We start our adventure to Africa with a stop in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). Travelling from North America to this part of the world is a journey as our flights were 8 1/2 hours to Amsterdam covering 4300 miles, a 5 hour layover followed by a 6 1/2 hour flight covering 3200 miles to Dubai and a very full plane. But got there!
Dubai is a major cosmopolitan city of 3.6 million people situated in the Persian Gulf with 90% being expatriates from various countries that come there on work visas as work is plentiful in the tourism business and construction business with new high rises and mega projects being built. Dubai is the third most visited city in the world and hosts the most five star hotels of any city. Banking is a major business as well so high rise after high rise. The major religion of the country is Islam, of course, and although our guide said that the entire country was Islam, Wikipedia revealed that it is only 75% with a strong Christian remainder. That would explain the Catholic Church we saw that the guide failed to acknowledge
Our first day we travelled out into the desert in a Toyota Land Cruiser and stopped at a spot for a photo op with t he camels and an opportunity to buy a Keffiyeh or local head scarf. More picture opportunities with holding a falcon and other ways to grab your cash. The falcon is interesting in that the Bedouin people used them for hunting of rabbits and to locate water in the desert. In today’s world they use them as pets and import them from Kazakhstan at a hefty price. The most rarest of breeds cost in excess of $1M and the cheapest $40,000. No problem for this oil rich country . Our Land Cruiser took us out into the dunes for a dune buggy ride with air conditioning. Was ok but not quite the same as an ATV. Lots of camels in the desert as farmers let them out to graze on the plants. The vegetation is especially sparse as intense heat all yearlong and you wonder how they find much to eat at all.
Other stops included a flamingo sanctuary, a coffee museum and the Arab Culture Centre to see how the UAE came into being and the sheiks of each kingdom. Coffee is big here and served with dates and is part of their daily routine. Most houses have a coffee room where you sit around on pillows on the floor and sip coffee flavoured with saffron. We were still feeling lots of jet lag but spent our evening on the rooftop restaurant of our hotel with a meal and nice views of the city. We travelled to a local home and had a local dinner that was very good and partaking in the local custom of sitting on the floor on pillows. Even after dark, the temperature was in the 30’s with 70% humidity so although the restaurant had an outdoor patio, our Canadian blood chose the indoors despite the many hookah pipe smokers within. Blah!
The following morning we visited the Al Shindagha Museum and the Etihad Museum which told us the history of the UAE. The general theme that we got from all guides on our visit and the sites we visited was that this is the Garden of Eden, that life is great, no worries and the marvellous government provides for all the needs, as wealth fixes all, which they certainly have. The reality is, their immense wealth provides very well for the Emiratis as there are only 1.2M people(not including expats) so the GDP per capita is very high and health care, university schooling and pensions are provided as well as no income taxes. Woo hoo! However, you must drink the Koolaid and like it, as speaking out against the government along with assembly, freedom of the press and association are severely repressed and as such the country has received a very low rating in the World for the Human Rights Index. Forced disappearances have been documented and I am now writing this blog in a prison in the desert for sharing it. Following the museums, we took an abra(water taxi) across the creek(1/2 mile) to the Souk(market). Again, no bargains here but lots of bargaining. The main products sold here are spices and gold and jewellery . Marg was going to buy a few herbal spices and the merchant simply ignored our numerous requests for pricing and proceeded to bag up our expected purchase. My final demand for pricing produced a non purchase much to the dismay of the merchant. Oh well!
Our afternoon was busy as we visited the highest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa Tower. It is 2722 feet high( 1/2 mile), and 154 accessible floors. Our tour took us to floor 148 by an elevator ride of 55 seconds where there is a perimeter deck to observe the city. As the humidity is so high , all visibility is quite limited but never the less quite spectacular. Included with our bargain ticket of $250US🤪, was a cappuccino and snack in the lounge on the 148th. We deserved wine for that price but UAE, so coffee. To access the tower, you have to go thru the mall, I wonder why as it is the same developer, and is quite a walk as it is the 2nd largest mall in the world with 1200 shops. No bargains here, but it is the most visited building in the world.
In the evening we booked a sunset cruise in the harbour aboard a large yacht. The waterway is the Dubai Creek which extends from the Persian Gulf inland 9 miles to provide a natural port to both sides of Dubai. It was dredged out in the 1950’s to provide access to large cargo ships to further enhance Dubai as a port. In the 19th century the creek provided a venue for the two largest industries, firstly pearl diving and secondly fishing. Pearl diving was the primary revenue generator for the country but crashed in the early 20th century when the Japanese introduced the cultured pearl. Very tough times followed until “out of the ground came a bubbling crude” in 1958. The Emiratis got in their truck with grandma in the rocker on the back and went to Hollywood, or at least created their own right at home. Our yacht cruised the harbour viewing the plethora of evening lighted towers with a full bar and buffet and entertainment including a belly dancer. A very nice evening for sure.
Our time in Dubai was memorable, in that we got a glimpse of life in that part of the world but a glimpse was enough. This city is modern, crime free, close to litter free and is evidence of what a dictator can do over time with unlimited resources. They have built a tourist modern day Mecca and have succeeded.
Great write up Ken with wonderful photos. Hope the prison food is edible!!