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I lived in a house on the beach in Jumeira from 1989-1999 and loved it -- no tourists, very few people on the beach, traffic was a breeze, the pace was slow, and the tallest building (by far) was the Trade Center next to the Hilton. Sheikh Zayed Highway to Abu Dhabi was just a long, empty stretch of road through the desert -- with only two lanes, as I recall. In other words, it was a completely different place back then. The changes started happening toward the end of my time in Dubai and I was happy to leave before it turned into what it has become today. You couldn't pay me enough to go back...even for a visit. I'd rather remember it the way it was.
Location: The western periphery of Terra Australis
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I'll probably stop-over for a couple of days on my way to Europe, mainly to see the spectacle of the world's tallest building (the thing is absurdly tall, like twice as tall as the Willis/Sears Tower).
It's too tall if you ask me.. too much money, not enough sense.
Still, Dubai and the UAE in general has done well for itself after the oil was discovered.. if I had to go to the Middle East either UAE or Kuwait would be for me..
Dubai
Abu Dhabi
Doha
^Those are the places to be in the Middle East.
You hear the names of two cities in the Middle East. Mecca for religious reasons, and Dubai for worldly ones. Dubai is to the Middle East what New York was to the US in the early 20th century or what London was to the world in the late 19th century. It is the place where people know things are happening. If you are from a Middle Eastern country, and you want to be where the action is you go to Dubai. If you are from a Middle Eastern country and want education, work experience, or any other career oriented item equal to what can be gained in the West without leaving the Middle East you go to Dubai.
However, Abu Dhabi flies under the radar. They bailed Dubai out when they got behind on debt payments, and the thing is despite it being a ridiculous amount of money it really wasn't all that much to Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi is the capital of the UAE and a world class city in its own right, but it lets Dubai get all the press because it doesn't need it.
Doha is really the new kid on the block. They are up and coming, but they aren't as flashy as Dubai. This is partly because they are mostly about business and are not as interested in attracting tourists as Dubai is. I think with the World Cup in a few years and hopes of hosting the Olympics in the near future they are really poised to challenge Dubai in the 2020s.
Keep an eye on the UAE in the future too as the other emirates besides Abu Dhabi and Dubai are just starting to open up to foreign business in similar manners. They are doing what Hong Kong did only better because they have even less taxation and regulation on business with a few exceptions.
Doha is really the new kid on the block. They are up and coming, but they aren't as flashy as Dubai. This is partly because they are mostly about business and are not as interested in attracting tourists as Dubai is. I think with the World Cup in a few years and hopes of hosting the Olympics in the near future they are really poised to challenge Dubai in the 2020s.
Doha, Qatar. I'll have to look out for that one.
How about OMAN in all of this? I've heard the people are real nice there.
Location: The western periphery of Terra Australis
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I can't believe Qatar is going to host the 2014 World Cup.
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