country with the ability to bring this to light, where no one, except maybe OJ Simpson, could get away with this heinous crime with direct video evidence against them.
I also thank God for the Internet, and for Google and Youtube, where such a clip is stored and can be explored as more than just a 5 minute segment on ABC News, and discussed once at the dinner table.
I think it's safe to say, I have little interest in going back to Dubai.
I want to give you guys a flavor if what life is like for the largely imported work force in the UAE. Our cast for this episode consists of: Jerome- a Bangladeshi working in one of Dubai’s malls Ali- An Iraqi venture capitalist now living in Dubai and the UAE. Me: Swashbuckling explorer extraordinaire who spends most of his time in front of his computer writing of late it seems. Now onto the show …
Me: Gentlemen, thank you for joining me. Ali: It is my pleasure. Jerome: Mine as well, though I do have one request before we begin. Me: Fire away. Jerome: I would prefer you not mention my real name if you are going to record this for security reasons. There is still a lot of speculation as to what happened to three local bloggers who wrote some articles regarding the U.A.E. and its sheikhs. As temporary workers/ guests in Dubai, it is considered "wise" to respect the host country, or at minimum, not criticize. Me: You got it 'Jerome.' You too 'Ali.'
Heads nod around the table, we all sip some tea.
Me: Okay, you guys are both living and working in this foreign land for a reason, Dubai must have some draw for you, let’s start with that. Jerome: Well, the number one reason most people come to Dubai are the superior work opportunities and salaries offered here compared to Bangladesh. Ali: The money attracts many highly-skilled workers, and thus there’s far more professionalism than I would find back in Iraq. I also often discover myself learning a great deal from living and working in a multi-cultural arena, everything from languages, to customs, to outlook on life. Me: How much more do you earn in Dubai as compared to what you might if you had stayed home?
Jerome: I earn four times as much here. $900 a month versus like $230. Ali: Richard, they don’t even know what venture capitalists are back in Baghdad. The concentration of money in the UAE and the stability, which as you know is very much lacking in Iraq today, allows the money to be invested in companies with new and novel products. A job such as mine is unavailable back home. Jerome: Dubai is also a super safe place to live, with very very low crime rates. Ali: The country is one of the safest in the world, any major theft or criminal incident is almost certainly tied to and carried out by the Russian mafia, or those from former Soviet states. Me: I’ve been to Russia. That country accounts for about 70% of the world’s unhappiness. Good luck finding a smile in Moscow … So, continuing, why do you think there’s so little crime here, and why would anyone let a Russian into their country to begin with? Jerome: Crime rates are so low in part because no one need steal. There are enough jobs and money to go around. Also, most of the population consists of expats and laws here are fairly rigid, and austerely enforced. Me: How does it compare to the Bangladesh? Jerome: There's a higher crime rate in the Bangladesh due to lack of employment, government corruption, and laws that are neither strictly, nor uniformly enforced. For example, if you're a son of a government official or influential person, and you commit a crime, and even with direct evidence against you, you will not be prosecuted easily. People with any influence just aren’t afraid of the law. Take me for example. My Bangladeshi driver’s license expired five years ago, but I still can drive all around in my hometown without any fear because if the police catch me, I will just contact some of our family connections and that's it. *Poof,* all problems disappear. That's how things work in Bangladesh. I couldn’t get away with that in the UAE. Me: What else makes Dubai a good place to live? Jerome: There are a lot of cool and unique places here, generally built to attract tourists, which also gives locals more options and things to do. Ali: Public transportation here is very convenient. Jerome: Yes it is. Hold on, let me get my Android phone, I want to show you a picture. Check this out!
The Sheikh of Dubai riding public transport alone
Jerome (cont): That's the Sheikh of Dubai, riding alone. Multi-trillionaire ruler. Told you Dubai was safe! Me: Wow! Cool shot. Maybe it's a PR stunt. That's not everyday is it? Jerome: No, definitely not everyday. A lot of times it can be challenging to ride, because it stinks inside; a lot of body odor and poor hygiene.
Ali looks over Jerome a little surprised.
Ali: You’re in a pool of Pakistani, Indians, Filipinos, and Bangladeshi, what do you expect? Jerome: Shut-up. Me: Especially the Bangladeshis right? So, just how much discrimination goes on in Dubai? Jerome: A lot, especially when hailing a taxi. When taxi drivers are choosing their customer, Bangladeshis rank at the bottom of who they want to pick-up since few us can afford to tip. Me: If that’s as bad as it gets, that’s pretty good. Jerome: That’s just a symptom of the underlying racism that exists. In restaurants, we are often treated as second class compared to other nationalities. One afternoon when I was walking down the street, and out of the window of a passing school bus flies a piece of wood which hit my feet and the boys are laughing and one shouting, "Go back to your country!" Ali: Racism is expressed more easily by the young, it exists, but isn't as blatant among adults. Jerome : Really, like the giant signs that were hanging on apartments a couple years ago that read, “NO ASIANS?” A beat. Ali doesn’t reply. Jerome: Another incident, at a bus stop, as I'm waiting with some passengers a school bus passes again loaded with noisy students, and one of the students spit on the face of the man beside me, while another threw an empty water bottle which hit him right in the forehead. Another one is in the basketball court, as we are playing, two local teens riding a motorcycle came onto the court and kept repeatedly coming through, knowing we were trying to play. Ali drops his head, shaking it slightly. Ali: It is unfortunate hear of such incidents, and though they do exist, they are limited. Me: Okay guys, we got off track for a second. What else is good about Dubai? Jerome: Well, in line with what Ali said earlier, you meet a lot of different nationalities. I also find myself learning a lot from them. Ali: Dubai is a cosmopolitan city with more than 150 nationalities living and working in it. Jerome: And although it’s a Muslim country, there are clubs and bars to hang-out every night except during Ramadan. Ali: Not in all the emirates, but in Dubai and Abu Dhabi this is certainly true. Also, all emirates ban alcohol in Ramadan to respect Muslim’s feelings. Me: Wow, money, the beach, a certain progressiveness in what is generally a conservative Middle Eastern culture, this seems like a pretty good place to live. Ali: Well, look, every place has its good and bad sides.
The Emirates Past
The year 1958-- Dubai- A sleepy pearl diving and gold trading outpost. Abu Dhabi- 46,000 residents, four doctors, and five schools. The rich people lived in mud houses; poorer families built with reeds.
That’s the year oil was discovered in this former British protectorate.
United Arab Emirates- Present Day
The seven formerly disparate emirates have joined forces to a create the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a nation size of the state of Maine, each emirate with its with own land and mineral rights, specifically regarding oil.
Abu Dhabi-
The capital of the UAE, it sits atop a vast amount of oil. How much? 10% of the world’s known supply (and nearly 90% of the nation’s reserves.) It’s the richest city on earth, in fact, there’s not even a close second. In 2007, the emirate's 420,000 citizens, had $1 trillion invested abroad, and were estimated to be worth $17 million apiece, the price of oil having only increased since.
To think myself lucky to have been born an American.
Dubai-
Also graced with oil, though its reserves are estimated to be exhausted in twenty years. The emirate’s forward thinking rulers have used the initial capital betrothed to them by the dinosaurs, likely in a deal made with the devil, to turn their city into the business capital of the Middle East. Everything from the gold trade, to money laundering, to shipping, and the region’s dominant airline have expanded their base of wealth.
Dubai's giant, architecturally intriguing skyscrapers, often spaced at great distances to one another, seem as incongruous amidst the desert landscape as the green palms that line their exteriors. Dubai reminds me of Las Vegas, a city sprung up in the middle of nowhere, artificially built from massive infusions of money.
Dubai skyscraper- nothing near it
Walking around on this blistering summer day during Ramadan, you’re as likely to spot a female as win the lottery. Almost everyone on the streets is of Indian descent, the work force imported to serve the ruling class, the wealthy Emiratis, who comprise less than 20% of the emirate’s population.
Dubai’s like a game of Monopoly, money the only goal. While the Emiratis are born into Park Place and Boardwalk, and its ultra-luxury seven star hotels, the unskilled labor force of Pakistani, Indians, and Filipinos scramble to pay the rent on Baltic Ave., and are grateful for the opportunity to do so. Even in low level positions, workers earn four times the amount in Dubai as they would in their homelands. Of course, living here comes with much higher expenses, and many cram together into apartments on Baltic and Mediterranean to save on rent.
The work force, aside of the prostitutes here from Eastern Europe and Africa, is almost entirely comprised of men. In fact, in what is nearly an unbelievable but true statistic, 74% of Dubai's overall population is male. Women, thus, are in great demand, and prostitution, while technically illegal in this conservative Kingdom, is rarely, if ever, prosecuted simply because the men would revolt. The emirs enjoy their lives.
The Mall of Dubai
Dubai is by far the cleanest Middle Eastern city I have seen, and its public transportation system cheap, modern, and punctual. And thank God for public transport, otherwise I’d have to splurge on a 40 minute cab, passing through largely un-tillable land to reach the Dubai Mall, one of the few places there’s anything at all to do during the day.
The Dubai Mall is a magnificent and gigantic building, the interior spotlessly clean, amazingly decorated, and the displays of goods so beautifully and artistically arranged, the Japanese who so highly value presentation, are left to a distant silver medal.
It shouldn’t then surprise you that the stores in the Dubai Mall have prices ranging everywhere from truly exorbitant, to beyond ludicrous. $100 for a kilogram of chocolate, $4,500 for a bust of Dubai’s Sheik, and $15,000 for an odd looking lamp.
You can’t purchase any food until sundown, Ramadan strictly followed. Everyone but me has stayed inside to beat the heat, I seem to be the only customer in this billion dollar shopping center, but I’m not a good consumer, I don’t even find the chocolate tempting.
Inside a ritzy Chocolate store, check out what "normal price" means
Customers and Oil Money
So who does spend money here? The uber-rich, generally Saudis and locals connected in some way with the royal family.
About three weeks ago I am told the traffic into one of the stores started to dry up as the price of oil sank. “We are heavily dependent on the Sheiks and royalty of the Arab World,” the storekeeper tells me. I wonder whether it being Ramadan has also contributed to the lack of business.
“No,” comes the response, “Even at night we have fewer customers than before.”
When the sun sets, the mall begins to fill, people crowding into the food court to receive their first meal since sunrise, then meandering over to the state of the art cineplex to see the latest Hollywood blockbuster .
Outside, I finally see some actual Emiratis dressed in their traditional floor length, and for them, nearly ubiquitous white tunics.
Stone cold white tunics in the desert (Dubai Mall)
Everyone awaits the fountain show, the idea and technology originating unsurprisingly in Las Vegas, at the Bellagio.
The Dubai Fountains-- cool show
As I return to my hotel on Baltic Ave., and hear the buzz of the South Asians swarming around me, male honey bee drones with no queen in sight, I can't shake the feeling that Dubai seems more like a mirage in the desert, the bees attracted here solely by the flower known to science as "cash."
Everything about the city just seems unnatural and out of balance, from the ludicrously priced goods, to the overly masculine energy that pervades the city from such an unholy imbalance of men to women.
I'm not saying when the oil runs out, Dubai will disappear back into the sand, the buildings are too well constructed.
Until then I wish the Emiratis luck in setting out their flowers and harvesting their honey. It certainly is a sweet life. Maybe one day they'll have enough money to buy their city back its soul.
Searing heat of 110 degrees (44 C), coupled with the syrupy like stickiness of 100% humidity makes the city a virtual steam room, and walking around it next to impossible. The signs read- “Welcome to Dubai.”
Welcome to what?
All restaurants are closed during the day, and as it is Ramadan, if you are seen drinking or eating in public you can be arrested. I literally hide in an alley, pressed up against a wall, my back to the street, uncapping a bottle of water and taking a swig to replenish my body’s fluids which are dripping all over the pavement.
To replace my electrolytes, I very carefully reach into my pocket, remove a couple salty cashews inside a tight fist, and without exposing them to air or sight, place them in my mouth, chewing slowly, as I furtively glance around to see who might be spying on me. “Pssst, buddy, want some cashews? How about some water?” I feel like a criminal.
There are literally one hundred men per woman walking around, it takes me two hours of searching the streets before I spot my first female. I feel proud at the sighting, like a tracker for National Geographic having spotted an endangered species in a foreboding land.
Of the men, 80% are of SE Asian descent. In confusion I ask someone if I’ve landed in India.
cool architecture in Dubai
The Souqs
The word, Souq” refers to a marketplace, in Dubai generally a geographical collection of stores, selling nearly identical products/ type of commodity. The competition obviously, is intense.
To escape the heat, I dive inside a shop in the Spice Souq run by a couple Iranians. The interior is meticulously arranged, and neatly labeled transparent drawers contain every spice I could name, as well many I had no idea existed, everything from saffron, which costs $1,000 a pound (no joke), to peppers, cassia, and cinnamon.
Like most shop keepers in Arabia, they greet me with cheer, and invite me to sample some of their wares (not saffron though.) I speak with them for upwards of an hour, guiltily sipping my water as they look on jealously. (I did ask permission)
Like many, they've chosen to set-up shop in Dubai because the economic prospects here are far superior to their homelands. There is money in Dubai- oil money; that draws people from all over the world. They inquire whether there are spice stores like this in America.
“Not like here,” I remark, imagining the interior of Walmart as I glance around comparatively and notice the prominently displayed photographs of Iranian Revolutionary Figures.
“What do Iranians think of Americans?”
“We like them,” states my new friend, perhaps trying to cajole a purchase out of me.
Unlike the majority of Persians I’ve met abroad, who don’t like any part of their government, they are actually big fans of the Ayatollah, though they don’t like their reactionary and holocaust denying President, Ahmadinejad. All told, they’d love to visit America, and dream of the freedoms and opportunity it offers.
The Dubai skyline
Gold Strike
Machine gun toting security guards stand at attention in every store, thwarting any dreams I had of robbery. The Gold Souq is a glittering plethora of yellow shiny metal, Arabs and Indians alike working behind the counters, hoping to earn a nice commission from selling a pretty piece of jewelry. The attractiveness of the lustrous gold, even for someone who cares little for such things as myself, is undeniable.
The world’s biggest ring, containing nearly 64 kg of gold, sits on display in a protected chamber. It’s too big to fit around an elephant, and the reason for this utterly useless creation lies beside it- a Guiness Book of World Records Certificate. Does it really make you feel that much more important? (also I suppose it helps draw people like me into the store)
The world's largest gold ring
I enter, and speak with a minority owner of one of the shops, a Yemeni named Ali. His English is poor, but he tries his best. We discuss gold, and its rapid ascent in price. Considering most of his net worth sits in front of him, he does his best to convince me that the metal will continue to rise, and would make an excellent investment, and I should hold onto it and sell under no circumstances, but if I'd like to purchase some of his gold, he'd be happy to part with it.
“What would happen if it went up to $4,000 an ounce,” I ask him?
“Then I would sell all the gold I own, even at a discount, and retire,” he replies, his eyes glassy at prospect.
Night Falls Ramadan, coupled with the day's oppressive heat, makes Dubai feel and look like a ghost town. When the sun finally sets, and the restaurants, mostly Indian- catering to Dubai’s majority population and imported workforce, open, the establishments are quickly flooded and the day's fast and silence, broken.
I ask what there is to do this evening, and discover that all night clubs and bars are shut down by law for the duration of Ramadan. I'm a little disappointed but I guess it's okay; I’m exhausted from spending the afternoon walking around the steam room anyways.
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