Dubai gossip
Dubai's infamy grows, with everyone's favourite sandy city scoring a mention on Gossip Girl:
"I hear you got intro a spot of trouble in Dubai."
"Did you stay at Burj Al Arab?"
"No, I stayed on Palm Island."
"Well I think Dubai's totally overrated."
And apparently they went pheasant hunting with the sheikh during their stay in the sandlands. Good news for the critically endangered houbara anyway.
"I hear you got intro a spot of trouble in Dubai."
"Did you stay at Burj Al Arab?"
"No, I stayed on Palm Island."
"Well I think Dubai's totally overrated."
And apparently they went pheasant hunting with the sheikh during their stay in the sandlands. Good news for the critically endangered houbara anyway.
Labels: dubai coverage
127 Comments:
Americans keep asking me about Dubai all the time. However, none of them really want to come and visit sandland. Europe is already dangerous and exotic enough for them. I guess Dubai will have to do with Asian and European tourists.
americans will come when they know there is money to be made from dubai. all the bullshit about the wasted sandlands that offer probably the best lifestyle in arabworld, and worst quality of life in comparison to any other country i know of ( be it europe, asia, americas or even africa).
if you are an arab and know only saudi or lebanon, then probably dubai rocks..:-)
That maybe but for the average American toursit with limited geographical knowledge Iran, Iraq , Dubai and Afghanistan are in the same neighborhood. I saw them in Europe behaving as if they were in the African Jungle.
Come to make money? Sure. They are already here. All I am saying is that as a prime destination for the average American, Dubai is too far, and located in an unstable region. I am not being critical.
Can anyone eplain why everywhere in the Arab world people suffer from leader worship. Most of these fools believe their leaders are the best they could have ever got.
While in reality you will be hard pressed to find a bigger bunch of thieves.
Fools upon fools upon fools.
The issue with Dubai as with all Arab countries as well as perhaps Iran and Pakistan also is that they are corrupt to the core. I myself am Muslim and British and have lived in Malaysia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Dubai and all these places are mentally stuck in time warped tribal systems. They truly are backwards.
All these lands lack social responsibility and integrity. Dubai in particular is a pile of shite place full of fake Shiekh’s thinking that there white pajama clothes makes them better human beings over the rest of the inhabitants. This is just BS, reality is the locals need the expats more than the expats need the locals.
The moment UK switches to a flat 20% tax system (come on David Cameron), 75% of the expat Brits in Dubai on average mid-management jobs will jack it in and return to civilisation.
anon4; its not leader worship. the leaders strategically place themselves there, and buttkissers get big dollars, so it becomes a natural. same reason people prefer hanging around rich people than vice versa.
americans wont come to dubai because its too far to go to see a bunch of buildings. they have new york, after all. and beaches? miami and san diego. desert? vegas.
Anonymous @ 14 January, 2008 16:02:
I see Europeans in Dubai behaving as if they are in the African Jungle, dragging themselves in the middle of the road early mornings. Not sober yet to walk on pavements?
Now I don’t really see how Afghanistan is in the Middle East or in the political map of the ME to be a neighbor. Is North Korea a neighbor as well, just because it’s in Asia?
If you want to call this part of the world an unstable region, I do so as well. Why?
1. Palestine vs. Israel (US ally)
2. Iraq vs. US
3. Iran vs. US & Israel
Unstabel States
Sticking your nose everywhere for world peace. So much for warning the Gulf states Bush.
Anonymous @ 14 January, 2008 17:53:
Leader worship?
We don’t worship our leaders, we respect them. If it was not for them, we would have had a bunch of so called party leaders playing their games for their own best interest rather than the nation.
Anonymous @ 14 January, 2008 18:03:
I would be waiting for this day more than you are to get rid of some of those hungry animals over here.
Emarati: Could it that perhaps that too much respect is not a good thing. I mean look at the sheikhs with their private billions, and their mega palaces. They have more Private planes that some airlines. Yachts the size of navy ships.
Dont get me wrong, I am not criticising UAE sheikhs exclusively. This applies to most of the Arab leaders and particularly to the Royal families of the Gulf.
Can you explain how you can justify this blatant appropriations of the peoples funds. I would really like to see how you can justify that.
Just because you are a member of the Royal family, you can rraid govt coffers for any extravagance you wish to buy.
That is thievery point blank, there is no way on earth you can put a positive spin in all this. Maktoum has 500 million dollar yacht, the Saudi royalty has multiple mega yachts. Now how do you justify that? Why are their incomes not subject to audit? Where do all their wealth come from. Dont bother trying to justify the unjustifiable.
These sheikhs might be be benign and are better than Saddam or gaddafi. But that doesnt mean they are not thieves. No two ways about it. I'm sorry to burst your bubble of your glorious delusional leaders.
emarati: You want the British gone? Ha, I don't think you know what state your country would be in if it wasn't for them. Forget your Ferrari, unless you have branded a horse into your camel. Forget everything.
"...so called party leaders playing their games for their own best interest rather than the nation"
Come to Europe and see how these "party leaders" live. Then look at your own leaders, who are out partying. Don't criticize a system you don't know. Just because the US has managed to screw up democracy, doesn't mean the rest of us have :)
Anonymous @ 14 January, 2008 21:04:
I know what you are getting at “the oil belongs to the people of the UAE”. For years, even before oil they were already wealthy. If you know how wealth was counted back then (it was by the amount of camels they owned, palm trees, land etc. etc.)
They ruled the tribes that lived amongst them. It’s only when the Brits came & decided to set borders, colonies that the rulers took control of the wealth of the country. Who do you think paid and was behind digging out the oil? Eh?
Anonymous @ 14 January, 2008 23:38:
Come to Europe and see how these "party leaders" live. Then look at your own leaders, who are out partying. Don't criticize a system you don't know. Just because the US has managed to screw up democracy, doesn't mean the rest of us have :)
Don't criticize a system you don't know.
You said it! So don’t criticize our system that you don’t know or assume that you do.
Emarati: so with your above answer, does that justify that they have squandered the nations wealth on pointless and needless luxury. Did you know they spend billions on horses. Did you know they have multiple wide bodied jets just for them and their families?
Did you know as long as you are a member of the Royal family no matter how distant; you have the right to live large at govt expense?
I know as an emarati, and the same applies to all the citizens of other Arab countries you have been fed a diet of unquantifiable propaganda since birth and its sometimes hard to see the big picture. You have a right to defend the local culture, but its a waste of time to defend the undefensible.
This comment has been removed by the author.
*why is the style of writing the same for the majority of the above Anonymous users? LMAO
Anonymous @ 15 January, 2008 01:29:
Did you know…? Did you know…?
Yes I do know! Yes we do know!
It’s you that don’t really know what to know & how to know that!!
Why are you so frustrated with this whole idea of thievery that you happen to expose.
I wonder what rulers of 1st world nations do?
1. UK, The Queen: What is she living on? Money that she earned from her sweat? Eh?
2. US, President: All that political scum life for some years & another one gets to share it? Eh?
They all live their lives from the wealth of the nation. You just can’t get it right in your thick head of yours. We are happy the way it is. Let them have it, it’s not like we are not getting a piece of it. It only looks like you want some of it.
(You have a right to defend the local culture, but its a waste of time to defend the undefensible.)
What you suddenly want this place to have a civil war?
well emarati, for a start, not civil war but some better, how about
1. being able to reach work and go back home in less than 6 hours on average every day, with traffic packed like sardines
2. how about a little less abuse of labour force ( now dont start with statistics of other countries, we are not having a comparison match, we are discussing your heaven)
3. How about a little less racism, and pay based on how good you are at owrk and not the color of your skin
4. a little more reasonable and practical rent control to help people live in dubai, instead of making them live some 4 hours away
5. public transport that is meant to transport public, instead of just running them to claim you have it
6. allowing that dubai has a new definition of batchelors, and they wont be allowed to live or share accomodation anywhere in the vicinity of families
7. a little more freedom for press to be able to write the truth, instead of regular bullshit on wise vision and rich culture
8. a fair treatment of foreign people in from of law
9. a little protection of rights of foreigners who are abused by locals
10. stop claiming to be the virtuous islamic nation,what with all the whoring and drinking and sodomy going on..
well we could go on and on...and you could start bringing in US and isreal and all your regular bullshit to confuse the issues
truth will remain the truth, whatever lies you write, however smartly you write.
Emarati..............
Sorry my friend, but you are moron beyond measurable scales. Your stupidity needs new measuring scales.
Do the people know the scale of the thievery. Some do, & some dont. All know that they can do nothing about it.
Do they not care? I know no one that doesnt care, no one. The fact that the're are tonnes of poor locals spread about the country, and a single refuelling of the sheikh Yacht will build a luxurius villa is a fact no one appreciates.
You represent no one but yourself, a fool of fools. Infact I will go further, in so far as you are sincere in your arguments which I highly doubt. I would say you are a member of a royal family. Eh? oh yes. There are tons and tons of you spread about given the rate you are being reproduced. And you guys and your locked up horny sisters who have to marry a member of the same royal family to keep the gravy train going have been pioneers of the internet due to the free phone calls you get. From way back when it used to cost a bomb to have a phone line, and you guys had multiple phone lines all free. So I understand when you try to defend this system, and you probably believe the people all loove you, and perhaps you believe all te fawning thats directed at you. Fool.
Come on folks, can we not for once see the humour in a visit from George W as opposed to the endless needling at different lifestyles & expectations?!?! Fat chance I fear.
Anonymous @ 15 January, 2008 13:18:
I’ll spare you the statistics & comparison this time. Have some patience, be optimistic. There’s always a solution for a better - traffic, rent, press, etc.
Anonymous @ 15 January, 2008 14:46:
No, I’m not a member of the royal family. Lol
Can’t you have a conversation using decent words? Get a grip of yourself. Your comments are simply expressing what’s going on in that thick head on yours, nothing else. Share a proper conversation that is worth reading next time if you intend to.
Secret Dubai, are you hiding behind those anonymous users? Don’t just post a topic & not share a say.
Emarati fool......
I am still waiting for an answer for any of the questions i have raised. Your only comeback has been of decent words, I am correct to assume that you are compiling a decent answer. You can do better than that surely. I cant blame you if you are tongue tied though. How do you exonorate thieves?
Has any of you guys seen the expensice gifts heaped on bush on his visit here. Everyone of these looty's is outdoing one another on the diamonds and emeralds they are giving him.
Go tell a poor local that the sheikhs exravagance is his business alone. Bloody monkey.
As an european expat, i don't always understand the criticism aimed at UAE.
Emirati is right on many points.What's wrong with you guys, nobody forces you to be here !
Sure UAE is not a democracy, didn't you know that before coming over here?
Let me laugh for a second here. Tony Blair and the Bush family are/were on the Board of the Carlyle Group, a group that heavily invests into military hardware in the US and elsewhere.
Then it is hardly a surprise that you see Mr Blair and Bush travelling around, promoting wars and mayhem...
Regarding American tourists...trust me Dubai doesn't need them. Sure, they could learn a bit of geography when contemplating the mega World project.
And yes, I have been to the US and interacted with the welcoming americans...and rest assured, I can surelyclaim that for the average American, there is no difference between Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran...they consider them all to be arabs (sic!!!).
Rest in peace, homeboys...
BCA....
sure I agree with no one forced no one to come here, but thats really beside the point isnt it. I mean whats that got to do with the fact that the Govt's of the arab world are thieving alibabas.
The blair you are reffering to goes on holiday in a charter flight with 300 other tourists. Dont compare blair with these shameless thieves.
BCA - please note that Blair is not on the board of Carlyle. Secret Dubai - how did it feel like being under house arrest yesterday? Was anyone stuck in traffic? Was everyone who should have gone to hospital, able to get there? What do you think, was the rough cost of the economic closure of Dubai yesterday - since no-one could shop and do business? Thanks, Hearty in Cairo
@ 15 JANUARY, 2008 18:15
Ur problem is precisely the fact the sheikhs have their own private planes and other luxuries of significant scale.
Let them have it. I am speaking as an Emirati with no fat bank account and neither a bentley to drive. Yet, I am happy and enjoying my life as a UAE citizen. Our sheiks have given us education, health care, send us on overseas therapeutic trips all expenses paid WITH extra allowance, ...etc...No complaints.
The problem is not with our system, it is with ppl like you who keep criticizing everything positive about our way of life and values. And no matter what we might say in defense it would simply fall on deaf ears. Why?
I'll tell you why: Dubai Holding alone is valued at US$2 trillion, more than Britain's GDP and 4 times that of Iran.
This is a very good reason why you keep going on and on and on.
Why should we (Emiratis) care what or how you think of us?
I suggest you should get out of your misery and enjoy life. it is too short.
And as for SD, well, I think her blog has some good things sometimes and negative things (most of the time..lol).
She (or he, you never know) doesn't have an accurate and overall picture of the local tradition (what I mean by local as in the pure emirati local). Oh and and plz, don't get started about how Emiratis are made up of iranian, Omanis and so on. We've heard this one before many times, an overdose to be frank. SD doesn't understand the local culture proper in its entirety, only the surface. As I said, the blog is humorous in a way, but I wouldn't take it as hard-hitting source of information. (But again, it might be the case that many readers have already noticed this).
Emirati (the blogger) has some interesting thoughts that he is conveying across. I don't know his id but as a local, I identify with what he's saying and am in parallel to his mentality.
I for one don't really care to post here nor bother to explain things - but did today for the satisfaction -as I just think the UAE (in its entire and overall sense and structure) belongs to us (with our Sheikhs as our leaders) and we are happy and satisfied with the way things are in terms of national harmony.
And before I finish, I just want to raise a very critical point about SD and the blog. There are many locals who HATE the blog, they simply don't like the way things are represented. Imagine, a non-Japanese (Iranian for instance, and I am not singling out the Iranian nationality in particular, its random) goes to Japan (again random) and begins blogging about the traditions of Japan without understanding the difference between a kimono and a funny-looking-origami-type garment!
That's why the locals belittle SD's blog and actually feel the person behind it is disillusioned because many of the blog entries here are incorrect in nature and the manner of the interpretation is wrong.
Bye and peace for all
"Dubai Holding alone is valued at US$2 trillion, more than Britain's GDP and 4 times that of Iran"
Look at this fool everyone, just look at him. Is the water here? The special brand of salt?
Why did you get the above figures dumbo? Where? min feyn jibtahoom?
I promise to slaughter a camel for every intelligent blog entry that justifies the sheikhs thievery. Do not use the word "we" when talking about you are happy with sheikhs thievery. You just represent yourself, monkey.
Also notice this sentence that crystalises this dumb mentality. The fool writes:
"Ur problem is precisely the fact the sheikhs have their own private planes and other luxuries of significant scale"
This sentence shows the national obsession with "hassad" i.e jealousy. I am not jealous of the sheikhs thievery oh noble bosco, I am damn furious, damn furious. You got that?
We are happy with the harmony my ass. Speak for yourself, kalb.
Dubai is run like a corporation and no one has a problem with Bill Gates or Dell's Billions. Anyway lets talk about something more interesting- the rain and the wadis in Hatta their full again!
@ 15 JANUARY, 2008 22:12
The figures were SPLASHED all over the local newspapers two to three weeks ago. Lol
I can use the word WE as I am talking about US (Emiratis) and are HAPPY. If you are not happy then bang ur head against the wall or go back to where you come from (classic Emirati line).
Whether you like it or nor our government GIVES us (UAE) priority over you (arab expat, with all due respect to everybody from that region).
If you are furious, or damn furious, then here's one more to make you really really damn furious; my country the UAE is better than yours (whichever that maybe and I can tell you this, it ain't that much).
bye bye anon...LoOoOoOoL
Well since you cannot come with any justification, & all you can say the usual rubbish about the so called wonderful sheikhs. I consider myself the winner.
The motion that all GCC sheikhs and other Arab leaders are thieves ibn thieves wins. They could be benign & benevolent but they are still thieves.
By the way I wish I had another place to go, unfortunately i'm from the same shitty neighbourhood you are from. Problem is you cant smell the shit.
Hilarious!
(I am not jealous of the sheikhs thievery oh noble bosco, I am damn furious, damn furious. You got that?)
I can’t get that, since it’s none of your concern. You got that?
Keep that furious level down, a zit my pop out all of a sudden! lol
(By the way I wish I had another place to go, unfortunately i'm from the same shitty neighbourhood you are from. Problem is you can’t smell the shit.)
Is that your way of being patriotic! ROTFLOL
Hmmmm.. maybe that’s because the smell of sh*t is being inhaled so much by your people back home that there’s not enough to reach here!
aaah, God bless our wonderful generous thieves! lol
You know in a way I dont blame all these imbeciles wonderful opinions about these Emarati sheikhs. They are not the first first.
I would just like to remind you that once upon a time the Saudi's thought highly of their royal families too, Once upon a time the Omani's thought the same about their toyal familes too, The bahraini thought the same too.
Everyone of the above people is eating their words now. Evryone is fed up.
One day the shit is gonna hit the fan, and you alone will be doing the belt tightening. The Sheikh's will still be enjoying their hedonistic lifestyles. It is you that will be left eating the salt.
The only reason the UAE is not yet like the other GCC countries is because their is less of you & lots more oil. It all boils down to that. Very little is attributable to the usual propaganda shit.
The fact theat they let you eat as well is a point only a fool would make. Its like the equavalent of a thief having your bread and giving you the crumbs. He gave you some, but its all yours isnt it?
Dont be fooled about about the Largest airport or the largest this or other. Neighbouring countries have been there, done that.
In Riyadh I believe the biggest airport was built before. It is still on record to as the worlds most expensive airport. The vast majority of it was siphoned by Princes. They also tried tried to build the biggest stadium, which plays to empty crowds by the way.
Once in the 70's I believe Saudi airlines was sponsoring the williams team in Formula one, just like emirates is doing now with various sports advertising.
My point is dont be fooled here by all this hype. When the price of oil hits the bottom, and you got are left with a whale of a royal family that needs unbelievable amounts of money to sustain its lifestyle, it will be you who is left to carry the can.
You are the same people as the above mentioned. You are nothing special, the same forces apply to you. I have lived long enough to know that despite the hype, its the same old shit.
@ 16 January, 2008 02:42
"One day the shit is gonna hit the fan, and you alone will be doing the belt tightening. The Sheikh's will still be enjoying their hedonistic lifestyles. It is you that will be left eating the salt."
We'll worry about that day when it comes.
"The only reason the UAE is not yet like the other GCC countries is because their is less of you & lots more oil"
Indeed, and that's why we need LESS of you
"My point is dont be fooled here by all this hype. When the price of oil hits the bottom, and you got are left with a whale of a royal family that needs unbelievable amounts of money to sustain its lifestyle, it will be you who is left to carry the can."
No, it shall be you who will still be serving us as we have so much money (and growing).
"You are the same people as the above mentioned"
Absolutely, and there's nothing you can do about it. Zaap
I'm a former expat and from what I've read, the city, the country for that matter, is having a fantastically interesting week and yet all that's discussed is same old. I really was hoping to get some interesting viewpoints on the natural and political events that went down in the Dubai the past three days!
But aside from that, there are too many well-paid expats that criticize the UAE for poor treatment of labourers and intense racism but do not concede that they are banking off that very same system. Alot of people would not be paid the salaries that they're getting if it wasn't on the backs of the hundreds of thousands of low-paid workers that drive the economy.
It's also unfortunate to see such bitterness between people on this site. There are so few forums in the UAE where these discussions can be had, that it's just a shame how it all breaks down into name calling and insults.
I'm aware of many Westerners living in Dubai who have made very little effort to understand the local or regional culture. Granted, this is difficult to do when locals often close themselves off but when your country is hijacked by foreigners with little interest except to make money, it seems a natural response.
There are several elements of Arab culture which I find frustrating and just plain wrong. However, I also think that criticizing one aspect without understanding the very positive aspects of Arab/Bedouin culture leaves many of the criticisms without context.
The same is true for Emiratis who freely hand the reigns of their country over to foreigners without even knowing who those people are. It's a shame. Emiratis have some serious issues to face in the coming decades and at the end of the day, they're the only ones who will have to deal with it.
Dubai was good to me. I met so many great people and it afforded me opportunities that I never would have had elsewhere.
I miss it often but did not feel that it could give me what I was looking for. So I left.
Dubai, well specifically Burj Al Arab was featured last night in Hollywood Extreme, in E! Burj Al Arab is said to be the top 2 hotel for Hollywood's A-listers.
On a lighter note @Anonymous 15 January, 2008 21:59
And as for SD, well, I think her blog has some good things sometimes and negative things (most of the time..lol). She (or he, you never know)...
or even a SHIM
@Anonymous 15 January, 2008 22:28
Dubai is run like a corporation... so true! And a damn shame it is!
Anyway lets talk about something more interesting- the rain and the wadis in Hatta their full again...
if only one could make it to Hatta, eh? But then again why even go there? Look at the wadis off and around shkh zayed car-park, oops I meant road!
to anon 05:49.............
Well you had some real good responses there I say. I hope some sheikh is reading this. Let him see that if you invest the money for education in your yachts, this is what happens. People who's stupidity is beyond belief become the norm.
Also....
"send us on overseas therapeutic trips all expenses paid WITH extra allowance, ...etc...No complaints"
The sentence above is sometimes true, not always the case by the way. That depends on how big is your wasta. But also after nealy 60years of oil being discovered, the region still relies on foreign help in almost all fields where scientific ability is required. Why should average sheikh invest that money when he can buy a yacht, or to appease he can invest in higher education woith many of the places focusing on the humanities. They are cheaper.
It is quite obvious that my point is irrefutable thats why there hasnt been any defence, i mean how do you defend blatant thieves whos actions have been caught on CCTV. How? I rest my case.
I would like to get in touch with you concerning your blog.
Please mail me to ibrahim@arabadmag.com
The issue with Dubai as with all Arab countries as well as perhaps Iran and Pakistan also is that they are corrupt to the core. I myself am Muslim and British and have lived in Malaysia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Dubai and all these places are mentally stuck in time warped tribal systems. They truly are backwards.
First and foremost, I am a Malaysian, and I am a muslim. I have no idea where you got the idea that Malaysia is stuck in a time warped tribal system and is backwards. Our "tribal system", for you who have such limited vocab as to refer to it as "tribal", is merely ceremonious and kept because we are still in touch with our culture and our roots, a far cry from all you who call yourself "british" but in fact have skin much darker than i! call me racist or whatever, but take a look in the mirror, i'm not the one being hypocrite and judging every other system i THINK i know just because i switched on the bloody english channel and heard about it. you say you lived in malaysia, but i doubt u did, by the sounds of it.stop claiming what u dont know. come down to earth and step on reality.
All these lands lack social responsibility and integrity.
do you need a wake up call? this land which lacks responsibility and integrity, as u claim,is in fact the birth of all those virtues. we hang on to our words,we stick to who we truly are,and RESPECT the people who make it their living to protect our countries, to improve and to lead us. which is more than i can say for all of you who treat ur leaders like shit. And look at ur women, who sell themselves so freely to men and then claim to be fighting for equality, who go around half naked, and who treat themselves cheaper than a whore. when u finally decide to stop talking about others, i suggest u look around u, right next to you, ur wife or husband, maybe, who might just be humping your brother. if thats what you call integrity, then you guys really fucked the translation bad.
This is just BS, reality is the locals need the expats more than the expats need the locals.
i wonder, when the expats come,did they come with the intention of building up the country? hahaha! the biggest joke ive ever heard! the moment they feel their pay isnt big enough, they start to whine and protest. and working 5 hours a day? if thats how you work hard to help others, i pity your homeland (not just because you have to call it your home) that has a whole nation full of worthless, lazy buggers. 5 hours? hah! what a joke. and you ask why the asians are coming up.
The moment UK switches to a flat 20% tax system (come on David Cameron), 75% of the expat Brits in Dubai on average mid-management jobs will jack it in and return to civilisation.
why wait? go back! none of us outside the uk needs you. we need people who work hard and work real,not people who work less and demand more.who do u think you are? saviours of the world? you must be dreaming.
To anon above:
"RESPECT the people who make it their living to protect our countries, to improve and to lead us. which is more than i can say for all of you who treat ur leaders like shit"
Unfortunately this respect works only one way, from you to them. The leaders do not reciprocate it. If they did they wouldnt be stealing so much.
Perhaps a little less respect will go a long way towards accountability.
By the way are you sure you are not royal, cause you really like to use the royal "we" alot.
To anon 20:48: Re your comment about western women. Despite your obvious dislike to the behaviour you have assigned to them, I would like to inform you that the leaders that you happen to respect so much; they my good friend have quite an affinity to those western women. Infact a few of them have even taken a liking so much that they have taken them as wives.
The king of Jordan managed to marry a few. The king of jordan has a western mother, and the once crown prince had another western mother. Infact his daughter Haya(Palestinian mother) who was brought up very western does happen to be the second wife of your beloved sheikh. The beloved sheikh that was married to his traditional wife that bore him children in the double digits decided to have another misses when he had a midlife crisis. Who did he turn to for that second wife? Ah; A western woman. Sorry dude.
LOL... people here suffer from Islamophobia for sure!
Do you know the song, 'you talk too much'?
Maybe a good message to the men inhere, if you can call them men ;-)
Just wondering: how come people seem to like Sheikh Mohammed of Dubai?
His record on human rights and the environment is appalling and he's turning Dubai into a laughing stock. He strikes me as a very bad man.
Please explain.
@ anon above
Say it to his face.
The amount of anonymous identities here is appalling and SD happens to have his/her tongue bitten!Pathetic.
I have been away from this blog for awhile and now have noticed that all you sad people do is have a go at each other. The Expats moan and groan, the Arabs get on their high horses . Everyone ignores the original post and decides on having an "us Vs them" bashing session and it all ends with sad expats complaining about traffic and Arabs saying if you don't like it , leave! for Gods sake grow up both of you. This used to be a good blog to read but now it is only full of whinging arabs and expats, people having a go at each other and sick people talking about women's underwear. Guys get a life ! as you sure don't have one if all you can write is bollocks
Dubai Holding worth 2 Trillion dollars??
please! How much of that figure is comprised of real estate that won't be worth jack shit in 20 years when it starts falling apart and you have massive issues stemming from crazy "planning" schemes and quadrupling your population in 20 years???
only idiots would buy in a place like dubai.... that palm island looks like a MESS! "villas" practically on top of each other.... why would anybody pay that kind of $$ to live in a such crowded conditions??? Again.. dubai is NOT New York and it NEVER WILL BE
complete idiots and poseurs..
"Arabs saying if you don't like it , leave"
Itsa few idiots who say that, and they usually say that when they have been whooped in arguments and have nothing to say, which happens most of the time.
Not all criticisms is from expat's. Alot of locals criticise too.
You have a few people here who have a visceral dislike of Arabs and muslims, & the local culture which is a damn shame. My only beef is with the sheikhs, I cand stand their thieving, & I'm local.
Dubai has also been mentioned numerous time in another hit US show; the O.C
Notice how Gossip Girl and the O.C are both created by the same person.
Either paid publicity or the guy just like Dubai.
to the malaysian hero @22:51
so the sign of progress for malaysia is a few towers? scratch the underbelly and what you see is a fanatical race that prevents growth of any other religous belief systems, eradicating them with government support, going back to prehistoric rules. how many examples do you need? do you read your own newspapers, including terrorism protestors, claiming a different religions hero as their own and not allowing his wife to bury him the way his family wanted, these may be minor for you, but to the world it shows perverted signs of what you claim to be virtuous.
you claim every woman other than those in your virtuous lands to be whores half dressed. Only perverted and frustrated men which your group seems to have more than its share of will see this as a sign of judgement. what you do below all your black covers is worse. you dont need to go far, just step out on to streets of dubai or saudi , there is so much whoring and sodomy going around you will think the whole idea of covering up is to prevent others from knowing if you are doing someone within the family.
expats building dubai? nobody came there to do that, they came for money. you must be blind to think people work 5 hours in dubai, 5 hrs you spend in traffic alone to get to work to put in another 10 hrs on average, unless you are talking of the 5 most productive hrs for whores from 12-5 in the night in naif street.
u need people who work hard and work real? like the uzbekhs you pay 100 dhs for an hour or fun? all others are there to scratch yours truly and do no other work, I presume. obviously, asking for real pay for real work is unheard of in your country. real work = real pay.
Anonymous @ 17 January, 2008 14:01:
My only beef is with the sheikhs, I cand stand their thieving, & I'm local.
Don’t pretend to be a local, just for the sake of showing that a local fully support what you say. You know that you're NOT! Amateur.
Emarati the idiot who didnt have a single response to my arguments.
I am a Saudi National.
See you guys are at it again, SIGH.
Honestly, this topic is meaningless.. several people here are furious that they just took a detour & made it a topic of ‘sheikhs being thief’s’.
I’m sure that the line that gave you the itch down there was "Well I think Dubai's totally overrated.", wasn’t it Secret Dubai? Funny that just because Dubai was mentioned in some absurd gossip TV drama, which it is, made you all of a sudden hostile (note: that you already are). You miserably decided to post a topic on that. Was that the motive, Eh? Ok, then what is it since you happen to say nil. You tend to say a sentence or two don’t you, by reading your other posts. Or is it that you are behind several anonymous users, of which I’m highly sure of? Hmmmm.. I guess it’s not the houbara that is critically endangered, it’s you. I pity your predator.
To that pretentious-dim-so-called ‘Saudi National’. I don’t have to reply to your ‘arguments’, not because I have nothing to say. I’m just enjoying how you are desperately asking for one by making a complete fool out of yourself. I’m here to share a healthy debate (if that exist) on a specific topic. Unlike yourself.
I'm just so happy that Emarati has come to the conclusion of "this topic is meaningless". Just wondering why he didn't conclude it before writing previous 124 posts!
@Emarati
Keep your energy for next posts since defending UAE against drunken expats and stupid TV shows doesn't earn much for the energy.
As for me, even considering to rate Dubai as a place to live should be result of some serious pondering after a concussion caused by hitting your head on the steering wheel in none-stop traffic jams.
So in principal, I agree with you Emerati that this topic is stupid.
Now, talking about Shaikhs being thieves, I totally disagree. They are not thieves, this is what they are grown up to do, their families has done for the last centuries(cough..cough...decades) and their sons would do in future. Come on guys this is an aristocracy, so what's weird about it?
Emarati, I guess all the nice drunken expats here need a course in modern aristocracy, how it works and how you can call it a way of democracy. I nominate you to teach this course!
Forgot to say this as well..
Also, I have my own conspiracy theory like the one Emarati has insisted 124 times above. It's like this :
SD is behind all Anonymous comments and moreover, I think SD is behind Emarati. She's suffering from rare case of schizophrenia and sometimes she starts writing as Emarati. Wait a second......she might be behind my comments as well... Hey SD GET OUT OF MY HEAD NOW.....GET OUT OR...
[loud bang, head drops on the keyboard, blood everywhere]
This goes out to all of you who called our Sheikhs 'thieves'.
Listen, this is OUR country. If you think that the political system here is a joke and that the Sheikhs are stealing all the money then why are here? Seriously, why don't you just leave? Isn't it ironic how you criticize the UAE system and then you continue to live, eat, work, and shit in the same system? FUCK OFF.
The Queen of England.
President Bush.
Vladimir Putin.
Tony Blair.
AND THEIR RESPECTIVE FAMILIES .
They all get their paycheck from the state they're working for!
I get a sense that some of you here are communist fuckers. I get a sense you're furious 'cause you're jealous, YES JEALOUS MOTHERFUCKER. Wouldn't it be cool if you had a billion dollars? Now, let us talk about "fairness" and "democracy". How about... Hmm... BILL GATES! OK, he's the richest man in the world. Worth billions and billions of dollars. Why isn't anyone criticizing his wealth? While most Americans can't afford access to healthcare? Hahaha... Guys, the UAE is a semi-authoritarian system that is democratic in a sense that our leaders have their majlises open. They listen to people's and respond. THEY ARE WITH THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE, AND NOT IN SPITE OF THE PEOPLE. Plus, our ruling families share a connection with the people. This is the way our system works. The family, being a ruling family, deserve a share of the wealth (AND THE UAE HAS ALOT OF WEALTH - ABU DHABI IS THE RICHEST CITY IN THE WORLD- & IT DOES HAVE DIVERSIFICATION PLANS) GET OVER IT. OUR SMALL LOCAL POPULATION IS HAPPY. Furthermore, I AM NOT against democracy in any way! SO DON'T GIVE ME THAT SHIT ABOUT BEING UNDEMOCRATIC. Democracy will come sooner or later - JUST NOT OVERNIGHT. The situation is progressie. Now fuck off and get off the UAE if you hate it soo much. One day, you're complaining about not being able to get UAE citizenship. The other day, you're complaining about how you hate the UAE and will neve want a UAE citzienship simply 'cause the UAE is undemocratic no human rights bla bla bla. FUCK OFF.i've had enough of this shit where you're staying in our country and you hate us so much. Why can't you be a decent expatriate? Why are there expats who like it and exapts who dont? LIKE EVERY COUNTYR, THERE ARE PPL WHO SAY YES AND THERE ARE PPL WHO SAY NO. SO DON'T BE SO FUCKING RACIST AGAINST US OKAY?
I myself am Muslim and British and..
How simply fascinating!
First and foremost, I am a Malaysian, and I am a muslim.
That is so amazing, and interesting!
To Anon 18 Jan @ 6:04
Firstly, lemme list some signs of a PERFECT LOOSER for you
a) calling names and making close references to your own family.
b) not answering questions that are repeatedly asked while you divert the topic to another.
c)chanting the classic whine "if you don't like...."
Grow up Anon, I hope you are matured enough to answer questions directed to you wisely. Covering up the darksides of Dubai does not give a fair justification to the critics in this forum. PLS DO NOT explain why YOUR POOR SELF choose to be blind. That does not answer our questions. Being happy and pretending to be happy has a difference...
Second, Forget the wealth of Bill Gates. He is running his company called the Microsoft. Microsoft is not a city its a corporation. Hope this is plain simple for you to understand. UAE you say has lot of wealth. Whatz your share in it? pea nuts? AUH is the richest country in the world....whatz your reference? Arab media? LOL
You keep saying FO! That's as good as showing your middle finger in this public blog.... which in your country is considered as an obscene gesture and is punishable.. LOL I think few of the UAE laws suck just like your genius brains....
I think Emarati is behind comments given by anonymous 18 January, 2008 06:04.
He just paid an angry prick teenage neighbor living in Abu-Dhabi to write a teenage rhetoric full of middle finger action!
@Anonymous 18 January, 2008 06:04
You rock! I am sure you would have a successful future. Trust me, you don't need even to think of democracy in UAE as far as the money is coming in. I am sure UAE would be able to get rid of expatriates and rely on its own resources with this excellent naturalization program. It'll come, if not in the first half of 23rd century, maybe in the second one...
18 January, 2008 06:04.....you might also be emarati sometimes I believe, although I stand to be corrected.
You have the royal family, which is just a single family siphoning of a significant % of the countries wealth. In Saudi, a single royal family takes out 30% for itself. And believe you me, there is high levels of poverty there. Even the middle class is not what it used to be in terms of incomes, & it is getting smaller.
In the UAE there are seven royal families. That is seven different avenues of thievery. I cannot imgaine how much is taken here.
Because you are a fool I will excuse you. A majlis is no way to run a country. Besides, most of the times these guys are in other countries chilling, buying horses or whoring.....with the nation's wealth.
From my experience many people, almost all of the people in the GCC will tell you thay are fed up with the system, in some countries people are literally drowning with frustration for example Saudi Arabia.
There is nothing inherently different between the other GCC countries and the UAE. The same dynamics are applicable here.
I can only say given how closed your mind is on the behaviour of these looters, that you are probably one of the cronies of the royal family or perhaps even a member of it. (for people who might find my comment absurd, please remember the average Arab royal family is huge due to multiple wives and transfer payments the encourage breeding). There is something like 100,000 members of the Saudi Royal family. Each of them living large on the state. Kind abdul aziz had 42 sons alone, his first son had more wives than his dad. Add it up after a few generations and see what happens.
trust me on this one, if there is one thing i'm certain as death is the fact that the party will not last here, and that will be mainly due to the thieving royals. i've seen it before.
To everybody who "criticizes" the UAE, its royal families and citizens by extension.
You can't divide us.
We are a society of harmony (amongst ourselves) and share strong ties of loyalty, respect and love across the whole spectrum.
Your cheap tactics of instigating hatred and arousing jealousy amongst us won't take you anywhere, we see hrough 'ya.
Let your own hatred, bigotry and sickness consume you.
Cheapo dirt, from the slums. No breeding and low-quality upbringing.
Always keep this in your mind. We have lots of money and you don't. And yes, money is everything in this day and age.
To all Emiraties out there, as an Emirati myself I suggest you should ignore these sad cases and focus on something more pdoructive, it is not worth arguing with the low, rise above them.
Elbsoohm,,,el salfh ma tswa. Hatheela mr'6a, allah ya3afeekm.
To all UAE locals
Don't take ppl here seriously.
Always remember: you are not dealing with ppl with intelligence.
They are a mess and stupid.
They are here to work for us, we give them money to feed themselves with, wear clothes on their bodies, and a roof on top of their heads.
They are our servants and no one pays attention to servant chattering.
Don't argue with these idiots, they are so thick and stupid. It is like trying to have a wooden chair or a brick talk back to you.
This link is of British Airways plane skidding off Heathrow's runway.
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/01/18/heathrow.incident/index.html
Had this incident happened in Dubai or Abu Dhabi a lot of people here immediately would say "oh, the airports in the UAE are not good..blah blah blah".
All of your hatred and animosity comes back to you, two-folds and more.
You resent the UAE for its wealth. This is human nature (in weak and dysfunctional people). You need therapy.
@ 3 Anonyms above
Although it's obvious all written by the same person(maybe the same raging teenager just dropping the F word attitude), but when you say To all UAE locals, Don't take ppl here seriously., does ppl here include urself? I guess yes, else you should be wanted by Interpol for human trafficking charges :D
To the Anon above @16:50
Had this happened in the UAE it would not be in the local media and you will not even know abt it. Atleast the Bristishers published it for the public!
This is what you lack. To admit...but you choose to be ignorant to the core.
Whoever is talking abt jealousy... You must be dreaming. If money is everything then surely you will die poor jus like everyone else. You are not gonna take your wealth with you nor you will buy a golden coffin in advance. Your comments only highlights how lazy and handicapped you are for you need the services of "others" in your day to day life. Be independant in life. But you simply cannot for you yourself live on the leftovers of your leaders. BTW I think its better to be "less intelligent" while we debate with people who have pea sized brains. That makes the topic at hand very simple between us to discuss.
I really hope the various emarati anon is just one person who is under 12 years old, otherwise the future looks bleak if three random emaratis all turned out to be so dim witted.
Are you dumb & stupid or something. I still believe this guy is somehow royal. There is no way otherwise to account for his dumbness. hes spent all his around sycophants fawning over him. As a result he's never been challenged, never been questioned, and when he speaks he makes you want to vomit.
you guys are worse than children , grow up and if you don't have something proper to say then don't ! GET A LIFE !!!! go take care of your children or else they will be brought up by the maid and it will be too late or go for a walk in the clean streets or malls of Dubai or el you will become obese !! do something productive rather than sitting here and swearing at each other. Stop being SAD
Why people in Dubai are becoming like this? It used to be very peaceful place with the locals when i was there from 1997-2005. Now i am back home in India and still have great memories of Dubai and Sharjah. What happened?
Anuj
People like SD landed in the UAE and started criticizing every inch of it by selling a book which couldn’t be distributed. *Sigh* So Missy started writing projects for University students and made a living out of that part-time. Full-time she is spending her lazy pathetic life banged up with this blog spreading garbage which she resembles to the rest of the world, because she suffers from a neurosis illness called DID. Briefly, this is what happened in the UAE. Only if she is brave enough to portray what she writes verbally to the local population. Then the UAE will sound a lot better than what is written here even with it having its flaws.
Regards,
Ajaaj
Hey Anuj
You wanna know what happened to this country? Its currently run by selfish and greedy leaders. Now its only visions without mission! Back then life was just great, harmonious and worthwhile.
to the poster above.....you're all saying just the same things, i.e get out and leave, sad loser, our country, blah blah. How did you reach this stage? Cause none of you had a single response on the arguments, not one.
If people are crticising, so what? Its all fair criticism. Is it xenophobic? no. Is it anti muslim? no. All people are saying is the sheikh has his hand on the till, and he needs his hands cut, and maybe be deported to a European casino or race track where he belongs. Thats all.
its not anti UAE, just anti thievery. We all agree thieving is haram right?
erm why would 75% of brits leave dubai? most of them ,like me, love it here and are here for the lifestyle, why would anyone wanna go to england, everyone is running away from it to come to dubai!
@Anonymous above me
Dude, you're so giving it out that ur not a Brit! Life Style?! You call mall strolling and buying British brands life style or driving Range Rover sport that locals kill to drive one?!
Else, the only thing u can claim as a life style is to burn cheap petrol and generate highest emission of CO and greenhouse gas in the world to rape as much as environment as you can to have stupid Ski ramp in 48 degree temperature or have your whiskey in ice bar where chairs are made out of glassy ice!! How absurd you can be to call this a life style if your life style is not around paying whores and getting drunk 24x7.
I couldnt help but agree with Screwed mind. The lifestyle of Dubai is worth a mention. Perhaps certain lifestyles that you do not persue in your home country, you can do it in full view of strangers in Dubai who cares less. A very easy & cheap lifestyle!
look at all of these europeans and americans who don't know anything and are advocating democracy in this region!
my friends, look at palestine and see who won? terrorist hamas of course! what about iraq? extremists mullas and imams!
This region needs to learn how to separate between state and religion first, otherwise we will slide back to the dark ages! please keep our rulers and don't impose your stupid ideas here and take your dangerous social experimentation and mindless advocacy somewhere else fools!
@ 17:47
"Had this happened in the UAE it would not be in the local media and you will not even know abt it. Atleast the Bristishers published it for the public!"
You must be from Jupiter (Mars is too close for you) to realise anything.
See, this is a good example of how thick you are. A brick.
(you yourself live on the leftovers of your leaders.)
Error: we Emirastis don't live on leftovers. The government created job opportunities in the workfield for us. Besides, our leaders have programmes to launch us into the biz world and we receive subsidies and many wonderful things.
But again, this information won't get through to you, who I am talking to? Your brains is in the freezer.
(BTW I think its better to be "less intelligent" while we debate with people who have pea sized brains. That makes the topic at hand very simple between us to discuss.)
You got that right. Lol.
Please add Henrys of Al Ain to your blog list:
http://henrysofalain.blogspot.com
Thanks
Robinoz
this one goes out to all the lovely " get out if you dont like" army!
What makes you think we write for you? there are millions of people out there who have been conned into coming to dubai, with all those stories of money growing on palm trees and rolls royces free for all. and they are all fucking tires of their life in dubai, and stuck there due to financial commitments as most dont save any money in dubai. and with kids in school and expense of moving countries etc, they are well and truly screwed. he nce they live with the terrible weather and long traffic hours and terrible work treatment of labour.
now, the whole point may be, this is written for those who are not yet landed in your hell. they will benefit from an alternate point of view, the dark side of dubai. let them take their decisions based on knowledge, not on your fucking PR lies. let truth be known. or are you too afraid your islands will articial islands will sink ? as the case may well be.
the message is " get out before you get in" :-)
@ 16:04
we Emirastis don't live on leftovers. The government created job opportunities in the workfield for us
LOL thats the most amusing thing that caught my attention...
I wouldnt call it leftovers myself, but more like a hand me down... Half of the so called local workforce would struggle to be even get an interview call anywhere else in dubai... And i do not have statistics to prove this but i do know the quality of the local career aspirants that i interview
Whatever said and done there is one thing which i do have to hand out to the locals.. They are one of the most helpful human beings i have evr known when it comes automobile troubles... They will stop, come and help you no matter where and when without any questions asked... But the same guy wouldnt want to be seen sitting with you and having sheesha
Just my 5 cents..
nowhere else in the world other than uae would i want to be seen having a shisha with an emirati( if at all in uae)...just my 5 cents bit
hehehe... very amusing!
As a 24 year old who's spent the past 21 years in this country I find this whole issue extremely funny.
Expatriates (like myself) criticising the U.A.E. out of their ignorance and Locals trying to defend the indefensible. At least I understand the locals' nationalism and their passion, no matter how misplaced and useless.
But what's wrong with all of you expats?? Is it so hard to understand that you are in an ARAB country? That you can scream and shout and whine all you want but NOTHING'S going to change unless the 'big ones' are convinced that there's something wrong in the first place?
I've never known another home in my life, even when I was away for my studies I thought of Dubai as home. I've spent my life growing up with the people of this country and seen Dubai grow. At the same time I was brought up in a family whose morals are in contradiction to everything that this country and it's sytem stands for.
Even so....
Yes, there are LOTS about this place that I hate. But never once would I even think of complaining about it. The reason? Because I'm here making my money, living my life, doing things that no 24 year old in Europe would have the money to do unless he came from a millionaire family, and I'm enjoying it all.
I really don't CARE if their's any theivery going on or who's doing it. At the end of it, I'm not a citizen. It's not my money that's being blown away.
I'm surprised at why you guys are getting all worked up about this even though it doesn't concern you. Even if things were to change you wouldn't be in a better position. Don't try and say that you're doing this for the good of humanity because you can't help someone who DOES NOT want to be helped.
On the other hand I can't understand why the locals are all happy. Knowing that they receive jobs and get higher salaries not because of how good they are but because the country wants to keep it's unemployment figures down and puts someone barely out of high school in a managerial position with a 6 digit income.
In all honesty, the only thing that i would change is to throw all the expats out. No matter how much we complain that the UAE needs us, the truth of the matter is that they don't. It's just that they don't know it yet and we're helping in keeping them ignorant.
Yes, they'll stumble, they'll have a hard few years, but they'll build the country again and hopefully with a slightly stronger foundation. Just so that expats like you and I won't be able to turn around and say to them: Your country would collapse without me.
@anonymous right above
You're good for the best supporting actor in the movie "Silence of the Lambs". Don't be so sheepish, discover the world around you and find out what 24ers do really. The only advantage I see for a young person in UAE like you over the one in Europe is the cheap price of cigarettes in UAE.
I would say your comment was funniest of all, it smells submission and naive attitude ready to sacrifice your personal rights for a handful of sinking Dirhams.
Current running system is dependent on expatriates until the next 45 centuries, it's designed like this and it will run like this. As far as there's poverty and greedy westerners/easterners that are willing to do absolutely anything to earn money, these systems would sustain their life exploiting both sides(rich and poor).
WOW..I would say Dubai is hot!!!
I come from the West never been to the East and I have enough sense to understand!
As a Westerner I would consider it a TREND!
However in this part of the world, The average American citizen will not define the difference of the ARAB Nations, hell half of them still don't even know where Canada is!!
I respect what the Emerati are doing in their culture and traditions, America was built on the blood, sweat and tears of the blackman and over hundreds of years, one might actually be able to lead that Nation.
The perception of Dubai and maybe the complaints are that everybody believes in Perfection in a state of people who are not perfect that is in EVERY country regardless how it is run!( secular Dem, Comm, Monarch, Anarch, etc...)
If you want to talk about looting and Thievery I would look to the British to that, I think they personally wrote the HOW to MANUAL!
I just think that when a country is trying to be progressive and having to deal with its own culture of course your going to have growing pains...America was not built overnite, but Dubai practically has since the 70's
I could not imagine the pressure of these young men who are groomed with Western Culture and Eastern Traditions and how they themselves have to change in this HUGE Global World...Just can't say okay I don't like the system I'm born into I'm going to change it, it is them, the family, the bloodlines and this familiar thinking is not an overnight phenomenon!!!!
It is written that Ishmael and his decendants
"and would be in constant struggle with others."
That is very hard concept to understand for people who might not understand this divine statement!
Maybe All they need is a little Lovins...Respect! Guidance to Change, Noone has the written rule on perfection and PLEEEEASE don't tell me America is #1...It has its own share of problems!
I'm kinda liking that UAE from my Igloo!
I wouldn't kick a Prince out of my Bed for eating crackers! lol
screwed mind, do us all a favor go back to your country.
knicker nolte
do us a favour, read gulf news, khaleej times and also if you still have time, Dubai PR press releases. You would love it.stick to the above. anything else would be strictly beyond your intellectual capability. typical of people who grew up under autocracy. cant tolerate dissent. :-)
To all the emaratis......
Why are you bothering to justify your sheikhs thievery. What's in it for you? Do you the dudes? Do they invite you sometimes to their parties?
Have they given you a lift in their sheikh jets?
These sheikhs which I think are more competent than all the other sheikhs in the Arab world (thats not saying much though) are perhaps benign, and also benevolent. But please dont confuse it with altruism on their part. Their behaviour profligate ways amply clarifies that.
They are benign, benevolent, smart, & thieves. Simple.
god you think dubai is corrupt, have you ever been to the uk or america? now thats corrupt, seriously stop bitching about dubai, if your a little indian labourer, maybe your forced to be here(but to be honest its a lot better than being in a little shack in the middle of india with absaloutly no prospects, no matter how bad dubai is for them, there home countries are a lot worse) but if your a westerner, dont act like you honestly thought the streets were paved in gold etc, no one with a brain bigger than an orange would beleive that, your not forced to be here, if you dont like it leave, god back to england with all the violence, corrupt politicians, over 20 under 18s shot in london in the last 12months, in london alone, and thats the ones that have been reported, so go back to uk and stop bitching about dubai, yes dubai has its faults, but its not that bad
To all those above who can't take a bit of criticism; and to the locals:
Don't ever forget that everything, yes every little thing that makes you live in a modern country, you owe it to the bad, evil, corrupted 'West'? The computer you're using right now, who invented it? The software you're using to browse internet, who created it? The electricity that makes it function, who produced it, and who invented the process through which electricity is produced? The West, yes.
Tonight you'll take an elevator to go down to the car park? Guess Who invented the lift, the car park, and the concrete with which your building was built? Guess?
Now you'll drive your car? Who invented cars? Think harder! Who? Yes, that's right, the West!
Now let's say you work in marketing or finance? Guess who invented these two business fields? The West, isn't it? And finally, you'll come home to cool down in western-invented air conditioning and relax watching western-created TV and possibly having a drink from a western-born fridge...
Now, ok, you're quite patriotic. But don't be to nose up. What you are, the money you have, the jobs you work for, the cars you drive, the buildings you live in, even the bloody water you drink, all that come from the corrupted, evil West that bothers you so much!
anon@14:17 who seems to be an expert in indian economy says : (but to be honest its a lot better than being in a little shack in the middle of india with absaloutly no prospects, no matter how bad dubai is for them, there home countries are a lot worse)
Ok.First of all, you dont know what happens in your own country if you are emarati.nor do you know india, which is not surprising. let me explain it for you:
1. Indian Laborer in emarate pays 2000 USd to get a job that pays him 150 dollars a month. (in india if he kept the 2000 usd he could have been richer than his neighbours)
2. From the 150 usd, they cut money for food, and any other expense on him.
3. He lives in a prison camp, with 1000 others. sleeps in a small room with 30 other men on half beds. wakes up at 5 to que for toilets @ 40 people per toilet. done with that after 2 hours, gets a terrible breakfast/ quasi lunch. lines up to get into a non a/c bus @50 deg temperature. works from 7/8 in the morning till evening, often without summer mid day breaks.eats lunch sitting at the construction site with no shade, often faints and falls and dies, packed off as dead body. if he doesnt die, bus brings him home at 9 in the night after the traffic jams. gets one day off to wash clothes and clean himself. but with no money to even go out to see the country he lives in. hence he rather sits and drinks to forget about the family he left behind. gets to go home once in 2yrs.
now you go compare this with living in his own country, with a voice that is heard in democracy, with rights you rich sheikhs dont have in your own country, lives and sleeps with his family, wakes up at 8, gets to work at 9.30, with tea breaks, lunch breaks, workers rights unions, leaves work at 5.30 pm, home by 6 pm. in a society where you are not measured by the car you drive.and end of the month, he will make easily ( if he is a construction/ wood worker/ electrician/ normal worker/ Driver) a salary of anything between 150 to 200 dollars in india.
now you go figure why the fuck do these guys come to lick your asses. god knows. i havent been able to figure it out either. there is so much need for workers in india, there are not enough workers. i guess they want to tell their neighbours they are sheiks in gulf. what else can bring them to this misery? sometimes i feel they deserve the torture they get in the gulf.
Please note that the average emarati male is a civil servant, so he is not wealthy. Also likely is he is married he is the sole bread winner in the house; i.e his wife is not working.
Civil servants are not wealthy, a houshold who has a civil servant as its sole breadwinner is borderline poor / middle class. He only becomes wealthy if your sole refference point is the Labourers and maids who work here. Or if you compare him to the locals in neighbouring countries.
All those big cars you see are just for prestige, gotten through debt.
If you are a sheikh, and you can loot the treasury till you cant walk no more; then thats different.
To Blogger 16:03
The Westerners have created
alot of things but if You really want to understand invention, it takes years and sometimes hundreds of peeps to work on Items..It was a Black man that invented the Street light btw n not to mention alot of Jewish people have invented now the Arabs are the half brothers of the Jews so it is not just Luck and Circumstance for
certain people out of necessity and human brain that propels "MAN" to invent, Ancient Egypt created and so much more other nations!
America is a newer kind of Nation that is filled with alot of other Nation people and it took 100's of years and it did have a Civil war and Slavery
So don't BIG UP the West like they have a patent on smarts or intellect...It is by God's Grace that man has acheived what it has, if it isn't by Grace then all our Nations of the World would be Ignorant Apathetic Anarchist Survival of the Strongest mentality that would of done ALL of us in years ago...
FREEDOM..release the chains that bind you and learn to LOVE and accept the Arab people for who they are and not want the WEST(erners) think they should be or told to be...It is all in good time and the World is becoming smaller everyday in meaning that the technology and science is leaping n bounds and at a much faster pace than lets say the Industrial Revolution happened in Europe.....
God Bless everyone, especially those who TRULY seek him out!
And that can be from the lowly Indian Servant to the most richest Sheik to a Middle Class American to a Drug abusing British person to a convict in Russsia to a Mother in Argentina...
For God so LOVED the World!
Anon above.....
I dont doubt what you say, & this place might be better in the future. But all I am saying is at the moment the sheikhs all over the middle east are stealing despite the fact all over the middle east poverty is very common.
We can beat the bush for as much as we want, the fact sheikhs are stealing their nations wealth is a fact. This adulation and idolatory directed at them is wholly un warranted.
In most of the other places people have woken up, albeit an impotent awekening.
Dont let the one or two who defend the system here fool you into thinking their opinions are representative. They are not, I assure you. Most people know the game is rigged; & they try to play it too. its a trickle down effect from the top to the bottom.
You see all these western expatriates here, well at one point Saudi had the same phenomenon. They are no longer there when the shit hit the fan. You could go to Saudi and most of the compounds built to house westerners have now been taken over by Saudi families.
The westerners will eventually go where the grass is greener. The natives are the one who will be left with the 7 royal families who will by then have grown immensely consuming ever more of the nations resources. Lets take an example, Look at sh zayed. Most people agree he was good and all that (he was a thief too), and he helped the country. Now sh Zayed left many many sons, I believe 21 in total or something like that.
All those sons will eventually want to live like papa. All those sons will have multiple wives, and ad infinitum. Now you see how the game sucks. Even if you have a reasonable leader, who most will agree sh zayed to be, it eventually goes to the level of shit. Why does it do that? Because the game is rigged played in a shitty ground. We all eventually smell of shit.
Dont you guys be hard on the locals. They are not lazy, they are just playing the same game that is played on the top. Why bust your ass off when you have a sons of bitches wasting the nations resources on theirselves, and cronies.
dubai has just launched "The Universe"
!!
"Only half of The World’s islands have been sold, but Sultan bin Sulayem, Nakheel’s chairman, says Dubai is pressing ahead with another offshore project."
And my favourite: "Memorably dubbed “Donald Trump on acid”, Dubai has projects on the go from mundane identikit villas stretching deep into the desert to bizarre novelties, such as recreating an entire quarter of Lyon, including museums and universities."
Hey, Van Gogh, Da Vinci, and a lot of visionaries were considered lunatics. Then again, I can't help wonder sometimes.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/86ee5664-c793-11dc-a0b4-0000779fd2ac.html
Just to re emphasise my point about saudi.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/4da1549e-c552-11dc-811a-0000779fd2ac.html
At one point Saudi was considered one of the richest countries in the world. I remember as a young man the port was so full we used helicopters to unload ships at port. My horror sentence from the article
"economists say a large section of Saudi society should either be counted as middle class or lower income". The reality is more lower income.
There is nothing special about Saudi, the same shit that was there, is here.
@ Anonymous 21 January, 2008 14:17
You're right. Americans normally have a lot of kids because half of them get shot or die from diseases!! I'm sure in the competition of brain size, you wouldn't stand a chance competing with berry family of fruits, let alone citrus ones!!
@Nick_Nolte 21 January, 2008 10:51
If you want to know, my home country is where my home is. Where I earn my life and have my kids growing up.
@Anonymous 21 January, 2008 17:54
I think UAE should request loan from world bank to be able to provide food and drop them by helicopters to all Emirati civil servants. Working really long hours and having only few days of vacation in the year makes this civil servant job really really painful. I've heard some Emarati civil servants disguised in blue coveral were arrested working illegally at construction sites to enjoy better conditions. In other occasions, another batch found in McDonald's, working black. Give-away clue was the fact that they were coming to work with Mercedes S-Class and Porsche cayenne. After selling the cars and leveling their debts, they managed to buy one McFlurry without the need of stealing it from ice-cream machine.
@ Anonymous 21 January, 2008 23:54
Year 2020, Khaleej Daily Tribion paper :
To accelerate the boom of progression in expanding economy, the ophthalmologist of economy vision has announced the new peta-sized project to put cartoon characters on the face of the Gulf in the shape of man-made islands. In this statement, three nominees have been announced after election between 4560 different characters: Bart Simpson, Garfield and Pink Panther. Since no final agreement could be reached, for the first time in the history of Emirates, this would be left to be decided by public voting. All the voters should be Emarati citizen and they have to pay an amount equal to 450DHS to be able to participate in this democratic act. It's worth mentioning that with this last island, UAE territory land would be extended to its furthest just to close strait of Hormoz and convert the Gulf into the biggest lake on earth.
On a separate report, it's been foreseen that supply would surpass demand for UAE housing market in year 2086 and hence rent increase cap has been immediately reduced from 120% to 110%. Also, landlords would not have the right to kill tenants by fire arms in case of none-payment. Leaving serious injury would be still possible provided that landlords don't take the blood stains on the wall as the damage to property.
to progressiveness is a good battle:
I mostly agree with you, I was writing this in a defensive move against the constant west bashing.
I did not say the West invented and created everything, far from it.
But you got my point.
god bless you emirati.
I wonder why we haven't heard a reply from secretdubai. screw you dumbass.
@ Screwed.mind
Thanks for replying to my original post telling me that I should be an actor. I'll take that as a compliment and try and disregard the fact that you would rather be associated with a name like screwed.mind rather than stay anonymous.
If the only difference that you see between the UAE and europe is the price of cigarettes then I think that any response to your post is a waste of time. However, in an effort to stay fair I'm giving you the benefit of a doubt.
I have neither submitted to anything nor am I naive in any way when I speak of leaving the locals alone. I'm just pointing out the obvious, that this is not our country and if there are ANY changes they would not effect us in any life altering way. They might merely make our few years in the UAE a bit more comfortable.
You have no right to ask for anything to change here like in Europe. You can't vote, you can't voice your discontent and you knew all of that before you came here. If there's any money being spent, if anybody's stealing these funds and using them for ridiculous luxuries, well these are none of your concern as the money belongs to the PEOPLE of this country and not you.
Let them ask for it, fight for and ultimately get it. You should just stay out of it and try and solve your own problems in your own country, which regardless of where you come from, are numerous.
What secretdubai does is report certain goings on in this country which are amusing and maybe a bit weird. She brings the (real) news to the public which is commendable as no one else seems to have the balls to do this. Ofcourse, he/she also has his/her own style of writing, which at times is a bit satyrical but that only adds to the entertainment value of reading these articles. It's reporting with a twist and with a bit of luck it will reach the people of this country and get them thinking. Secret is actually doing some GOOD!
On the other hand, all you are doing is widening the chasm between east and west. You seem to be blind to your own faults and try to boost your own ego by pointing at the smallest things that don't suit your taste and making a big deal out of them, thereby proving to yourself that you are better than others.
I'll speak of a country that I know well: Italy.
Unemployment is one of the biggest problems of this nation, people have to struggle to make ends meet and the last thing that a 24 year old guy would be thinking of is how expensive cigarettes are. Yes, the country and all other european countries including my native land do have other things to offer young people. A healthier lifestyle, better weather, guaranteed rights for all the people and so on... But you would not be able to run to a hotel every evening and have a drink with your friends followed by a 50 euro meal every night. You would not have the financial ability to travel as I have done, to meet people from so many cultures, to be relaxed and know that even if you were to loose your job you have enough kept aside to tide you over until you find your next job rather than try and live on government handouts and spend years at the unemployment office.
I have not given up any of my rights, because I realise exactly what my rights are in this country. I DO make compromises as not everything is the way that I am used to but so far I figure that things pretty much balance each other out.
When I said that I would kick out all westerners (including myself) out of this country I was speaking hypothetically, but ofcourse you wouldn't understand that.
Out of all the people who visit this site, you were the only person who had an objection to what I wrote which pretty much tells me all I need to know about you. You don't see logic.
On that note, I'd like to ask you to supply some facts about yourself if you want to continue this discussion so that i can speak to you on your own level. Keep in mind that there is no way you can "win" this argument as I am not claiming that the UAE is perfect while you seem to be under the impression that your country is.
OBL
@ anonymous 16:03 21st Jan
Here's a link to educate you a bit
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inventions_in_the_Islamic_world
Get off your high horse please and stop making a fool of yourself. I wouldn't want people to think all westerners are like you.
To every body else who actually knows a bit of history, I apologize on this guys behalf. We are not ALL so stupid.
to anon at 16:05.
I actually went to school, and studied a bit of history. And history of the arab world, and arab litterature etc.
Once again, you haven't read me properly.
My post, which was a bit provocative, was only written as a defense against the arab rethoric that the West is corrupted, on the decline, and so on. Whilst that might be true, I just wanted to remind a few blogers here that their life would be quite different shouldn't all those western inventions have come to them.
Now, ok, arabs did some maths and astronomy, medicine and surgery, a bit of architecture too, mostly between the 13th and th 15th century, I don't disagree with that, but it's not in contradiction with what I said, is it??? No it's not!
Although it might be a rethoric technique of yours, don't make me said things I never said! Thanks
anon who has accomplished a lot in the UAE
You are comparing apples and oranges by comparing yourself (obviously the son of a well off family) to an average 24 year old in Europe.
You have been lucky enough to be able to spend 50 euros for drinks and dinner every night, but dont forget that is not something every 24 year old in the UAE can afford.
Similarly if you talk of a 24 yr old in europe who dropped out of university, he would be likely to struggle as mentioned.
Actually, reading your post for the second time, I don't see any factual argument, nothing solid.
1.)"Here's a link to educate you a bit
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inventions_in_the_Islamic_world"
Either you haven't read what I wrote or your just want to insult me. Did I say that there havn't been any arab inventions? Where did you read that? So it's an insult.
2.)"Get off your high horse please and stop making a fool of yourself. I wouldn't want people to think all westerners are like you. "
Once again, what's your point here?
3.) To every body else who actually knows a bit of history, I apologize on this guys behalf. We are not ALL so stupid."
That's an insult. Full stop. Pointless, useless!
Anyway, I don't really care what you think but I just wanted to demonstrate how lame and dishonest your post was.
Well anon @ 15:52, you're probably the one who doesn't see logic.
Logic is, Dubai, Gulf countries, are rich, richer than many european countries, that's correct. Now, how they became rich is another story. Well, nothing to ashamed of, it's because they're sitting on a big pile of fossile fuels. I'm sure it's not a surprise to you. The West came and allowed these natural ressources to be exploited for the mutual and reciprocal benefit of GCC nationals and Westerners.
You might say "Dubai has diversified away from oil". Correct, to a large extent, but the vast majority of the capital invested in Dubai and managed in Dubai actually comes from petrol. It's called: "petrodollars". GCC macro economy 101. Go to OECD or World Bank or IMF for links, etc.
In conclusion, it is completely irrational to compare the economy of the UAE and its benefits (including to the expat community), such as your ability to go and have a EUR 50 bill every night, to another, more 'traditional' economic model, such as Italy's.
To anonymous at 18:23
Just one point:
*In conclusion, it is completely irrational to compare the economy of the UAE and its benefits (including to the expat community)*
Thank you for finally saying something that makes sense. Since it is irrational to compare the economy and the benefits of the UAE to Europe or anywhere else for that matter, then please stop comparing altogether. This is NOT Europe or India or the U.S.A., This is the UAE. It has it's own identity, it's own rules and is not comparable to anywhere else.
Your initial response was all about criticizing how things are run in the UAE and how unsatisfactory they are. Ofcourse in order for you to come to the conclusion that Dubai, in fact, is NOT a nice place then you must have compared it to somewhere better since if you didn't know of any place better then you would think Dubai is great.
So how can you criticize the UAE based on comparisons and then tell me that it is irrational to compare??
I'm really interested in your response.
OBL
To anon at 18:01
Please don't force me to be insulting again.
The arabs and the Islamic world, ( no matter how much we don't like it ) gave us things like the first medical universities, came up with the concept behind the camera, the parachute, chemistry, architecture and so on... PLEASE go back to the link and read through it and try and figure out how all of those have affected our lives.
Without some of those inventions we would have never been able to come up with the Air conditioning Unit, the car, the fridge etc.
Also, PLEASE do no tell me that had they not done it then the westerners would have because the argument can actually be used as a double sided blade.
I'm sorry if I insulted you but such blatent ignorance is offensive to ANYONE who knows what's what in the world and is also exactly why people from my country and the rest of europe look down at the people of this area.
Ignorance.
OBL
P.S. Anon @ 17:58 I am still studying and working at the same time, do not come from a filthy rich family and my whole point was exactly what you said. You can NOT compare the the UAE with the rest of the world because it's not fair.
i honestly feel so bad for any emiratis reading this blog, i wonder how they must feel knowing that they are so disliked on here, id just like to tell them that the people who are posting on here are a sad minority, the majority (regardless of nationality) love the uae
Debs: Hence the misunderstanding. Criticism does not equate to hate. Most of the guys/gals love this place and get upset when they see things that they disagree with. If they hated it or they would simply let things be.
@ Anonymous signing off as OBL
For the start, if you earn enough to pay 50EUR meals every night, it'll make it 250DHS per night and more than 7000DHS per month. Adding drinks and cigarettes, your bill will top up 10,000 DHS per month for ur nightly entertainment. Logically, this will make u worth more than 40K DHS per month or around 500K DHS per year!!
Please don't tell me all 24 year old westerners are earning this much; else, I will kick my British friend's liar butt telling me he's earning far less as a top engineer!
Else, you definitely show signs of being a petty-bourgeois. This is something you chose to be and I don't want (and don't have the right) to argue it with you.
No one is making absolute comparisons trying to prove good or evil, neither saying all Europeans are junkies nor all locals are bloody rich. But one thing for sure, I look at two sets of data: cost of living and quality of life and putting these two together always make Dubai a bizarre place. You might wanna look at some data here yourself.
If you are here for just few years, if you earn enough that don't give a shit if you loose your job and if you have a logical social system that you can revert back whenever you want to pack and bugger off, this doesn't mean everyone else is living your pattern.
If all you care is meals and hotels, I'd say you're being cheated in Dubai. Try Bangkok for real price performance(cigarettes are even cheaper then)!!
BTW, I read somewhere Italians are the most adventurous people in Europe. With all the description you gave me, I guess their adventure can't be extended beyond Malta due to limit on funds!
PS : If you have 50 EUR meals every night, you should be high on cholesterols, so as a friendly suggestion, make periodical checkups before you are broke. Else, there would be no social security to take care of you!
I quote something from Bill Gates here : "Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can't lose."
And I add a second part : "And it makes dumb people thinking they are smart."
@ all stupid people above discussing inventions.
First of all, equating Arabs and Islamic World is a sign of some screwed up text books in schools written by some crazy heads. Back then, Lots of those inventors and scientists were not ARABS, rather coming from India, Pakistan and mainly Persia.
Secondly, debating the source of science and inventions. I guess we should thank Neanderthals inventing useful things like using stones to kill animals and stuff like that! They were originated somewhere in Europe, so it's correct to say we owe Europe for that!!!!
You're bunch of morons!
Hehehe
Nice come back Screwed.mind.
All you could think of is to guess at how much I earn and call me bourgeois!
Alright, so you can't stick to the point when arguing, contradict yourself at every turn and are just generally confused. Now I know why you don't earn as much as I do even though you're probably twice as old.
You just sound like a bitter old woman who's disenchanted with life.
And now, in true Bourgeois fashion, I declare that you are BORING me. Find something intelligent to say instead of this utter rubbish that makes no sense to anyone except to yourself and I'm not even sure of that.
You're out of your depth buddy.
OBL
My point was the sheikhs are stealing. As long as we have consensus on that, then thats fine. No one has disputed this argument.
@ anon above
NO WE DONT ALL "have consensus on that". I think you have lost it. No one has disputed this argument? Go up and read the 110 comments. That should tell you something unless you re stupid and thick as a brick.
prick!
I have seen those comments: not one of those comments has challenged the premise that the sheikhs are thieves.
Sorry, you better find yourself another idols. This particular brand of idolatory of the sheikhs has been proven to be a hoax. They have been proven human after all. With no system of checks and balances, they have behaved exactly like the way they were expected to behave. Thieving sheikhs, robbing sheikhs, lala lala lala.......oops.
In your triumphant progress through life, OBL, you appear to have got by oblivious to the fact that "its" used in the possessive sense does not require an apostrophe. Oh! OBL is short for oblivious, then?
@ Anonymous signing off as OBL
Well, if the truth is boring, maybe you have to stick to the lies that are more fun to hear.
Remember, the topic for this post is about overrating, it's about selling lies and how every ad about Dubai postures a bright future.
You represent an ideology that circles around making money and as far as the wheel spins, you wouldn't care if you run over others to go ahead. Maybe it's because (as you're claiming) you're not from this region and since it's a "foreign" territory for you, its shit is not yours. People are gauged by their income and your interest in someone goes by as far as his/her paycheck goes.
But I represent an ideology that cares how things interact in a society and for me there is no foreign territory in where I've been. I do care if there is a modern slavery going on, and I do care if ethnical discrimination has become decrees of governors.
else, I've never been assimilated to an old woman. It was funny, like a sudden cute confession of a 6 years old kid out of the blue!!
BTW, I have an Italian friend. I told him what you said about Italians and he said something nasty :D I'm not going to repeat it here!
screwed.mind:
You’re just full of it, aren’t you..
Don’t talk like you know Arabs very well, when you happen not be one @ 23 January, 2008 02:02
You’ve been on & off with every single person who posts here, regardless of their point of view or nationality, which at times you happen to share. It’s either what you think or what you think. First, we don’t all think alike. Second, we’re not all screwed like yourself. Third, Grow up.
Remember, the topic for this post is about overrating, it's about selling lies and how every ad about Dubai postures a bright future.
Since when was the post about that? Have you managed to sum it all up, or is it that your multiple-personality wrote it.
Now tell me since you happen to know much about thievery & PR. What are the lies that are being sold? Eh? Give me a country that its ad’s doesn’t aim to posture a bright future with its investments? Perhaps where you come from, planet Uranus.
Leave your ideology to yourself. The UAE, its people & rulers are unwilling to care about it. Xenophobia? Hell yes! (how would you like it if some foreign pig tries to spread their ideology by manipulating you & your system, regardless of how it is – the most important thing is how its people feel, which for sure are grateful & satisfied)
If our Sheikh’s are thieves, well your Queen is one professional crook & don’t tell me she doesn’t steal.. no no no.. the world would be disappointed if you disagree.
OBL:
I see the rage is on you. I suggest you cut down on how wealthy you happen to be. The game being played here is ‘wealth built on thievery’. They suffer from Plutophobia, so don’t blame them!
Can I interject between you two, I am getting mentally stimulated by reading both of your answers and comebacks and I must say as a Women, that is so democratic of you two to discuss the issues...Ahh...I think that in every country on God's Green Earth corruption and theivery happens everywhere, To tell you the truth the Americans probably do it best under Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness! I am just waiting to see who's been checkmated!
@Emarati
Thanks for gifting Queen to me as "My Queen". Last queen I had was some 30 years ago...
Well sir, to your disappointment, I have interacted with Arabs, I worked with them, have/had family, friends and foes amongst them. Still I don't remember anywhere I claimed to know Arabs very well but to my scales, I have dealt with Arabs from every Arabic speaking country in the world. But I don't think we're talking anthropology here...
So, back on the track, I do agree with a lot of comments here. For instance with yours:The UAE, its people & rulers are unwilling to care about it. Absolutely! Just one little twist here, it's true that UAE has a small local population, but it's kind of hard to believe you represent them everywhere like this. I would recall the whole subject of the sentence and replace it with one word: "I"
Comparing you to Anonymous OBL(that you have been motherly soothing against my "rage" ), there is a huge overlap: Extreme egoism nourished by wealth.
I seriously doubt the cause of xenophobia is what you said about piggies. I guess you wouldn't care if it's monarchy, aristocracy, democracy, plutocracy or just bush-man's land if the money keeps pouring in. Whatever threatens your back account in slightest way is of course a rejected idea.
I don't despise financially wealthy people in general; if you sort all the people by their wealth, always there is one behind and one after you. But I certainly don't grow my ideology around wealth only.
I guess I said it here once before, I don't think Shaikhs are specifically thieves; It doesn't go into the definition of thievery if how you gain is what you legislate yourself.So within UAE border that claim is technically not plausible.
@Progressiveness is a Good Battle
Well, I totally agree with you. Corruption has co-existed along the history of human being. But there are certain people that interpret anything into corruption, things like tax, social security or sometimes plain insurance!
As for the chessboard, I guess checkmate doesn't signify anything if your opponent has already claimed hard victory!
Hmmmm.....
Screwed.mind, My whole point is that it's not your or my place to tell people what to do in their own country. Seems to me that you're just bitter about how your life has turned out and want to take it out on every one else. Grow up.
If you absolutely HAVE to get yourself involved in everything then I would suggest that you go back to Iran and try whining about the regime there. Although, I'm sure we'll miss you. I'm not sure there's internet access in Tehran's Jails.
Tell your Italian friend to go for a holiday to Napoli. Maybe a motorcycle ride through San Giorgio a Cremano with a helmet on. He'll know what I mean if he's REALLY Italian.
@ Pedant
I am flattered that the only thing you could find wrong with my posts is a single spelling mistake. I'm sure there are more but make sure that when you want to bring the rest of them to my attention, also attach your English language and literature teaching degree or equivalent.
@ emarati,
I have never actually said that I spend 50 euros a night personally although it's not that far off from the truth.
This discussion is absolutely useless and the only reason I'm continuing this is because I am getting mental images of screwed.mind jumping up and down on his bed screaming hysterically and then banging on the keyboard in an attempt to say something smart back. Although it's cruel, I find this very amusing. Call it the whims of the rich. ;)
OBL
I would like to further engage in that theory with you in regards to the Chessboard game and Hard Victory. I would like to ask who you would think the hard victory is won by? I think the game is on, and the first rule of chess is to KNOW your opponents weakness...I think the ole sayin is It ain't over till the fat lady sings!
guys, i think its time for you all to GET A LIFE!!!!
what the hell are you doin blabbin, and posting senseless comments?
hmmm.. no wait.... don't.. pls continue... otherwise i'd be bored out of my mind . . wheres that damn popcorn....
Emarati says "Now tell me since you happen to know much about thievery & PR. What are the lies that are being sold? Eh? Give me a country that its ad’s doesn’t aim to posture a bright future with its investments?"
I would just like to focus on this- yeah you are right, every country would try to do this. But in all those countries, you will also have independant media that would bring in some semblance of truth out, not just the sugar coated lies as in dubai. you would know the upsides and downsides of UK and US before you land there, but as for DUbai, the downsides hit you from the moment you land at the airport, not before that.
if you see the ads of dubai, and see the pR articles published through freebies and payment, you will think you have a great heaven going. after all the build up i was expecting a country with some amazing cultural experience, greates affordable shopping,incredible lifestyle, great work opportunities, true multiculturalism, modern values etc . What i found are :
1. Culture : Nothing that even remotely intrests of impresses anyone, whether it be music or dance or art of anything you would define as culture. nothing existed.
2. Shopping : complete rip off in many cases, a camera lens worth 600 usd in america is 950 usd in dubai.
3. incredible lifestyle : yeah , wake up at 5 am, start driving at 6 to get to office at 8.30, work till night, and another two hours to get home if you are lucky. min 9 hours legally.and no one has any time to spend with anyone after all the traffic jams and long drives.and the heat- not even worth starting. 9 months of bloody summer, going up to hair curling heat.
4. work opportunities : yeah, bonded labor, once you land with a contract, you cant change your employment for the next few years, till your master decides if you are worth letting go. and of course, you passport often resides in his draw, in case you have second thoughts.
5. multi culturalism - yeah, as advertised some 199 nationalities live in dubai. what is not advertised is all those live in 199 different ghettos, none mic with anyone else, you will never see asians with whites or blacks with asians, you will see completely discriminated groups who only interact with their likes, in office, and outside.even the whores in cyclone are divided between chinese, russian, lebanese, asian and egyptian.
you are entitled to your opinions emaratit, but so are others. ask anyone who has landed in dubai if they disagree with any of what is written above. now let me ask you, what is wrong with the public image of Dubai. perfect shining modern state isnt it.
Can I just add that emarati is most probably a crony of the sheikh's. I can assure you most locals do not share his views. Most of them do care if public money is thieved. There is no local anywhere in the Arab countries that doesnt care. He speaks solely for himself, in his various guises as anon or emarati.
Regarding thievery, Arab Royal families take a % of the national wealth, as high as 30%. Dont come up with your mumbo jambo about the western rulers. If there is one thing about western rulers which they do correctly is that they dont steal so mercilessly from their people.
They is no way to package shit nicley, i'm sorry. I tell you what, why dont you compare them with Nigerian rulers, that way it will be a fair contest.
By the way emarati, if you happen to be a prince, please dont believe the fawning thats directed at you, & how people are happy. they are not. And do grow up, stop using the royal "we".
@ OBL
I'm happy you found your perfect match here. I think you and Emarati should hook up together, raise food spend from 50EUR to 100EUR and enjoy life to its full extents.
What amuses me is that you keep saying this discussion is useless but apparently my nonsense brings you orgasmic sense and you feel a divine mission to come back and bash me! On the contrary, I think this discussion is very useful, it's useful for me to understand how rich-snobs think; seriously, it stinks!
To this moment, I neither whined about anything nor told people what they should do. Maybe you should read all my nonsense and after having few more orgasms and cooling down, you might get it.
So hang in there my friend, amongst the herd and I'm sure outside there would be a scary world for you, boo.
Basta.
@Anonymous 24 January, 2008 11:57
Buddy, it looks like it's you that doesn't have a life! Anyway, the next show is already on in here, so keep tuned!
dubai sucks cock big time!
I agree to those people
Sarkozy's son, 23, ignites uproar over job bid
PARIS – He's 23 and has no college degree, and he's angling for a plum job overseeing France's premier business district. Jean Sarkozy, whose papa is the nation's president, is likely to get what he wants.
Outraged critics are crying nepotism, and say the brash bid by President Nicolas Sarkozy's son is an affront to France's egalitarian values. Leftists are decrying the prospect of the wealthy "Sarkozy clan" intertwining itself even more intimately with the realm of big business.
STOP TALKING ABOUT BLOODY DEMOCRACY AND THE ANGELIC CHARACTER YOU ARE IN EUROPE OR THE USA
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