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04 March, 2007

Top ten Dubai phrases

1. the Ruler's wise vision
2. double-digit growth
3. world's tallest tower
4. Arabic hospitality
5. year-round sunshine
6. open and tolerant society
7. advanced infrastructure
8. cultural melting-pot
9. sustainable development
10. tax-free environment

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45 Comments:

Blogger BuJ said...

Extremely sarcastic but ultimately true!

05 March, 2007 01:25  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

If you would task me by putting them in order, the list would look like this:

1. World's tallest tower
2. Cultural melting point
3. Double digit growth

05 March, 2007 04:25  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Notice anything funny about this headline, and the way they refer to the crime:
http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/07/03/01/10107781.html

...is it just pretend - "rape" - if it's a man??

05 March, 2007 06:37  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

11. Modern infrastructure
12. Attractive tourist destination
13. Dubai Inc.
14. Progressive business environment

(Feel free to continue the list)

05 March, 2007 10:30  
Blogger Basil K. said...

U missed 1:

"The world record for...(Biggest, Tallest, Smallest ect.)"

05 March, 2007 10:39  
Blogger Radha said...

'worlds tallest tower' shd've been #1 :)

05 March, 2007 10:49  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Another few favourites:

- Iconic development
- five star
- VVIP
- unique heritage

Last word to Alexander Pope:
"What a thing is man, that thus,
In all his states, he is ridiculous!"

05 March, 2007 11:52  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm not from Dubai, but I find these phrases extremly true.

05 March, 2007 12:14  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

You forgot to mention the good life that labors are having.

05 March, 2007 12:34  
Blogger Rejected said...

I don't know about it all but i'm sure no. 4 isn't true. Maybe for certain poeple it is true and for others isn't anyway.

05 March, 2007 12:46  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

You forgot to put "Wasta". That phrase is more common than anything.
I find Arabic hospitality to be true especially in their own homes. I can vouch for that.

05 March, 2007 14:48  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

It made me laugh no end when in the post-tennis final speech, the guy in charge of the tournament thanked the wise vision of Shk Mohammad.

05 March, 2007 16:11  
Blogger i*maginate said...

No, dubaibaggie, those phrases belong on the 7Days website: Secret Dubai diary is 7Days' intellectual version.

05 March, 2007 17:12  
Blogger Crankyputz said...

Cancelled and deported...should have made the list

05 March, 2007 19:51  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

No mention of traffic to sites? Not blogs but Construction!

05 March, 2007 21:46  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

It's Arab Hospitality and not Arabic hospitality. Arabic is the language, not the people. Arab ____ is how you describe it.

It always annoys me when people refer to it like: Arabic people. There are no Arabic people. There are Arabs. Arab people. Arab hospitality. Arab blablabla.

Please fix it.

06 March, 2007 00:02  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Please fix it.

Whoah, even with the "please" that sounds like an order! How unArabic of you, Fellow Athiest.

06 March, 2007 00:12  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Arab/Arabic is NOT a cultural identity. It is a linguistic identity. Can someone say that the culture in Morocco is similar to the culture in Oman? Or for that matter are the North African "Arabs" similar to the Levantine "Arabs?" "Arab" as a social identity refers to a subsect of the semitic line.

It is therefore perfectly correct to call it Arabic culture; though what I see in Dubai in terms of local hospitality could be accurately termed "Bedouin" hospitality - the type made famous by Sheikh Zayed.

06 March, 2007 11:11  
Blogger Unknown said...

It's funny when they say that there are no taxes here, they are introduced in other rather subtle ways, road tolls, parking meters, ridiculous unexplained rent hikes, and the list goes on and on really...

I am not saying the remainder of the points on the list are absoutely true, year round sunshine? Thankfully not!!, advanced infrastructure? By advanced I get the impression that it would be resilient and quite reliable in different conditions, obviously the planners of this city have not taken into account how fucked up the weather can be and that it actually rains, maybe constructing buildings that will LAST for more than 15 or 20 years would help

06 March, 2007 11:46  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Who says I'm Arab? You can say 'Arabian Culture' and 'Arab Culture'. 'Arabic Culture' is like saying, 'Farsi Culture', or 'Hindi Culture'. Arabic strictly refers to the language. Any other usage is a bastardization of the word.

Umm.. it's not an order, it was a plea. Obviously it appears to be a debatable issue.. sigh.

06 March, 2007 14:57  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

##. Dubai plans tallest air traffic tower

06 March, 2007 16:15  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

You forgot to add "If you don't Like it go HOME!"

A

06 March, 2007 18:03  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Yes, Anonymous, I don't like it so I'm going home.
After a year of being here the world's tallest tower, the tax free bla, bla... has fed me up. This is not a melting point, it's a melted pot full of "ghettos".
To my local friends I say that I'm sorry for them because of the western invasion they suffered (me included). They lost, not gain.
Do you remember that Muslim woman who was harassed by Saukkonen (a chiropractor or sthg like that) and the police don't believe her? She was almost repudiated by her husband, poor thing, he believes it was her fault. You see, you are even losing the right to be protected by the police in front of a foreign investor. Now this woman is trying with High HER/HIS Highness authorities and ministers...I will keep you inform if you want to...and read you from time to time.
GOOD LUCK TO ALL OF YOU
I CAN FINALLY SAY GOODBYE DUBAI

06 March, 2007 19:35  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

SD,
How could you forget this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaLRoXi8b1M

06 March, 2007 22:35  
Blogger Rejected said...

Anonymous said...
You forgot to put "Wasta". That phrase is more common than anything.
I find Arabic hospitality to be true especially in their own homes. I can vouch for that.

05 March, 2007 14:48

Oh ya Wasta is a big issue in UAE. Abt the Hospitality thing, UAE bans certain Arab nationals entering their country like Iraqi (Unless they have a big wasta of course (Big wasta = wealthy powerful emarati sponsor )so I no way would think they are hospitable since I didn't even make it to their country let a lone their own homes.

07 March, 2007 00:42  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Few more fovourites

-State of the art
-Regional Hub

07 March, 2007 10:07  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Reminds me of an original joke from 'yours truly'.

What's the national bird of the UAE?

All those who said falcon, are dismissed from the class.

The answer is...

.....

.....

.....

.....

.....

.....

.....

.....

.....

The Construction Crane!!!!!!!!!

07 March, 2007 14:52  
Blogger One Nine Seven One said...

The next time I hear 'Regional Hub' ...i dunno.

But to be fair..its not all spin and Dubai and the UAE are achieving what we said we will do.

I think if you want more Dubai Phrases by the minute...just tune into One News. Wow that program and channel is so vulgar...

07 March, 2007 16:09  
Blogger anon_mediator said...

you forgot benevolent dictatorship.

07 March, 2007 18:17  
Blogger Para Glider said...

Oh well, someone has to stop skirting round the issue -

whey you flom?
what you name?
how long you in Dubai?
world's tallest tower
you take lady?

or maybe I just live in the wrong part of town.

08 March, 2007 20:44  
Blogger Bobby D. said...

Utopia!

Open and Tolerant, Can I move to Dubai?



I like some rain tho--

08 March, 2007 21:30  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

There is something else you hear and read ever so often "National"
The " first national to......" Where else on earth are citizens called nationals???

09 March, 2007 13:00  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Most written phrase for university students - "He changed the desert into green paradise."

09 March, 2007 13:30  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

for the slow minds and people of on the low IQ curve : it is called advertisment.
Some countries lie you to visit them for business ... some lie you into wars

choose whatever suits you.

09 March, 2007 14:21  
Blogger Alex said...

1. The Wiseone's visor Rule.
2. World's smallest hour.
3. Nobble-digit property investment.
4. Cultural meltdown.
5. Golfing desalination hub.
6. Sustainable desert skiing.
7. These traffic jams, Mr President, are as advanced in design as any you will find in the world.
8. Check out the air at the Jumeirah Oxygen Bar - imported every day from Norway. Get the pre-boom look and clear out your alveoli!
9. Our ship-repairing yards can't stand another tanker war. Attack Iran!
10. QUOTE BLOCKED: site contrary to the political, social, or cultural values of the United Arab Emirates

10 March, 2007 23:12  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Whoa !!!
So damn true...I could'nt agree more :)

An avid reader (read:blogger)

12 March, 2007 20:55  
Blogger i*maginate said...

lol @ paraglider

13 March, 2007 00:30  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Well said A Yahya. That program is so vulgar and outright funny that I can not begin to describe it. For example there was some female reporter, reporting from SZ road after the fateful day of the bus accidents. In her words "SZ road is termed as worlds most dangerous road. There are SMALL MEDIUM AND LARGE accidents here everyday." My first thought was "She is gonna ask Do you want coke or Pepsi with it?"

Oh and another thing is that "Living in Dubai Advert that comes during the news. They show 3 vacant taxis in a row. In the name of god, 3 taxis. If I ever see 3 taxis looking for fares in Dubai, I will just take one for the sake of it. After all getting a taxi is a battle half won.

Another Phase missing from here is " To ease xxxx problem RTA is planning yyyy toll"

13 March, 2007 09:18  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Guys u missed out on " Bilateral talks"

15 March, 2007 19:10  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Here are a couple from Kuwait:

1. JEEB CHAI!!
2. Come here, you Bengali/Indian/Egyptian son of a whore.

15 March, 2007 23:14  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

ive been thinking about coming to Dubai for work for a long time now... but all of this is rather discouraging... pls do tell me there is something there worth living for, cause im really frustrated...

28 March, 2007 22:59  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

u guys 4got about the "promotions" and "festivals"

29 March, 2007 00:23  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

You are all talking about Dubai.. and it is the city that is making you live properly and drive good cars as well as live a good standard of life. If you really do not like it You can go back home but no need to keep talking about the city that is giving you money

30 March, 2007 23:39  
Blogger Asya said...

"illicit affair" is the phrase that i like in dubai... hehe

06 April, 2007 12:59  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Identify UAE LOCALS:

-Maafi English or will run away if you speak english with them.
-Salutes European/American passports
-Almost similar stickers on cars
-car seats with plastic covers on.
-Almost same frenchy.
-Everyday is a weekend
-You can identify a UAE local the way he walks.
-a cellphone in hand with handsfree
-someone who will never get parking tickets.
-Wedding celebration (traffic jam with honking for no reason)

feel free to add more....

17 May, 2007 03:22  

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