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[Sheikh N Bake]

As one economist with whom I agree said, Dubai has not spent those huge sums of money on research and development and has not pushed an innovation-based environment. The money has been spent on Emirates Airlines (obviously heavily subsidized), big buildings built by slaves, etc. (Yes, when you don't pay workers their 500-dirham wages for 7 months and work them 12 hours in the Gulf sun, it's slavery.) The city has simply invited a lot of companies to set up offices there and import-export-re-export, launder money, etc., and most of it is PR rather than any substance.

I might add that it's like a brick veneer on a house--not solid brick, just the appearance. Things go south, companies pack up and there's nothing left.

The NY Times today says "Despite constant, furious reinvention and desperate attempts to direct the world�s focus to her door � Come see the world�s tallest tower! A fountain visible from space! A shopping mall that sprawls across 12.1 million square feet! � this city is in danger of losing her oxygen. Without positive publicity, Dubai ceases to exist meaningfully on the world stage."

I think that's an insightful and probably true statement. Compare with, say, New York, which for decades had nothing but bad PR...but its substance was always there. It remains there now that crime has reverted to 1967 levels for the past 10 years.

Mere schadenfreude? A bit, perhaps. But others in the US media still praise Dubai as a cosmopolitan place with a bit of freedom compared to the rest of the ME.

What turned me off totally from my former workplace was the Gulf News item last year that people spent THREE HOURS in their cars just to get to some new mall. What is that? Three hours in your car just to get to a mall 4 miles away? This is what people find worthwhile? And of course once they got there, according to reports, parking was inadequate.

Ghalas, done with Dubai.

[007]

Not khalas, may be Dubai is ill, but not dead!

Innovation! It seems you forgot the innovation of camels in the Dubai's desert!

Well, first Dubai, then who will be the next?
I think Dubai financial problem is a tiny one compared to the world economy and to what will happen when NY, Washington, and London collapses come!
Dubai will be rescued by its big brother, Abu Dhabi, it is only a matter of time!

I wonder, in one year or two, how many Americans will be flying to Dubai or Harare to escape the future high inflation!

Now, the Chinese are 'roaming' in Dubai..... watch out!

[washingtonpost]

Some Emiratis glad Dubai's ambitious plans dented

Andrew Hammond
02 Dec 2009


Dubai nationals were alarmed by the fallout from the emirate's debt standstill, but many hope the crisis may stem the torrent of foreigners into the conservative Gulf Arab city, where locals are outnumbered ten to one.

The freewheeling emirate, one of seven that form the United Arab Emirates, sent jitters through global markets last week when it announced that one of its flagship developers had asked for a six-month repayment freeze on some debt.
The global financial crisis over the last year has tarnished Dubai's growth model - neo-liberal, East Asian-inspired and tightly managed from the top by ruler Sheikh Mohammed.

Construction work has slowed. Dubai's debt pile is now estimated by Moody's ratings agency at $100bn.

Most Emiratis say they are proud of the UAE's global name, gained largely through Dubai's glamorous projects such as man-made islands in the shape of palm trees and architectural gems such as the sail-shaped Burj al-Arab hotel.

But as foreigners flocked in, Emiratis were reduced to barely a tenth of Dubai's 1.7 million population and their share of UAE's 4.2 million total population is not much greater.

Radio talk shows and internet debate have portrayed the issue as a crisis in the past year.

"I don't have anything to lose in this financial crisis," said Ebtisam al-Kitbi, a politics professor at the UAE University in al-Ain. "As an activist and academic, I view it as an advantage for us as Emiratis."

"There was only the sound of real estate here, and if you criticised anything, they said 'you are against development'," Kitbi said, adding that major trading families had their own commercial interest in what was termed the "Dubai model".

Dubai was the UAE and Gulf Arab pioneer in allowing foreigners to own property in certain areas, encouraging wealthy Arabs, Asians and Westerners to buy into the dream.

The rulers and certain merchant families have been the biggest local beneficiaries of the affluence. Most Emiratis work in the government sector and some live modestly.

While foreigners cluster in the cities and luxury skyscrapers, Emiratis tend to live separately in their own communities, jealously guarding their traditions.

"Emiratis are relieved a bit due to the international financial crisis, but it is nowhere close to where people would like to see the country heading," said UAE blogger Ahmed Mansoor. "I believe the UAE has reached the point of no return when it comes to demographic imbalance."

Defiant tone
The tone was defiant during UAE national day celebrations this week, where miniature models of iconic Dubai buildings and Sheikh Mohammed's book "My Vision" - lauding a "make the desert bloom" miracle - have been paraded through the streets.

On a TV talent show, the audience gave a special cheer when the name of the man behind Dubai's "miracle" was mentioned.

The Dubai ruler, also UAE vice president and defence minister, came out fighting on Tuesday, saying the global reaction to the debt crisis had shown "a lack of understanding".

Dissent has been muffled in a society encouraged by official media to go along with the runaway development brought about by their rulers' policies. The UAE has a federal advisory body, but less than one percent of Emiratis are eligible to vote.

Media activity criticising rulers or harming the economy faces heavy fines in a draft media law waiting approval.
Emirati political scientist Abdul-Khaleq Abdullah, who signed a rare petition against the draft law this year, said the authorities were now keen to assuage local concerns.

"On a fundamental level, there is a realisation that this country has managed to cater to expat needs too far and they paid little attention to local, national concerns," he said.

"They don't want to get locals too angry. The state is one step ahead of a demand from locals."

Foreigners are being encouraged to dress modestly, some were arrested for eating in public during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, and two Britons were tried last year for engaging in sexual activity out of wedlock and in public.
The foreigner majority is even cited in UAE domestic discussion as a reason for avoiding democracy, since that could encourage long-term residents to demand a say in governance.

"It's safer to have 90 percent of the population as foreigners, as long as locals can have some kind of elite status," said British historian Christopher Davidson, adding that Dubai paid only lip service to controlling expat inflow.

http://www.worldfinance.com/news/worldnews/breaking-views/article902.html

[Sheikh N Bake]

By ghalas with Dubai I meant I am ghalas with it.

The NY Times article is by someone who lives there. S/he mentions it's a lunatic notion that we should (and can) assimilate into the local culture and people.

Assimilate into what? Open welcoming arms? The local literature and theatre? The occasional local wedding? Oh, please, that last one's torture to most westerners--at least to me and many I know. Can we buy camel kidneys in the Dubai supermarkets? If so, do we really want to consume them? Oof.[/i]

[jdl]

http://news.ca.msn.com/top-stories/cbc-article.aspx?cp-documentid=22954913

On the path of all adversity is growth.

[celticbutterfly]

[norwalkesl]

[Green Acres]

[Sheikh N Bake]

You seem to be confused. Of course you aren't a slave, because you probably don't endure the conditions of Dubai construction "workers."

On the global scale, you're misinformed. I've lived for many years in most of the places you've mentioned. Thirty-five years worldwide in 10 countries outside the US, in fact. The UK and Germany are not exactly kumbayah, but Japan and Korea are the most xenophobic (and that's a very polite euphemism) countries in the world that I've come across. In fact, the fake samurai bushido mentality is just below the surface among many in Japan. Well, OK, all that has nothing to do with Dubai, but you brought up xenophobia in western countries, Japan and Asia at large.

[Green Acres]

Misinformed?

I suppose you are agreeing with me that the Dubai experiment is not only a partial success already, but could not be attempted by any other city in the region, and perhaps no other city anywhere in the world? This is one of the most important parts of Dubai -- it simply could not have happened anywhere else -- it is uniquely Emirati.

As for slaves, well, one still needs an acceptable definition. After all, we use the Gregorian calander which was designed by the Romans to organize slave labor. Who is a slave and who is not all comes down to a definition.

I think that slavery was abolished some time ago, but not until most of the developed countries had already used slaves to build up their empires. In Dubai, not only are there no slaves, but the empire has been built up by free men and capital -- most unlike many of the leading developed cities of today. I'm not trying to blacken the eyes of all the colonialists and what-not, but should one wish to claim that there is a problem in Dubai, and perhaps there is, then let them provide facts and clearly defined terms. Calling a construction worker from Sri Lanka a slave is not very nice, in my opinion, nor is it a positive way to look at life. I believe that he has chosen to come to the UAE of his own free will and toughs it out no matter the obstacles -- rather than return to his home. Slaves never had such choices and they were always considered property.

[norwalkesl]

[Green Acres]

The argument is that the Dubai experience -- 1:5 local to foreigner mix in the society -- would not work anywhere else. Thus it is uniquely, Emiriti. I don't understand your point or relevance to the idea.

[Sheikh N Bake]

It's popular among those who don't know history, or gloss over it, that certain western nations built their empires through slavery. The northern states (north of Washington DC) never had slaves. They had the industrial revolution. The New England states were always abolitionist. The southerners didn't build anything with slaves except plantation wealth.

As for Dubai, workers who come there expect to get paid for an honest day's work. When they don't get paid for half a year or more and work a brutal 12 hours in the sun, and they are forced to live in grossly substandard camps, that is a form of slavery--it is human trafficking. There's a definition for you. It's really not very hard to understand.

[sliderama]

i believe the appropriate term might be economic slavery ( i think making $150 a month for full time work qualifies in light of the immense wealth slogging about, this is just exploitation pure and simple, and which is also done to varying degrees in Japan, Korea, Singapore etc...). of course these people do it willingly as they are escaping an even more dire economic situation in their home countries.

furthermore, slavery was legal here in oman until qaboos took power in 1970. so it's still a pretty recent thing, the "hangover" effect of it in my view still remains and gives rise to some of the "dynamic" here wherein people won't change a tire or order from a takeout without expecting hired help to do it for them. there's no denying a "serve me" attitude prevails amongst the locals (which i gather is fairly endemic in the gulf to varying degrees), sure it's technically not slavery but...

[washingtonpost]

The new slavery is bonded labor and indentured servants. Some of these workers spent a small fortune to get over here and owe huge amounts to nefarious middlemen. They get here and find out that the wages they were promised haven't materialized and they are treated like subhumans. Humans Rights talk is all hot air here.