“Time is limited and the dream is boundless; therefore I am always in a hurry.” Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum

September 16-22, 2023

The Burj Al Khalifa, the world’s tallest building – for now, is a very impressive structure at over 2,700 feet tall and something you look for when you come to Dubai. But I wasn’t expecting the sheer number of new, tall skyscrapers that dot the skyline for miles. Each one uniquely designed with spires, curves, reflective glass and Arabic motifs. And to think none of it was here 50 years ago. Dubai is a city of ten million people and it’s bustling! The multi-lane highways are full of fancy cars- the most high ends cars in the world are here, and along side the main route is a fast, modern, elevated metro system. There are 20 malls, each one bigger and better than the last. I stayed in Palm Jumeirah, a man-made island that looks like a palm tree from the air, a jam-packed residential area of apartments, condos, villas, restaurants and hotels with a mall thrown in the middle. Here food delivery motorcycles almost outnumber the cars. It was all little overwhelming.

One crazy fact – 92% of the population of Dubai are ex-pats. So when you’re in a mall or restaurant there are faces from around the world. Even their clothing doesn’t give you a clue that you’ve you seen an Emirati, as many men wear long white robes. But they’re not all the Emirati kandura, as some are dishdashas, thawbs, or throbes- the robes worn by other Arab nations. Some women wear long black abayas, hijabs and burqas, some wear skimpy workout clothes and most everything in-between. On the Fashion Avenue of the Dubai mall, where all the designer stores are, it was fascinating to see the woman in their abayas and hijabs with perfectly applied make-up, designer shoes, glamorous handbags, glittering nails, and expensive jewelry. It is truly a melting pot.

Since I mentioned the malls a few times, let me tell you more about them. First, they are huge. They are divided into districts – the high end section, more moderately priced, and even bargain basements. There could be a sports alley with all the stores dedicated to athletic wear and activities, a children section, etc. There are the usual food courts and restaurants, but also grocery markets, furniture stores, hardware shops, souks, and pharmacies. All your shopping needs under one roof. It’s too hot to go outside, so they make sure you have enough to do in the mall for the day. You can also enjoy a ski slope, an ice rink, an aquarium, an amusement park, etc. depending on the mall you’re visiting. And plenty of places for the kids to play – playrooms, arcades, Lego building rooms, if they’re not running down the hallways. I visited four malls while I was here and spent more time than I have spent in malls over the last ten years. It intensified my understanding it is not a place I want to spend my time. But I had a few things to do and then you get lost and wander in circles – but I got my steps in. 🙂 If the crowds are any indication, my opinion about shopping is a minority one.

Dubai is based on money. They have free zones – cities within the city that focus on one type of business, maybe IT, shipping, or gold, where they invite companies from around the world to do business. It’s centrally located between Africa, Asia and Europe, so well situated. The companies retain 100% ownership, which I guess is not always true in other countries. Each zone has their own rules, many are tax free – at least for 50 years, which is a major draw. They have grouped them to encourage networking and collaboration. Hundreds of companies from around the world have set up business here. Dubai is focused on being the first and the best in almost everything, so these zones help support that aim. Besides that tallest building, they have the biggest water park, soon the biggest airport, and the only seven star hotel – I didn’t know they went past five. They are building a high speed train to Abu Dhabi that will reduce the travel time from two hours to twelve minutes – wow. They either have or are constructing residences where the elevators are large enough to drive your car in and park it in your apartment on the 22nd floor, if that’s where you live. Crazy, but who wants to leave their Maserati in a shared garage?

Dubai is one of the seven emirates of United Arab Emirates, that formed in 1971, when they ended their relationship with Britain. They were a British Protectorate for over 150 years. But the discover of oil, in 1958, obviously changed what they could do and how. Another fun fact – it only rains 5 days a year here. So how do they support 10 million people with water necessary for life? The have huge desalination plants that produce two million gallons of purified water a day! They have to run the filtered water through limestone to add back the minerals our bodies need. The joke is that water is more expensive than oil. Curiously, oil is not the major source of income for Dubai, rather construction and real estate – not surprising when you look at the skyline, tourism and e-commerce.

Crimes is very low here, it is highly unlikely you will be robbed or physically harmed. But you might get the wrong end of a negotiation or get scammed in another way. We were warned not to buy a time share. Dubai is a very accepting city since it’s all about the money and not your beliefs. Just don’t try to proselytize – its against the law. Anything goes as long as you do it discreetly, holding hands in public with your partner is not a problem, but French kissing would be frowned upon. Women are respected here. Our guide said that the rank in the family is first the wife, then the kids, then the dog or cat, and then the father. Violence against women is not accepted. Our guide was once rear ended in his brand new car by a woman and he got out and yelled at her. He was then arrested, fined, his car impounded, and he lost his job.

Generally, people do not earn salaries here but are paid by commission. The thinking is that people get lazy and a goal tied to earnings keeps people working. For example, taxi’s and Uber are given cars and they either pay a flat rent and keep anything they earn above that or they get 25% of revenue they produce. Store clerks have quotas which they earn commission on and if they miss it they’re fired. Because the majority of the population are ex-pats, if they can’t hack it or do anything wrong, they’re deported. Some of the workers live in shared rooms with 7 other people as they gain a foothold here or if they’re sending the majority of money home to their families. And along side all those fancy cars on the highway are little buses taking workers to their jobs, some are sponsored by their employers, others are ride shares set up by an enterprising person. And just past the sparkling skyscrapers you can see miles of modest apartment blocks.

Any kind of food here is available – just walk through one of the malls and you’ll find anything from Dave’s BBQ and McDonalds to high end French restaurants. Middle Eastern food of sheesh kabobs, hummus, yogurt, falafel, etc mixed with Indian dishes are the most common local food. And 90% of their food is imported. Which surprised me a little since my meals weren’t terribly expensive but makes sense, since it is a desert out there. Alcohol is not served in many places. A guaranteed spot to find it would be in a nice hotel or a high end restaurant. I wasn’t able to find any wine in the groceries store but I didn’t look further than that.

Besides the malls they also have souks. I visited three in Old Dubai- the oldest building here is only 250 years old, as for most of their history Bedouins were nomads. The spice souk always amazes me, as there are so many smells and colors and they propose uses for them I have never heard of – blends to be used in the place of viagra, alum instead of botox, as examples. The gold souk was just wow. Only 18 carat gold and above, store after store of glittering strands, tops woven out of gold thread, and chest pieces that cover you from your neck to your belly button. I also visited a date market, so many benefits to eating dates. Losing your memory – eat dates, have heart problems – eat dates, need energy – eat dates, digestion issues – eat dates. They have many types of dates and they may stuff them with nuts or apricots and/or roll them in chocolate, coconut or sesame seeds. Have you ever seen a gold rug? They call them rugs but they’re really tapestries, stitched in gold in beautiful 3D designs incorporating semi-precious stones to create a glittering piece of art for your wall.

I took a trip to Abu Dhabi for the day, the richest of the Emirates as that’s where most of the oil is. It’s not as big as Dubai but has some beautiful, new, tall buildings as well. It feels more like a beach town as it has a corniche similar to Muscat, which the city curves around. I went to see the Grand Mosque there. To get to the mosque, we first had to go through a underground mall which contained lots of fast food places- McDonalds, Starbucks, Hagan Das, etc. as well as shops selling Arabian clothing. Everyone has to dress appropriately to enter the mosque and a lot of people are not prepared so many abayas, scarfs, and other items are sold. With close to two million visitors each year, they do a brisk business. I was prepared this time, covered up from my ankles to the top of my head and all the way to my wrists. I was very impressed with the Grand Mosque in Muscat, but this one blows it away. It’s magnificent. The inlaid tile floors and walls, the chandeliers, the largest hand-hooked rug in the world, the walls themselves that have light shine through stars and flowers – all gorgeous. The center is large enough for 42,000 worshippers. Worth the trip just for that.

As in Muscat, I had to take an Uber or taxi everywhere. In retrospect I apologize to Oman about my comments about taxis, because really anytime you visit a large city without a car, you use a taxi, even in Nashville. Before my time in Muscat I had relied on tour buses, hop on hop off buses and walking to get where I had to go, so using a taxi wasn’t a framework I was used to. In Dubai, even if something was close enough to walk to, you’d probably take a taxi. I walked home from a restaurant one night, about a half a mile, and my dress was soaked from my neck to my breasts. It is hot here, just over 100 and very humid. You can see the haze in a lot of the pictures I took. You can barely see a mile because of it. So I used a lot of taxis. I did try using the metro one night and easily got from the Dubai Mall to the Museum the Future – which was very cool, but when I tried to take it back to the apartment it wasn’t so easy. I eventually got off and took an Uber home as there was no direct route on the metro.

I chose Dubai because I saw it as one of the most modern cities of the world and a world tour would not be complete without it. Just visiting ancient ruins and nature’s wonders doesn’t give you a full picture of what it’s like to live on this planet. I think it was a good decision. There was a lot to do and see here, I could easily have spent a few more days, and it gave me a peek of what to expect in the future.

My book in Dubai was Dubai Wives by Zvezdana Rashkovich all about the grit behind the glamour. Interesting but not a must read.

Next up-Uzbekistan