Dubai World

I just returned from a week in Dubai for work and play. I have visited this city many times over the past 4 years, but I thought it may be useful for some people to put my thoughts on Dubai down in writing.

Dubai is like Vegas on steroids.

Everything there is the biggest, tallest, fastest and/or longest in the world. It's almost as though the person in charge has the smallest penis known to mankind.

Dubai has an island in the shape of a palm, the world's biggest mall, the world's tallest building, a fountain show that puts the Bellagio to shame and canals that are more extensive than Venice itself. There are numerous Maybachs, Bentleys, Mercedes Mclarens, Ferraris and Lamborghinis racing down Sheikh Zayed road at any time. Literally, a Porche Boxter is what the poor man drives.



Souk Madinat

 The pillars of the seven star hotel are plated with gold, and they have broken the world record for the largest indoor aquarium in the world. You can ski, ice skate, scuba dive, sky dive and rock climb in the middle of the desert. Everything is fake and everything is excessive.


Divers at the world's largest aquarium, Dubai Mall

 What's more is that they take service to the next level: the movie theaters have "gold suites" which offer personalized butler services for an additional $40. But even for us common folk, every seat is assigned. That means you get there early, select your seat, and then proceed to spend additional time/money in the surrounding shops in the mall. That's the other thing -- everything there is located either in a mall or a hotel. You can't just name a restaurant and ask a taxi driver to go there, because they won't know where it is unless you specify the hotel in which it's located. Sound kind of like Vegas?

The similarities are quite extensive and don't end with the grandiose architecture and excessive lifestyle. Obviously there is no gambling in Dubai (which some may say is the only reason people visit Vegas) but there sure are prostitutes and a pretty international range of hot girls. Joel and I had dinner at Ruth's Chris on Friday night with my family, then proceeded to meet friends at Buddha Bar. I watched in amazement as one girl stood at the bar for almost two hours. She wasn't waiting for friends, wasn't on her way anywhere, totally glossed over what she did for work... and apparently that was subtle. At the club in the Hyatt Galleria hotel, the women have no shame throwing themselves at men and being very clear about their price -generally between $500 - $2000 USD. 

There is one critical difference between Vegas and Dubai. In Vegas, anything goes. In Dubai, there are strict rules. Check out the picture I snapped from a mall entrance: 

"No kissing or overt displays of affection" 
I guess the Sex and The City stereotype holds true in this sense. The story about the British couple making out on the beach, getting arrested and thrown in jail for almost 6 weeks is entirely true. I also held hands with Joel while walking through the mall and didn't get stoned to death.

Dubai continues to grow. Last February when I was there for a JWT seminar, it was in so much trouble that it had started de-constructing certain sites. Dubai has since began re-constructing it's newest venture, Dubai Pearl.


Artist rendering of Dubai Pearl

Dubai was hit so hard by the recession that it had to go to turn to it's neighboring province, Abu Dhabi, to ask for $10 billion dollars to bail Dubai out of debt. The Sheikh agreed - mostly to ensure completion of the world's tallest building- but on the condition that the building be renamed from "Burj Dubai" to "Burj Khalifa", after him.



Burj Dubai aka Burj Khalifa

I guess we know who's got an even smaller one.

Recent NYT article about Dubai click here: "Collapse of Real Estate Boom Spells Havoc in Dubai", October 6, 2010