Many Americans became interested in Dubai earlier this year when George W. Bush declared it prudent to sell control of several East Coast ports to Dubai PortsWorld. The U.S. was told not to worry about national security - that it wasn’t a concern. Enough uproar was raised that the deal was eventually delayed and then denied, but it made me wonder, what’s up with Dubai?
I learned a lot by reading an exceptional article by Nick Tosches in this month’s issue of Vanity Fair. Tosches spent a lot of time there doing research, and he wrote about his firsthand experiences and his unprecedented access to Dubai’s leaders. He conducted several in-depth interviews, much of which remains off the record.
Dubai is a small nation that is part of the United Arab Emirates. It’s currently ruled by a Sheik who was educated in the West (Oxford), along with several of his top aides. Dubai gave up the government-sanctioned practice of slavery in the 1960s; however, forms of slavery and indentured servitude still exist, to which the government turns a blind eye and deaf ear.
In recent years, due to its visionary leader, Dubai has grown at an unprecedented rate, and it is rapidly becoming a playground for the world’s most rich and famous. Commerce abounds due to underground oil wealth and tax-free laws, and many corporations around the world have moved their offices to this tiny, desert nation.
Dubai boasts man-made private islands, the world’s first (and only) seven-star hotel, and larger-than-life shopping malls. Reading the rose-colored description of the growth, planning and organization of Dubai portrayed in their government-run web sites reminds me of the Utopian world created in Edward Bellamy’s Looking Backward, about which I previously posted.
But Dubai, from what I can tell, is not Utopia – in fact, it’s far from it. If you have the money (rooms in the Burj Al Arab, the seven-star hotel mentioned above, start around $750/night) and the desire, you can take a unique, luxury vacation to Dubai. But, with the addition of Starbucks Coffee and Pizza Hut to the main drags of Dubai City, it’s getting more generic by the minute, and it has its share of controversy.
Web sites advertise the white sand beaches on the Persian Gulf, beautiful pools at beautiful hotels, and historic archaeological sites, but the web sites themselves are full of emptiness. The official web site for Dubai Internet City, just a small piece of the overall Dubai City growth project, includes links to search for available jobs in the city. However, when you click the links, there are no job listings.
Overall, when looking at the web sites for the various Dubai locales (including Dubai Internet City, Knowledge Village and Media City, among others), I feel like I’m reading about Epcot Center or the next Stepford. Everything looks futuristic, perfectly planned and perfectly executed, but it makes me uneasy.
The workforce building Dubai’s “world of tomorrow” are called “guest workers” by the Dubai government, and are brought in from other countries to work for wages that do not cover the cost of basic necessities. In a loop reminiscent of American coal mining communities in the 1950s, workers must live in government-provided housing in order to work, but they still have to pay for it. The price for housing is higher than their paychecks, so they begin to build debt, with food, clothing and other essentials building the debt even higher. In work in Dubai, these people sign up for years of hard labor and going into debt keeps them there even longer.
Additionally, the web sites I’ve seen proclaim camel racing as a Dubai attraction that can’t be missed. Pictures of camels walking around a track in ceremonial blankets abound. What you don’t see are pictures from actual races – this is because most camel jockeys are young children, purchased in other countries, and forced to partake in this dangerous sport. Children are often killed during races – many others are kept in government-sanctioned servitude for their entire childhoods, until they become too heavy to race.
Finally, although it claims to be a playground for the entire world, Islamic Extremist roots are still apparent. No one possessing an Israeli passport will be admitted into the country. Additionally, monies used during the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States were filtered through Dubai banks and businesses.
I won’t be headed to Dubai anytime soon. First off, I can’t afford it, but even if I could, I wouldn’t go. While I’m sure it’s lovely, I’m still too leery of the things you can’t read about on their official web sites or in travel brochures to set food on their beautiful, white sand beaches.
I learned a lot by reading an exceptional article by Nick Tosches in this month’s issue of Vanity Fair. Tosches spent a lot of time there doing research, and he wrote about his firsthand experiences and his unprecedented access to Dubai’s leaders. He conducted several in-depth interviews, much of which remains off the record.
Dubai is a small nation that is part of the United Arab Emirates. It’s currently ruled by a Sheik who was educated in the West (Oxford), along with several of his top aides. Dubai gave up the government-sanctioned practice of slavery in the 1960s; however, forms of slavery and indentured servitude still exist, to which the government turns a blind eye and deaf ear.
In recent years, due to its visionary leader, Dubai has grown at an unprecedented rate, and it is rapidly becoming a playground for the world’s most rich and famous. Commerce abounds due to underground oil wealth and tax-free laws, and many corporations around the world have moved their offices to this tiny, desert nation.
Dubai boasts man-made private islands, the world’s first (and only) seven-star hotel, and larger-than-life shopping malls. Reading the rose-colored description of the growth, planning and organization of Dubai portrayed in their government-run web sites reminds me of the Utopian world created in Edward Bellamy’s Looking Backward, about which I previously posted.
But Dubai, from what I can tell, is not Utopia – in fact, it’s far from it. If you have the money (rooms in the Burj Al Arab, the seven-star hotel mentioned above, start around $750/night) and the desire, you can take a unique, luxury vacation to Dubai. But, with the addition of Starbucks Coffee and Pizza Hut to the main drags of Dubai City, it’s getting more generic by the minute, and it has its share of controversy.
Web sites advertise the white sand beaches on the Persian Gulf, beautiful pools at beautiful hotels, and historic archaeological sites, but the web sites themselves are full of emptiness. The official web site for Dubai Internet City, just a small piece of the overall Dubai City growth project, includes links to search for available jobs in the city. However, when you click the links, there are no job listings.
Overall, when looking at the web sites for the various Dubai locales (including Dubai Internet City, Knowledge Village and Media City, among others), I feel like I’m reading about Epcot Center or the next Stepford. Everything looks futuristic, perfectly planned and perfectly executed, but it makes me uneasy.
The workforce building Dubai’s “world of tomorrow” are called “guest workers” by the Dubai government, and are brought in from other countries to work for wages that do not cover the cost of basic necessities. In a loop reminiscent of American coal mining communities in the 1950s, workers must live in government-provided housing in order to work, but they still have to pay for it. The price for housing is higher than their paychecks, so they begin to build debt, with food, clothing and other essentials building the debt even higher. In work in Dubai, these people sign up for years of hard labor and going into debt keeps them there even longer.
Additionally, the web sites I’ve seen proclaim camel racing as a Dubai attraction that can’t be missed. Pictures of camels walking around a track in ceremonial blankets abound. What you don’t see are pictures from actual races – this is because most camel jockeys are young children, purchased in other countries, and forced to partake in this dangerous sport. Children are often killed during races – many others are kept in government-sanctioned servitude for their entire childhoods, until they become too heavy to race.
Finally, although it claims to be a playground for the entire world, Islamic Extremist roots are still apparent. No one possessing an Israeli passport will be admitted into the country. Additionally, monies used during the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States were filtered through Dubai banks and businesses.
I won’t be headed to Dubai anytime soon. First off, I can’t afford it, but even if I could, I wouldn’t go. While I’m sure it’s lovely, I’m still too leery of the things you can’t read about on their official web sites or in travel brochures to set food on their beautiful, white sand beaches.
