Dubai!! (crime rate, safe, place, people)

[Tiger Beer]

DUBAI!!

We certainly need a topic for this place. Seems to be one of 'the' places to be these days...tons of money and expats and everything else pouring in.

Anyone been...did you like it? Dislike it?

[sacramento916]

I have travelled to the Middle East but not to Dubai. Dubai is an interesting place though, I think of it as the Vegas of the Middle East. That's why I have little interest of going there. Well, I have some curiosity, but I prefer places that are historical and have a deep cultural context such as Cairo, Damascus, Jerusalem. Dubai to me is just a big Vegas.

But I really wonder how this state will develop socially because 90% of the people there are from foreign countries and it is a very transient population. However, I am sure that people will begin to put down roots and because these foreigners are excluded from citizenship, there will be resentment. I cannot see how this society can continue being ruled by a small Arab minority when the vast majority of the people are non-Arabs. I think it will be interesting to see, but right now Dubai is too young and it's hard to tell what will happen.

[NYC809]

I went in 2007 during the month of September. It was exciting see them build the city and seeing the Burj Dubai going up but it was stifling hot, which was expected, a huge margin between the rich and poor, found it annoying that you have to drink at hotels (they don't have bar/pub establishments), traffic WAS TERRIBLE.

It was a good experience as I haven't traveled to the MIddle East before but I would never go back to Dubai again.

Currently they're over their heads in debt.

[Avondrood]

Originally Posted by NYC809

Currently they're over their heads in debt.

Yep, and the property market has been in a serious recession since the financial crisis. I wonder if they will be able to climb out of it.

[Human ego]

Have not been to Dubai and the unexpected but a great city

And I was in that city, inhabited by a few Arabs or of Emiratis in particular

Ie the proportion of the population where a large Allarrobion

[Budke]

I'm there for a few days every few days on my way in/out of Iraq. It's an interesting place to say the least. Visiting the old city and the souks is a lot of fun since it's not packed with vacationing Westerners spending their holiday inside an air conditioned mall paying more for stuff they could buy back home.

Wild Wadi Water Park is a hell of a good time though.

If you ever have a few days there take a trip to Abu Dhabi and go to the Sheikh Zayed Mosque. It's massive and so beautiful.

[IcedQueen]

Been living here for almost 7 years now... have a love/hate relationship with the place. Yes you cannot think of the place as home since it is transient and your visa is dependent on your job. It definitely has grown in the past few years. Traffic is still terrible but its clean, safe and expensive. There are 2 seasons here, hot and very (extremely) hot but you live with it when you are here. Just spend all your time (and money) in malls or run away to cooler climate countries from June to August.

[Chris82]

Dubai is pretty much everything i dislike about the world, neatly packaged into one little place.

[BigCityDreamer]

Originally Posted by Chris82

Dubai is pretty much everything i dislike about the world, neatly packaged into one little place.

I might go up top the Burj Khalifa one day just to say I've been there. But that's about it.

I can't stand to even look at most of those images of Dubai. It's got to be the most artificial place in the world.

[IcedQueen]

Its not that bad. Just this morning I had breakfast at PQ and the 5 guys sitting next to us were American (could hear their accents). The ladies sitting behind me were British and another group was Lebanese. Its a melting pot of over 180 different nationalities and has very low crime rates.

Finally went up Burj Khalifa 2 weeks ago and its amazing! But it only takes you up to 144 (I think?) Still haven't gone into Ski Dubai (indoor Ski Slope) but I guess its worth a visit one day soon. Did the dune bashing thing to death a few years ago but just not worth damaging your vehicle in the sand. Lots of fun though trying to climb the dunes and getting stuck most of the time. Lots of nice old Dubai souks where you can wander in and out of little ally's. Must see is the gold souk. I still cannot believe how openly gold is displayed in hundreds of little stores in one area. Loads of malls with each one competing with the next on facilities so you never short on options on a boring Friday afternoon. All in all ok to stay here for a few years but the heat during summer is just terrible and one can never call this place home. Amazing to see that Shiekh Mohammed drives around on his own in traffic. Pretty easy to spot him as his number plate is "1". No bodyguards or huge entourage driving in convoy with him. You can see his palace from Burj Khalifa.