It is just quite strange that the people criticizing Dubai are people who have never been there, or has only been there on a small holiday.
There are 140 nationalities living in Dubai side by side in peace with each other, and all religions are represented, can you name one more country in the world that can boast this?
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These silly articles, from the crumbling financial capitols of London and New York, by writers who get their information third hand from "travel journalists" who never leave their resorts, really are quite funny. Rather like saying that someone else's tree is dying because a hastily hung birdhouse fell out of it, all the while sitting on one's own withered stump!
Dubai's plans are for more than just a year, or two or three, but far into the future, well beyond the Western-created financial crisis. And they are better positioned than almost any other city to see them through.
The best thing about Dubai is that there is a very vibrant long standing multi-culture here; those shiny buildings and resorts that most Westerners put stock in are just recent decorations, and not at all the core of the society. It's the Westerners, particularly the shallow 'journalists' that can't see beyond those.
Real life in Dubai is very pleasant and laid back, and full of wonderful, gracious people. Before saying anything about Dubai, one should come get to know it for real, and get to know it as a whole; not by the glitzy releases from real estate promoters.
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Simon Jenkins seems to be a disgruntled, old journalist who is jealous of the advances countries like UAE and India are making.
Obviously he cannot digest the fact that the sun set long time ago on the British Empire and now even modern day economies of America and Europe have gone bust.
I am an Indian living in Dubai for the last 18 years. There is very little truth in the article that Jenkins has published. Yes, there is a downturn here but nothing compared to what the western world is going through.
Dubai is a model city and will bounce back. It will rise to new heights dwarfing jaundice-eyed journalists like Jenkins who are still living in an archaic era of false pride and glory.
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This article and so many of the posts appear to have been written by people with little or no real knowledge of the region. This gem from the article illustrates the point.
"Rivals such as Dohar, Abu Dhabi and Bahrain - especially as they are now bailing out Dubai "
Bahrain is one of the GCC's poorest countries and is a net recipient of GCC subsidies.
There is no such place as Dohar. You have Qatar, whose capital is Doha.
and this...
"This off-the-shelf city state has been built on laundering the profits of oil, drugs, arms and western aid"
The author might like to itemise the western aid that has been provided to the UAE in recent years, trying to understand the difference between aid and trade and investment. For the record, the relationship is the other way. Brown was recently touring the region with his begging bowl for cash to bail out the catastrophic fiscal position he has visited upon the UK.
There's plenty not to like about Dubai (the architecture is one), but a proper analysis requires a bit more familiarity with the facts than is evident on this thread.
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This is simply not good enough. It is making a laughing stock out of The Guardian and plays directly into the hands of the people who argue that a free press on the British model is a bad thing.
Woeful, inaccurate, filled with loopy assertions and untruths . Badly researched and executed.
Last time you gave us a bus tour. This time we've got the view from an onverflying plane. What next? Some bloke writing about a picture postcard he was looking at whilst taking a dump in Camden?
Dubai takes British aid? As many publicists as it has towers? Is SImon Jenkins truly such a fool?
"...visitors to the Middle East see half-built, mostly abandoned concrete housing blocks and barracks littering the landscape of Syria and Jordan,"
What on EARTH is the man talking about? Has he ever BEEN to Syria or Jordan? When? 15 years ago?
"Every time the builder of the tallest tower in the world, the monster of Burj Dubai, sees the local ruler, Sheikh Mohammed Al-Maktoum, he is told to add more storeys for fear someone else may build an even taller one."
What? Who on earth told you that, fool? It's idle tittle-tattle, isn't it? Because anyone who lives here will tell you that the tower is finished. The last floor is done. The antenna's on it, already. And has been for months.
"This was truly a city designed from start to finish by autocrats and architects."
No it wasn't. Simply not true - except that, as in any city, architects tend to design buildings. But the vast majority of Dubai's buildings are not architectural marvels, they're slightly old fashioned poured concrete jobs.
"based on the grids and set squares of super-planners"
Nope again. One of the the city's great issues is the lack of super-planning.
I'd go on, but I'm bored. Virtually every statement in this mean-spirited little piece is questionable, unfounded, plain wrong or purely untrue.
Why do you continue allow this rubbish to lead your newspaper's coverage on the UAE?
Oh, Dubai is no utopia. But it deserves a better, fairer, hearing than this idiocy.
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Building stuff that's big and cool to look at - those *******s!
I live in Dubai, and for all it's faults, the quality of life is about a million times better than the UK:
it's sunny all the time
you can go to the beach whenever
you can wander into luxurious 5* hotels for cocktails
you know where you stand with the government
you can escape it all in minutes and camp under the stars in the desert
there is amazing food to be had
the souks are fantastic for pottering around
you can have a suit tailor made for the cost of an off the peg at Zara
it feels safe wherever you are
there are genuine attempts to bring art and culture from overseas here
the list goes on - move to Dubai, that's what I say. What new country hasn't tried to make a mark on the world eh? Dubai hasn't invaded anyone to get noticed has it?
Sometimes the UK needs to stop being such a hypocritical, revisionist, stuck up git
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Yet another ranting, hysterical article proclaiming the demise of Dubai, is there no end to this? Of course Dubai is suffering, like many other countries in the world, thats what a global downturn does. Many of the "gold-digging" ex-pats that you refer to do not actually want to leave when they lose their jobs - but their visas are tied to their jobs, so they dont have a choice. I agree with Jonat, I would much rather be here right now than back in the UK or Ireland - countries that are also suffering I believe from excess in the credit markets over the past few years. Its also perhaps worth remembering that England was built on the back of poor immigrant labour (mainly) from Ireland (pre-celtic tiger natch). I`m not saying that somehow makes it right, absolutely not, but lets not forget our own recent past before lecturing other countries.
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Dubai, for all it's faults, has given many people a decent living in this part of the world - myself included. (and I mean just a regular life, not some hedonistic spend-fest).
We're not blind to the injustices here, just as we weren't blind to the injustices in our home countries, and the UK has many, let's not forget. Is it so distasteful to you, Simon, that a place in this part of the world found itself with an excess of wealth and tried to do something with it? Better that they kept their heads below the parapet, eh, and stopped bothering your high-minded sensibilities with their audacity.
Dubai remains a peaceful place that offers the prospect of a positive future for many people from all over the world. Surely, in this region in particular, it would be a shame to see that laid to waste?
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i hope the editors of the Guardian are reading these responses. This article serves only to undermine the credibility of your newspaper. you really need to ensure some quality control before articles go to press.
i'd also add when reading the innacuracies in the article, one almost forgets the dire situation the UK is in currently, caught in the grips of recession, more so than most economies, a failing currency, dangerously high government dept and rising unemployment levels.
As for you Simon Jenkins, your journalistic 'contributions' are better suited to newspapers such as the Sun, the Mirror or the Sport...i'm just surprised the Guardian pays you for this rubbish...