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Dubai - running on empty?

Dubai - running on empty?

Old Mar 13th 2011, 1:31 pm
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Default Dubai - running on empty?

OK I know that you love to debate this type of thing so what do you think of this article about life in Dubai. I think it's fairly spot on but I haven't lived in Dubai since the early 90's! However, this is the impression I get when I visit on rare occasions. I fear that Abu Dhabi is going this way too.

http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/fe...urrentPage=all
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Old Mar 13th 2011, 1:32 pm
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Default Re: Dubai - running on empty?

Originally Posted by soukie
OK I know that you love to debate this type of thing so what do you think of this article about life in Dubai. I think it's fairly spot on but I haven't lived in Dubai since the early 90's! However, this is the impression I get when I visit on rare occasions. I fear that Abu Dhabi is going this way too.

http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/fe...urrentPage=all
Read that this morning, typical shite Dubai bashing.
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Old Mar 13th 2011, 1:36 pm
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Default Re: Dubai - running on empty?

AARRRGGHH!! Just posted about this!

This passage will go down well on here:


"Among the other 80-plus percent are the white mercenary workers who come here for tax-free salaries to do managerial and entrepreneurial jobs, parasites and sycophants for cash. For them money is a driving principle and validation. They came to be young, single, greedy, and insincere. None of them are very clever. So they live lives that revolve around drink and porn sex and pool parties and barbecues with a lot of hysterical laughing and theme nights, karaoke, and slobbery, regretful coupling."

Sounds fun! Can I come back?
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Old Mar 13th 2011, 1:37 pm
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Default Re: Dubai - running on empty?

Originally Posted by littlejimmy
AARRRGGHH!! Just posted about this!

This passage will go down well on here:


"Among the other 80-plus percent are the white mercenary workers who come here for tax-free salaries to do managerial and entrepreneurial jobs, parasites and sycophants for cash. For them money is a driving principle and validation. They came to be young, single, greedy, and insincere. None of them are very clever. So they live lives that revolve around drink and porn sex and pool parties and barbecues with a lot of hysterical laughing and theme nights, karaoke, and slobbery, regretful coupling."

Sounds fun! Can I come back?
Sounds great that like.
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Old Mar 13th 2011, 1:39 pm
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Default Re: Dubai - running on empty?

I like the "Emiratis are born retired"
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Old Mar 13th 2011, 1:40 pm
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Default Re: Dubai - running on empty?

Originally Posted by littlejimmy
AARRRGGHH!! Just posted about this!

Sorry - beat you to it!
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Old Mar 13th 2011, 1:41 pm
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Default Re: Dubai - running on empty?

Intelligence is over-rated. You just end up realising that all endeavour is ultimately futile and worrying about stuff.
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Old Mar 13th 2011, 1:56 pm
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Default Re: Dubai - running on empty?

Originally Posted by Spugsy
Read that this morning, typical shite Dubai bashing.
It's quite representative of the real Dubai in my view, although possibly 2-3 years out of date as most roads now lead somewhere. On a similar theme, a friend's business got a visit recently from Emiratis purportedly working for a well known local newspaper and forcing the Indian management to pay Dhs5K for needless advertising. They were told it was the law and that they would be closed down without the payment.
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Old Mar 13th 2011, 2:00 pm
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Default Re: Dubai - running on empty?

Originally Posted by littlejimmy
Intelligence is over-rated. You just end up realising that all endeavour is ultimately futile and worrying about stuff.
wise words mate
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Old Mar 13th 2011, 2:17 pm
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Default Re: Dubai - running on empty?

Sounds like someone has an axe to grind...maybe they invested in Palm Jebel Ali.

It's nothing that hasn't been written before
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Old Mar 13th 2011, 2:19 pm
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Default Re: Dubai - running on empty?

Originally Posted by soukie
OK I know that you love to debate this type of thing so what do you think of this article about life in Dubai. I think it's fairly spot on but I haven't lived in Dubai since the early 90's! However, this is the impression I get when I visit on rare occasions. I fear that Abu Dhabi is going this way too.

http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/fe...urrentPage=all
Read the very last line of Keith Allen's autobiography - he captures A.A. Gill perfectly.
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Old Mar 13th 2011, 2:30 pm
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Default Re: Dubai - running on empty?

Originally Posted by soukie
I like the "Emiratis are born retired"
that's a good one!!
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Old Mar 13th 2011, 2:37 pm
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Default Re: Dubai - running on empty?

waste of space article...full of cliches, quotes from taxi drivers and hear say...
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Old Mar 13th 2011, 2:47 pm
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Default Re: Dubai - running on empty?

Originally Posted by soukie
OK I know that you love to debate this type of thing so what do you think of this article about life in Dubai. I think it's fairly spot on but I haven't lived in Dubai since the early 90's! However, this is the impression I get when I visit on rare occasions. I fear that Abu Dhabi is going this way too.

http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/fe...urrentPage=all
I actually really enjoyed reading that, made me laugh in places. It's not far of the mark. Dubai in the 90's was a good place to live, not that it's bad now but it was better in the 90's.
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Old Mar 13th 2011, 3:00 pm
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Default Re: Dubai - running on empty?

generalisation.... a bit.

Conveneiently forgot to mention how many zillions this supposedly self-obsessed, rude and lazy society has given to charity.


But the article does contain more than a few gems, a few symptoms of the problems that this place si havign to face. After the fastest modernisation in history, many do feel alienated, lost and halfway to nowhere.
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