The Dubai thread!

titaniumx3 · 24 Jun 2011 at 14:42

shadow_boxer said:
Would never want to travel to the UAE or Dubai. Have you seen the way they treat their foreign labourers? It's truly disgraceful!! Supposedly, the notorious Blackwater founder Erik Prince, has been hired by the "dictatorship" that is their Royal family to "protect" the country against protests etc. And whos has he hired...South African and Colombian mercenaries...nice. Their no better than Gaddafi or Al-Assad.

Still it's almost certainly better than where these workers are coming from.

Also, I think it's hypocritical for developed western nations to cry about human rights, when they themselves got to such positions on slave labour.

sunama · 24 Jun 2011 at 14:57

Slave labour happens EVERYWHERE. And that includes England. I've seen it for myself, with my own eyes.

RoachycaL · 24 Jun 2011 at 16:12

I read this whole article just now:

http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/johann-hari/the-dark-side-of-dubai-1664368.html

took me more than an hour and its pretty disturbing. Some of the stuff is believable to be honest but some seems exaggerated.

Honestly I think the most chilling section for me was the "Taking on the Desert" section - particularity the bottom bit where the woman talks about raw sewage being dumped into the sea.

I would like to visit the place to see what its like, but honestly from reading that article it seems like a sinking ship.

sunama · 24 Jun 2011 at 17:01

Raw sewage being dumped into the Sea is no big deal. This sort of thing happens all over the World. Dumping of rubbish/sewage/unwanted waste into natural waterways as a cheap method of disposal is quite common in developing countries and poorer areas.

I'm very surprised that people in here are behaving as if all the countries in the World are 1st world countries.

Vegetarian · 14 Sep 2011 at 13:55

I Live in UAE and our local policemen are both irish! UAE is zero tolorance.... meaning we have all the same laws mostly as in UK, however if you step over the line dont expect to get away with it as you do in UK.

EDIT: I have a much better standard of living here than I ever did living in the UK.

Cosimo · 14 Sep 2011 at 14:00

Vegetarian said:
I Live in UAE and our local policemen are both irish! UAE is zero tolorance.... meaning we have all the same laws mostly as in UK, however if you step over the line dont expect to get away with it as you do in UK.

EDIT: I have a much better standard of living here than I ever did living in the UK.

Did you return to the UAE or move there with a job?

Vegetarian · 14 Sep 2011 at 14:10

I moved there for a job. Its much like UK... we have all the same shops, M&S, Waitrose, ikea etc...

Shakeel · 14 Sep 2011 at 17:38

RoachycaL said:
I read this whole article just now:

http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/johann-hari/the-dark-side-of-dubai-1664368.html

took me more than an hour and its pretty disturbing. Some of the stuff is believable to be honest but some seems exaggerated.

Honestly I think the most chilling section for me was the "Taking on the Desert" section - particularity the bottom bit where the woman talks about raw sewage being dumped into the sea.

I would like to visit the place to see what its like, but honestly from reading that article it seems like a sinking ship.

good article was an interesting read. the part were they are promised the world but get nothing is really bad

canson1991 · 14 Sep 2011 at 17:42

I would love to go there.

stuman · 14 Sep 2011 at 18:30

are there any casino's there yet? and one which aren't underground and illegal?

magick · 15 Sep 2011 at 09:25

stuman said:
are there any casino's there yet? and one which aren't underground and illegal?

That's the only thing missing from Dubai. If they legalised casinos they'd put vegas out of business over night.

Skidder · 15 Sep 2011 at 09:34

magick said:
That's the only thing missing from Dubai. If they legalised casinos they'd put vegas out of business over night.

Yes, those almost 40 million visitors to Vegas, of which more than 80% are from the US would all go to the UAE to gamble regardless of the greater distances, the US mistrust for destinations in the Arab world, the exponentially higher cost to them, the relative lack of entertainment and amenities and the lack of sufficient hotel beds to absorb them. Even when you are not being conspiratorial you lack logic and any interest in facts

mehuk · 15 Sep 2011 at 09:39

Had a nice holiday there recently, just wanted to add that someone tried to sell me a 'Crony' PSP

Is there a lot of rip off stuff out there?

Also some Chinese Iphone for about a ton, said it had TV on there... but couldnt guarentee what sim it worked with.

Skidder · 15 Sep 2011 at 09:42

mehuk said:
Had a nice holiday there recently, just wanted to add that someone tried to sell me a 'Crony' PSP

Is there a lot of rip off stuff out there?

Also some Chinese Iphone for about a ton, said it had TV on there... but couldnt guarentee what sim it worked with.

yes there is a huge trade in knock off in Dubai

DampCat · 15 Sep 2011 at 09:43

Skidder said:
...and the lack of sufficient hotel beds to absorb them.

Wut?

Skidder · 15 Sep 2011 at 09:52

DampCat said:
Wut?

It is a fact that there are insufficient hotel beds in Dubai to absorb 40 million additional visits (I am an economist specialising in leisure real estate and have worked in Dubai many times on resort and attraction proejcts, including reviewing the government's ambitious tourism figures in light of bed stock projections - I am also currently doing a feasibility study for a major casino resort in Vegas, so 'wuts' aside I am well informed on the issue.)

sunama · 15 Sep 2011 at 10:00

I was under the impression that there are many many high-rise hotels popping up all over the place in UAE...is this not the case?

Skidder · 15 Sep 2011 at 10:34

sunama said:
I was under the impression that there are many many high-rise hotels popping up all over the place in UAE...is this not the case?

Obviously there are. I wan't saying there is a lack of supply of hotels for the current demand (if the UAE ever performed in line with govt expectations there would be a gap but that is another story), I was saying that Dubai couldn't Magickly absorb Vegas' tourism. I know how GD feels about informed opinion based in fact and experience so I shouldn't have bothered

sunama · 15 Sep 2011 at 10:41

So, what you are trying to say is that there are many hotels in UAE, but just not enough to absorb and additional 40M visits/year.

Is that what you meant?

Skidder · 15 Sep 2011 at 11:05

sunama said:
So, what you are trying to say is that there are many hotels in UAE, but just not enough to absorb and additional 40M visits/year.

Is that what you meant?

I am not spoon feeding you. I said there are insufficient hotel rooms to absorb an additional 40m visitors. Dubai's hotels catered to less than 9 million visitors in 2010 to give you an idea of just how right I am!

What requires further explanation? Did I say there are no hotels in Dubai?