The most famous city in the Gulf and the social cost of assimilating in Dubai
Living in a Muslim country for almost two months gave me wide eyes and confused looks upon arrival in Dubai. The ham served at breakfast, the miniskirts on the metro, and the alcohol available at nightclubs highlighted a growing city that has resolved to let progress defeat culture. From the skyscrapers that dominate the downtown area of the city to the swanky hotels that line the beachfront in the resort district, there is an air of manufactured class that exists in Dubai. Showcased in the elaborate architecture of the buildings, and the Jumeriah Souq restaurants that provide a menu and an atmosphere that mimics restaurants found in New York and London, there is a clear attempt to create a larger-than-life western experience for the tourists. However, there is a lack of realism in the city, a minimal amount of activities to encourage visitors to experience true Emirati culture (and a lack of Emiratis to aid in that process). Accounting for a mere 18% of the city’s population, a real Emirati is a rarity in Dubai—the world famous city of the United Arab Emirates! Where did they go?
Before Dubai became a booming metropolis, before it boasted utilizing 25% of the world’s constructions cranes (which mostly sit stationary now), before construction of the world’s only seven star hotel, and well before the Burj Dubai ever made records as the tallest building in history, Dubai was a sleepy fishing village with almost no oil. Riding on the back of Abu Dhabi’s oil wealth, Dubai blossomed into a developing city, in which companies came to build buildings on top of an insufficient sewage system and an infrastructure that could not handle the traffic. The vision for Dubai became one of wealth and class, Western attempts at luxury replaced local culture and before you know it, there were bikinis on the public beaches and drunken tourists trying to hail cabs. Understandably, the Emiratis moved out of the city. But not just for social reasons, also because cost of living skyrocketed. Before the financial crisis, Dubai sat on an over inflated real estate bubble that pushed real estate prices out of the ceiling, and has only recently deflated. Currently, Dubai seems intent upon attempting expert gymnastics in an effort to draw the rest of the world’s attention to the city that thrives on tourism, and surprisingly unconcerned about the loss of locals in the city.
In contrast to the over-extended cartwheels of Dubai, Doha offers a glimpse at Islamic Art (in a world class museum) and a tourist-friendly look at a souq that has not been abandoned by locals. Unlike Oman, Doha has skyscrapers and an “education village” with substantial freedom of expression for the region (although the village is intentionally separated by 40 kilometers from the downtown). Doha also boasts of the headquarters for the Al Jazeera News Channel, which unlike other international news channels, considers itself to be free of governmental review. Needless to say, I didn’t see any ham in Doha although I’m sure it exists in small, expensive quantities in grocery stores that cater to non-Muslims. Abu Dhabi, the capital of United Arab Emirates, also reflects the same attempts at cultural preservation that Doha showcases. Home to the world’s largest and most elaborate mosque (the 2nd largest being in Muscat), Abu Dhabi has a metropolitan downtown and an extensive resort district that don’t smother the local culture. Visiting Abu Dhabi women’s college, it became clear the students are funneled into career paths that reflect the needs in the national economy, but at least these women are Emirati! While in Abu Dhabi we also stumbled across the 2009 Middle Eastern Film Festival as well as a cultural parade by the river intent upon celebrating for the upcoming Formula1 race, the presence of Emiratis indicated a cultural authenticity in these events (or at least a local desire to participate in the activities of the city). It didn’t appear to be just some Indian expatriates attempting to capitalize on Emirati culture.
Overall, I enjoyed my experience in Dubai when I took off my thinking cap and began to view the city as a tourist who had come on vacation. I thoroughly enjoyed the lectures that we had at the American University in Sharja, and several other lectures that we had while in Dubai. Mostly, I enjoyed getting a glimpse into Indian culture, which definitely was not what I had expected of my Dubai trip when I arrived in the Gulf, but came as a pleasant surprise. My only regret is that I didn’t get to see and engage in conversation with more Emiratis, although I did get to witness an exact replica of the Las Vegas Belagio fountain (only 3 times bigger!), shop in the world’s largest mall, watch white tourists who ski in Europe and Colorado go downhill on a fake snowy driveway-sized hill (inside the Mall of the Emirates!), eat desert in one of the world’s most expensive cocktail bars, see the ocean from the top floor of the only seven star hotel in the world, shop for gold in the elaborate gold souq, ride a traditional dhow (steered by a man of Indian descent, of course), play golf with a man from New Zealand and a couple from China, and talk about poverty over an expensive dinner (and try to hold down my food). Maybe Dubai inspires its tourists to assimilate into the values it possesses? I guess sometimes you just have to put your conscience on the shelf.
In an attempt to capture the decadence, I made sure to bring my camera all over the city (I play a good tourist!). I'll post my pictures soon.
*Title courtesy of a quotation by Ethan Simon, fellow economics student in SIT with an insistence for giving credit where credit is due.
