A general thread for anything Dubai related.
Surely there's more to this?
Surely there's more to this?
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Only my opinion which no one asked for. I've never had less of a desire to visit anywhere in the world than I do with Dubai.
I just cannot see the appeal.
I just cannot see the appeal.
They literally have to truck away poo because they built buildings without the infrastructure to support them, it's a mess where you have to get a highway to go anywhere, life there is difficult to sustain without AC and you're at the mercy of their laws. What's not to love about the place? 
I can see why the towie types love it.
I can see why the towie types love it.
Same. The place is literally a shrine to human trafficking and slavery. I have heard of things that go on there that are an affront to human dignity.
I live here and have done for nearly 15 years. My three kids were born and raised here. It's not perfect (where is?!) but it is hugely misrepresented in the western media. Are some of the Towie stereotypes true? Absolutely. Are there things I wish were different. Of course. But even in 15 years, the progress that I've seen made here is astounding. People often forget (or don't even know) that the UAE is only 50 years old. I'm very happy to call it my home.
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Already there are posts that contain information that is factually incorrect. I get annoyed with myself for getting drawn into conversations about Dubai online because people are so insistent on believing things that they read in the Daily Mail or saw once on holiday. It's like me visiting the UK, going into Wetherspoons on a Saturday night and then insisting DID YOU KNOW, IN ENGLAND ITS ILEGAL TO NOT HAVE TATTOOS AND BE DRUNK.
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Already there are posts that contain information that is factually incorrect. I get annoyed with myself for getting drawn into conversations about Dubai online because people are so insistent on believing things that they read in the Daily Mail or saw once on holiday. It's like me visiting the UK, going into Wetherspoons on a Saturday night and then insisting DID YOU KNOW, IN ENGLAND ITS ILEGAL TO NOT HAVE TATTOOS AND BE DRUNK.
You're welcome to respond to any comment and have a discussion. There's not much quantifiable I can respond to yours, which is a shame. I'm sure if you live there then there's much more than influencers show of the place and I'm sure everyone would love to hear positive things.
Dubai is pushed by influencers and adverts heavily as the ultimate luxury destination.
Ok, fair point. Let me tell you three things off the top of my head that I love above Dubai.
- Dubai is home to nearly 200 nationalities. There is a huge amount of religious and cultural diversity. My kids go to school with children from all around the world, and this is really celebrated. Every year, school children mark International Day - this involves wearing your national dress, bringing in food from your home country, and sharing something from your culture, whether that's a song, game, story etc. At just 4 years old, my kids learn French and Arabic as part of the curriculum and are exposed to so much - far more than I did in my home counties primary school.
- One of my children has special needs. The level of care he gets here is exceptional - from a dedicated Inclusion team at school, to Occupational and Speech Therapy on tap. Yes, I am fortunate that this is covered by my health insurance (provided to me, by law, by my employer) but for those who don't have 'great' health insurance, there are numerous government and charitable schemes to ensure people get the care they need. People with disabilities (known as People of Determination here in the UAE) are treated with the utmost consideration and respect, with many programmes and initiatives in place to ensure they are protected and empowered - for example, the Sanaad scheme offers free public transport, priority parking, free entrance to places etc. Their rights in educational settings and the workplace are also fiercely protected.
- The summer months are tough, there is no denying that. But for many months of the year, the weather is glorious. As a family, we spend a huge amount of time outdoors - the beaches are lovely and plentiful. You can drive into the mountains and hike. You can camp. You can dive, snorkel, sail, kayak. Health and well-being (physical and mental) is taken very seriously here and whilst we work hard, every weekend is like a holiday.
I get the point about Dubai being pushed as a luxury destination by influencers. But that's just not real life for the majority of us working here. Just as people who live in London don't eat at The Ivy every day or shop in Harrods.
- Dubai is home to nearly 200 nationalities. There is a huge amount of religious and cultural diversity. My kids go to school with children from all around the world, and this is really celebrated. Every year, school children mark International Day - this involves wearing your national dress, bringing in food from your home country, and sharing something from your culture, whether that's a song, game, story etc. At just 4 years old, my kids learn French and Arabic as part of the curriculum and are exposed to so much - far more than I did in my home counties primary school.
- One of my children has special needs. The level of care he gets here is exceptional - from a dedicated Inclusion team at school, to Occupational and Speech Therapy on tap. Yes, I am fortunate that this is covered by my health insurance (provided to me, by law, by my employer) but for those who don't have 'great' health insurance, there are numerous government and charitable schemes to ensure people get the care they need. People with disabilities (known as People of Determination here in the UAE) are treated with the utmost consideration and respect, with many programmes and initiatives in place to ensure they are protected and empowered - for example, the Sanaad scheme offers free public transport, priority parking, free entrance to places etc. Their rights in educational settings and the workplace are also fiercely protected.
- The summer months are tough, there is no denying that. But for many months of the year, the weather is glorious. As a family, we spend a huge amount of time outdoors - the beaches are lovely and plentiful. You can drive into the mountains and hike. You can camp. You can dive, snorkel, sail, kayak. Health and well-being (physical and mental) is taken very seriously here and whilst we work hard, every weekend is like a holiday.
I get the point about Dubai being pushed as a luxury destination by influencers. But that's just not real life for the majority of us working here. Just as people who live in London don't eat at The Ivy every day or shop in Harrods.
Just a few reasons why I donât see the appeal of Dubai:
www.amnesty.org
Direct discrimination against women, being gay is illegal and extreme restrictions on freedom of expression. Not to mention the horrendous issues with modern day slavery.
Obviously every country has problems, but imo the laws in Dubai are just too oppressive to justify even visiting and I think there are far more interesting places to go anyway.
Human rights in United Arab Emirates
Stay up to date on the state of human rights in United Arab Emirates with the latest research, campaigns and education material from Amnesty International.
www.amnesty.org
Direct discrimination against women, being gay is illegal and extreme restrictions on freedom of expression. Not to mention the horrendous issues with modern day slavery.
Obviously every country has problems, but imo the laws in Dubai are just too oppressive to justify even visiting and I think there are far more interesting places to go anyway.
Completely agree.Just a few reasons why I donât see the appeal of Dubai:
Human rights in United Arab Emirates
Stay up to date on the state of human rights in United Arab Emirates with the latest research, campaigns and education material from Amnesty International.
Direct discrimination against women, being gay is illegal and extreme restrictions on freedom of expression. Not to mention the horrendous issues with modern day slavery.
Obviously every country has problems, but imo the laws in Dubai are just too oppressive to justify even visiting and I think there are far more interesting places to go anyway.
Also idk maybe it's just the influencer trips or I'm missing something but it looks like a boring place to go.
You are missing somethingCompletely agree.
Also idk maybe it's just the influencer trips or I'm missing something but it looks like a boring place to go.
Or perhaps you are looking at the wrong sources.tbf influencers can generally make anywhere look boring.You are missing something
Lived there for 12 years from 2007-2019.
I did enjoy my time there, but the best thing I ever did was leave. Now live in Amsterdam and it is so incredible to be back in Europe and back to 'normality'.
Went back for a visit in 2020 as my sister still lives there and almost as soon as I stepped off the plane I thought to myself, 'I've made a huge mistake coming back here'. I absolutely hated it. Will have to go back from time to time to see her, but would happily never set foot in the place ever again.
I did enjoy my time there, but the best thing I ever did was leave. Now live in Amsterdam and it is so incredible to be back in Europe and back to 'normality'.
Went back for a visit in 2020 as my sister still lives there and almost as soon as I stepped off the plane I thought to myself, 'I've made a huge mistake coming back here'. I absolutely hated it. Will have to go back from time to time to see her, but would happily never set foot in the place ever again.
As someone whoâs in a same sex relationship Dubai most certainly isnât on my âto visitâ list.
Iâm sure it seems like a decent place if youâre in an opposite sex marriage with a family but that doesnât apply to everyone.
Theyâre free to make their own laws just as Iâm free to decide against going there.
Iâm sure it seems like a decent place if youâre in an opposite sex marriage with a family but that doesnât apply to everyone.
Theyâre free to make their own laws just as Iâm free to decide against going there.
1. Literally so is London alone. The UK generally is a multicultural hotbed which is celebrated.
2. I am glad this is the case for you and absolutely fair enough - I hope theyâre doing well! but that shouldnât have to be covered by health insurance imo. I donât know enough about disability legislation/rights etc over there so I wonât comment further (plus anything must be better than the DWPâs system in the UK lmao, one point to UAE for that)
3. Itâll only get more intolerable as climate change and global warming increases. A lot of this as a result of Dubai and the UAEâs oil industry.
overall it seems you like Dubai because you personally benefit from it. But as many have said, there is an appalling general human rights record, capital punishment is legal and regularly enforced, corruption is rife, the oil industry is unethical, I could go on and on.
For me I donât agree with Islamic theocratic states - Saudi and all the other MENA states - not only due to what I perceive as sheer backwards and outdated Sharia laws, but also the lack of helping out their own. With all their wealth why arenât Saudi/Qatar/UAE helping all the refugees/migrants from Islamic countries like Syria/Afghanistan/Iraq etc? So much for brotherhood. I wonât even get into the Yemen situation on here.
And I know the UK has issues donât get me wrong but at least Iâm not at risk of being flogged to death for living how I like and being in a relationship with who I want
Saudi comes in first, followed by Dubai
I agree with all of you ( ). I lived in Dubai for 3years. Iâve had such conflicting experiences. Real highs & lows. I never found many Brits to bond with as I could a large majority quite superficial (whoâd have thought it eh!)
Super glad to be âhomeâ now though, even if the UK is in a bit of a mess.
). I lived in Dubai for 3years. Iâve had such conflicting experiences. Real highs & lows. I never found many Brits to bond with as I could a large majority quite superficial (whoâd have thought it eh!)Super glad to be âhomeâ now though, even if the UK is in a bit of a mess.
This is going to be such an issue in so many parts of the world. Dubai at the moment I'd say has about 3 months of good weather. The rest of the year it's unpleasant or very unpleasant. All the months in the low 30s are tolerable with AC, but without AC it's very difficult to live and energy prices in the world are only going one way.
The mediterranean climate used to be perfect, but it's now getting way too hot in the summer.
I lived in Dubai for a few years, and whilst I had a fairly decent time there, the best thing I ever did was leave. It's a mecca for the extremely materialistic- I especially cannot understand those that move there with young kids... but it's definitely a 'type'.
The people that like Dubai (Or are willing to deal with it's quirks) are those who benefit financially from it... which says a lot.
The people that like Dubai (Or are willing to deal with it's quirks) are those who benefit financially from it... which says a lot.
Yep, it's been happening more and more the last few years with increased global migration due to places unable to sustain human life. It's only going to worse.