At least we are Dubai

The 500,000 or so Pakistanis that you claim would agree with you, would agree that Dubai works, they would agree that the electricity does not go off, and that when they turn the tap clean water comes out. But for most of the 500,000 of those Pakistani’s who live in labour camps, have their passports seized, and have to work in the scorching heat the idyllic version of Dubai that the author is above portraying is far from their own reality.

For all the skyscrapers and the arts, for all the pleasant facilities that the author recognizes and enjoys, it may have been built by Pakistani hands but not for their enjoyment.

Many of the luxurious wonders of Dubai which suck in foreign tourists were made by cheap labour from South Asia and beyond. However, they have no rights to claim a share in idyllic image of Dubai that this author portrays.

I am sure if Western visitors or workers had their passports seized by their employers or emirati officials we would instead be reading an article on how the UAE does not conform to international conventions on human rights.

George Fulton argued that Dubai was fake, Conor Purcell seems to be arguing that you need to dig deeper. Both articles debate Dubai as portrayed in post cards. The reality sadly for the majority of Pakistani labourers is far far far removed from issues of sunglasses and arts.Recommend

“Dubai is made of sterner stuff?” That’s not what the international markets seemed to think when the principal payments on the Nakheel Bond were due December 2009. Even though Dubai managed to get the shot in the arm from Abu Dhabi and pay the remaining bondholders off, the mishandling and the complete lack of transparency tarnished Dubai’s prospects severely with international investors.

“If Dubai did fail, what message would that send the rest of the world?”—Perhaps that transparency, regard for human rights, democratic values, freedom of the press, the right to form labour unions, freedom of political thought and all those enlightenment values cannot be overshadowed by money.Recommend

Conor Purcell makes excellent points on how cultural relativism requires a little bit more thought, a little more empathy, a little broader perspective on meta-collectives such as cities or countries. George Fulton’s article was ill-informed, ill-advised and above all, based on a handful of trips (to the mall? I don’t know of any mall that does not pander to consumerism). Tourists, in the garb of cultural guides, is a poor idea.

Deserving riposte, Mr. Purcell (in a nitpick however, pity about the 500,000 Pakistanis living in Dubai bit. Ironic that).Recommend

What’s done is done. Dubai or Karachi? One man’s trash is another’s treasure. Find me a point that should have given me a kick in the back of head after this columnic clash. Make a point.Recommend

This amazing piece of journalism by Johann Hari for The Independent does justice to all I believe Dubai is. George Fulton cannot complete an academic thesis in 750 words but Hari has print space on his hands and he does justice to it.

http://www.independent.ie/world-news/middle-east/the-dark-side-of-dubai-1705098.html

I’m sick of being told how many people love Dubai. Popularity does not mean greatness in any way.

Most Europeans working in Dubai went there as a second choice, only after failing to get satisfactory employment in their home countries. When they reach Dubai, where they are paid an average of 3.5 times more than a South Asian for the exactly same post, they go crazy. Now they have big malls, big beaches and a thriving young population. Praise from the mouths of such people are meaningless.

For all its glamour, Dubai is a pure embarassment for intelligent humanity.Recommend

Rejoinder to George Fulton and Conor Purcell

I seriously think both of them should go to Saudi Arabia and discover the true meaning of sajda and abaya, respectively.

Instead of getting into the ‘George said this’, the writer in an Op-ed piece ought to have given his premise, not him, the full monty treatment. Here it turns out to be tantalising alternative glimpses that only further the stereotypes that were being dangled in the first place.

A person going on a holiday will see things differently from how a resident would, and I am afraid a gora resident will have a vastly different perspective and experience than a S. Asian, and there will be major class disparities at play in the way we perceive things. One should hope that we will get further insights in later columns.

Both the gentlemen have concentrated on bling analysis. Neither works to give any deep understanding, although smart slapstick bombs harm no one.

And, yes, in this year I have already visited Dubai twice and have been a regular for over a decade. I choose what I wish to do and see and I am perturbed at the over-emphasis on Bedouin culture. When I am consulted by friends who consider me an ‘expert’ of sorts, I do not ask them to go to the labour housing areas. It would be as bad as watching people bend down at a designer store…which they do when they try out a pair of shoes. So what?

Note to the editors of Express Tribune: Why don’t you ask all your columnists to write one piece on Dubai from different angles – the wazoo, the Palm Jumeirah, the souk, the Sania-Shoaib sorrowful diaspora, the economic crash, the largest tower, the creek, the museum, the outsize shades, the fake snow, the real sand?

We can then have a closure to the unusual excitement evinced here about Doo-bye. This itself is evidence that it is as phoren as Fendi. And tax free too.Recommend

Take the mediocrity of the entire world, pay them a bit more to win their loyalty and put them all in one place – That’s Dubai. You rock George. People are angry coz they don’t expect a white man to see the inherent soul in a problem stricken Pakistan and the consumer driven existential superficial mindset where the world is headed just can’t tolerate any criticism on the wannabe lifestyle that Dubai tries to oversell as quality of life. Mr. Purcell succinctly attempts to reminds us of the exemplary model that Dubai is built on – one that isn’t based on poverty and violence. That’s really cool Connor: I would however still like to live and see the say when my article titled “At Least We are Pakistan” is published by Khaleej Times in response to your “At Least We are not Pakistan.” Since George initiated the discussion based on the soul of a city and in our case, a country – that is decided by the right of expression. Pakistan with all its problems has still produced the Sadequains, Mohsin Hamids and Nusrats and is continuing to do so. I admire your preference to live in Dubai, but kindly do us a favor – please just visit here once and take the Prada obsessed, Akon worshiping, superficial hedonism seeking robots that we have with you. We’re way better off without them and Dubai will have new recruits to promote its promise similar to what once Americans proclaimed: Land of the Wannabe. You see, it’ll be a win-win for everyone. Wishing you a joyous sojourn at Barasti tonight. Cheers.Recommend

A really weak attempt to rescue the already faltering image of Dubai, the land of phoneysRecommend

I was just at a brunch with a friend. He is keen to move to Dubai in order to make money. The challenge he is facing before making any decision is perhaps the issue of exploitation of human rights of labor workforce from the sub-continet. I do hope Dubai governmen pays heed to international call for improving the conditions of very people who are builiding the city out of sand.Recommend

@Shazia Yousaf.Agreed.It is definitely a matter of perspetive.Recommend

I would love to visit Pakistan and had a planned visit to Peshawar cancelled in the past due to security issues. I am planning to visit Lahore later this year. It is hard to judge a place on a few days, it takes years to understand any country fully – the UAE is no different. It is a lot more complex than it seems at first glance. I look forward to visiting Pakistan in the Autumn and seeing first hand a place I have read so much about.Recommend

I totally get what George Fulton said in his original article about Karachi/Pakistan having a soul vs. Dubai! Karachi is an amazing city teeming with all sorts of cultures and sub-cultures. Dubai is devoid of that coherence of what a city’s soul is usually about!

Someone correctly referred to Dubai as being the Las Vegas of Middle East! Most Americans love to go to Vegas and have a blast for two to three days. Beyond that, you get sick of the fake glitz and glamor. Dubai is the same. The Author was there for 10 ten days that seemed to dry out his soul! There’s something about Zainab Market in karachi that no mall in Dubai can provide! There’s something about the culture in Bohri Bazaar that cant be replicated in Dubai. There’s deep culture in Karachi. Dubai was fabricated under a formula.

Yes, Karachi is more “dangerous” than Dubai, and yes there may not be as much money in Karachi per capita as Dubai. But that was the point of Messieur Fulton’s article to begin with! Its NOT money and glits that makes a place what it is. Its the SOUL!Recommend

This is perhaps one of the worst articles I have ever read, and truly a reflection of the caliber of ‘art’ and literature that Dubai is nurturing. I was looking forward to reading the retort to ” At least we are not Dubai” and hoped to find it as witty as the original article. Sadly, this piece is filled with more quotes from the original work than any of Conor’s real observations, or examples to back up his thoughts.Recommend

Dubai is welcoming for those who have white skin, if you are brown or black then don’t go to Dubai immigration; you will have the most horrible experience of life. You will be made to feel the slave of British colonial era. I live in Dubai but it is a very biased city, which is artificial, and more melanin pigment you have in your skin no Sheikh will respect you. This is the only place in the world where a Cardiologist from Asia has to report to the nurse from Europe because he is……. This is the only place in the world where you will be asked to take off your shoes when on airport but this does not apply to you if you are white. This is the only place in the world where your boss can be 10th fail but yet you have to report to him because you are not white. ………………Recommend

Progress doesnt mean that you deny rights to others. UAE especially Dubai is notoriousely famous for not paying salaris & dues to the hardworking expat labourers from the subcontinent. Dont forget that these very people made what Dubai is Today.Recommend

It was past mid night on Jan 1 when the plane landed on my first visit to Dubai. I had postponed visiting Dubai for many of the aforementioned reasons. But this time it was different – I had arranged to meet a friend there from Mumbai, since I couldn’t fly to Mumbai. You see I am a Pakistani by birth and a US citizen for more than 15 years, I was denied the visa by Trivsa; the third party outfit that issues visas on behalf of the Indian Embassy in San Francisco. I was denied the visa based on my country of birth.

Dubai suffers from the same dilemma as most small to mid size cities in the US. People go there to work and head home to their communities. From Amarillo Texas to Lincoln, Nebraska to Hartford, Connecticut; these cities turn into ghost towns as the sunsets, tumbleweeds roll down the main street and famished alley cats roam the back streets. Urban planners are constantly challenged to revive the “historic” downtown to no avail. But Dubai is a SimCity in the desert. Like a plot out of Stanislaw Lem, it is populated by “imaginary” citizens who show up for work, than disappear. There is a omnipotent presence of the dominant subterranean culture, the secret hand that moves the levers and pulls the strings. It’s desert landscape littered with odd shaped futurist skyscrapers, erected hurriedly – a live model of Lem’s Seventh Sally. But unlike the Walmart associates in the downtown Amarillo who rush home to toss a frozen burger into the pan before the hubby stumbles in with a six pack of Lone Star; the Georgian sales “experts” of Wafi, adorn skimpy black dresses, puff the blond hair like Goldilocks in search of the three bears and show up in the lobbies of the cities abundant 5 star hotels to paddle wares of different sorts. And than there are the tourists, they do what tourists do – rush from one place of interest to the next, accept there are fewer of those and far between, and yet the lure persists.

But having said that, Dubai has provided livelihood to millions; millions who had no hope in their home countries now are landowners much to the chagrin of the local Zamindar – and that alone makes Dubai priceless.Recommend

Dubai is a fairly new country that gained independence in 1971. It doesn’t make any sense comparing it with countries such as Pakistan that gained independence in 1947. Having said that, I feel sorry for Pakistan because in less than 3 decades Dubai has achieved what will take many more decades for Pakistan to achieve. People may boast about history and culture; things that are hardly needed in the present except for the show-case value. The whole world is laughing at the sorry state of Pakistan; instead of fixing it pro-Pakistanis are trying to disregard hard work and intelligent efforts made by cities like Dubai. I bet many Pakistani’s don’t even know that Dubai is not a country, it is a city within United Arab Emirates. Forget about nitty-gritty details, what matters the most is where you feel safe and secure. Over 90% of Dubai residents feel safe in this country. Can Pakistan boast this figure? Not in a couple of decades I think. Pakistan was a mistake – the reason why it was created was apparently “Islam” but the face of “modern women” in the country represents everything but that reason. Good luck to Pakistan and keep singing “Pakistan Zindabad” without realizing what exactly it means.Recommend