Why Dubai pisses me off?

I have never been to Dubai. I have watched a lot of documentaries about it when I was a teenager on National Geographic, Discovery or any other science channels when I was in Pakistan. It was the late 2000’s and early 2010’s when Dubai was booming. It was all over the news. It was all over documentaries. A new megacity coming to life!

The Burj Al Arab, the Burj Khalifa (previously Burj Dubai), The Dubai Mall, Dubai International Airport, Palm Jumeirah Islands, Emirates Airline, Dubai World Trade Center, Dubai, Dubai, Dubai!

As much as I enjoy watching those documentaries, I couldn’t help now but to express my distaste for Dubai.

Why does it pisses me off? How could a city I have never been to makes me grind my gears?

I lived in New York City which has its own set off problems.

I lived in Karachi which is a s**thole.

But what it is about Dubai that pisses me off?

It is a city for the elites

Cities are unique because of its cosmopolitan nature. They bring people of all social, economic and religious classes together in one space. It provides opportunities for social interaction and allows its public to enjoy its vibrancy and space it has to offer.

Dubai is only built for those who could afford to live there. They need to have a car to move around to explore. The intense hot climate of the Emirates is not doing much favor for Dubai’s population to enjoy its outdoor spaces. Coupled with the lack of public parks, its abundance of highways and a limited metro system, Dubai has little to offer for those who couldn’t afford cars or do not want to buy them.

The elites of Dubai are able to enjoy everything the city has to offer. From luxury cars to access of high-end restaurants and rooftops and being able to afford the luxuries the city has to offer, Dubai is perfect for them. You can tell by the skyscrapers and the cars that express the city.

It is built by migrants!

The 2022 FIFA World Cup held in Qatar was heavily criticized for human rights violations on its workers. Expats from countries like Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and elsewhere were forced to work in hot and humid conditions and were not given proper accommodations. Their passports were confiscated so they couldn’t go back to their home countries.

This ‘kafala system’ is active in the UAE other Middle Eastern countries. Dubai’s expansion owes a lot to the migrants that built it. They are treated with disdain and their accomplishments are not recognized by Dubai’s ruling class. Migrants coming from countries like Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Indonesia and elsewhere want to make more money so they could send it to their families back home. They are trapped in this kafala system where they are forced to work long hours in intense heat and humidity, live in appalling conditions with no way out to go back to their families. Plus, the money is peanuts!

The sad reality is that despite the media coverage and international oversite on the loopholes of migrant exploitation in the UAE and other Middle Eastern countries, less to nothing has been done about it to curb it. Although it was refreshing to see the media reporting on human rights abuses during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, a counter-argument was raised that the western media was undermining an eastern country while glorifying their successes.

“The Clash of Civilization” debate was up again!

The sad reality is that the ‘other side’ was not willing to address it. It seemed there was a ‘western’ bloc that was reporting on human rights abuses while the ‘eastern’ bloc viewed it as hypocrisy and refused to talk about it.

Another thing to note is that a majority of the migrants come from lower economic backgrounds from their home countries. Classism is an issue in South Asian countries. Servants hired in Pakistan and India are treated unequally too.

It is overrated!

Dubai is hyped for its luxury. A lot of Instagram influencers promote the high-end lifestyles the city has to offer. That being said, it’s not a city which can be afforded by everyone.

With all of the promotions the Dubai’s ruling family runs to bring people there, from Emirates Airlines to sponsorships of major sporting events and teams coupled with social media, Dubai is overrated for its limited opportunities it provides for its people. Again, its climate and its dependency on cars is not suitable for tourists to enjoy the tall skyscrapers from the ground.

Economics

Those who cannot afford Dubai live in the Old City which is more affordable and offers more accessibility for pedestrians. It is more walkable and cosmopolitan than the new skyscraper city. Sharjah is the nearby city which is more economically affordable.

Clearly, the class gap is evident.

Verdict

Dubai’s success is going to be its failure in the future. A city that depends so much on luxury will have a huge price tag in the future. Only the rich being able to afford Dubai means they are going to have jobs in the white-collar sector or service sector of the city’s economics. Meanwhile, the blue-collar sector might crumble that requires hard labor. Since the migrants might stay, it could run as of now in my opinion.

The COVID-19 Pandemic proved to be a major headache for Dubai. International flights being restricted meant Dubai’s flag-carrier Emirates couldn’t bring passengers to the city or transport them to other parts of the world. Less tourists meant less customers for the city’s commercial sector. Dubai’s real estate prices also fell due to the Pandemic.

Only time will tell if Dubai will be able to sustain itself. One thing is certain, Dubai is a city for the rich and famous. It excludes those who want to enjoy its space from all socio-economic backgrounds.

Perhaps I may be wrong as I have yet to go to Dubai. From what I can see from documentaries, photos, videos and people, Dubai is mostly for those who can afford its heavy price tag.

Let me know in the comments how you guys feel.

If you’ve been to Dubai, you can share your experiences and whether my limited observations and opinions match with yours.

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