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I just returned afer a week in Dubai and what a trip. My mom has taken up a job in Dubai as a regional director for an advertising firm and moved there on a whim (I think she is planning to move back soon...TOO HOT!!). Nice shopping malls and stuff, but the place lacks the feel of a real city. I hail from Chicago, and there were no Art Museums and the whole 'academic' atmosphere was well....not really there to begin with. It is interesting to see a city that has so much wealth yet feels more like a shopping mall with it's own National Anthem!!! I was also told that you cannot be a citizen of this country unless you are a 'national'. I find this rather peculiar as well....especially even if you happen to be born over there?? Also only 'nationals' (who are these nationals???) can own propterty and businesses....!!!!! I hope the 'residents' of Dubai can answer if the above really are true??!! *unbelievable!!
Cory

Partially this is true...
It's hot, but only during summer. There is a very nice weather in Dubai during winter, early spring and late fall.

It's also true, I haven't been to a theater here and I don't even know if there is one.
But for a city that started to develop only 30 years ago I think Dubai has a lot of this "feel of real city".

You didnt even answer the question
well yeah dubai is only hot during summer which is 9 months in a year an yeah you cant own porperty unless you are a local ofcourse now they got these Emaar projects going on but those properties are only leased to you for 99 years its not owned by you an you cant own your own buisness you have to be in partnership with a national and the national just sits there and does nothing an earns in some cases half your profits and 90% of nationals are actually of iranina origin an they are uneducated people thats for a fact i mean what do you expect from people who were riding camals 30 years ago and today are rolling in mercedes you cant blame things evolved to quick for them. And if anybody doubts what im saying or trys to say that im wrong well man please dont try to lick the locals A*S he aint gonna give you nothing. And if you are a local i then man fact of life are tough.

Nice answer, I can feel - it comes from your heart.
Jamal, how do you know that 90% of local population is of Iranian origin?

The same way you know hitler killed 6 million jews

Did he?

CoryUSA wrote::?
I just returned afer a week in Dubai and what a trip. My mom has taken up a job in Dubai as a regional director for an advertising firm and moved there on a whim (I think she is planning to move back soon...TOO HOT!!). Nice shopping malls and stuff, but the place lacks the feel of a real city. I hail from Chicago, and there were no Art Museums and the whole 'academic' atmosphere was well....not really there to begin with. It is interesting to see a city that has so much wealth yet feels more like a shopping mall with it's own National Anthem!!! I was also told that you cannot be a citizen of this country unless you are a 'national'. I find this rather peculiar as well....especially even if you happen to be born over there?? Also only 'nationals' (who are these nationals???) can own propterty and businesses....!!!!! I hope the 'residents' of Dubai can answer if the above really are true??!! *unbelievable!!
Cory

Interesting how things have changed

Unless you're being sarcastic, like what? Without looking at the date, one might think it was posted yesterday.

yujinn wrote:Unless you're being sarcastic, like what? Without looking at the date, one might think it was posted yesterday.

Yea.....Well observed!

are u sure u went to UAE? cos its dubai not duabi

Rudeboy,
Don't be pedantic !! Of course he meant Dubai !! A typo is obvious!

Half of the people who write on this forum cannot even spell properly in English.......but that is forgivable for the ones that are not English language first speakers.[ But my first language is Welsh !]
I certainly do not speak Arabic etc, so I do not criticise them.

Having said that, many mono-lingual English people are hopeless at spelling and grammar in English. I see spelling errors galore in their postings.

There is a lot of TRUTH in the initial posting on this thread. However, Dubai is part of the UAE and the museums etc will be in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah .

Dubai does lack many of the things that make a city great.
Where it leads much of the world, is in modern , high-rise architecture.
The style of many buildings is fantastic.

As long as it all gets FINISHED!!

By the way........the skyscraper was born in Chicago [ not New York] , so , at least, a citizen of Chicago would have felt at home in one way!!

The Arabian Gulf is certainly warmer than Lake Michigan!!
I know where I would prefer to be between November and March......Chicago gets HORRENDOUS winters with temperatures of minus 30 degrees at times.

There is lots of arts and culture if you know where to look for it.

You clearly just didn't ask the right questions.

yujinn wrote:Unless you're being sarcastic, like what? Without looking at the date, one might think it was posted yesterday.

at first I thought too it was posted yesterday... however, I thought he is another person who was never been enough in dubai and started to rant about it!!!

well it make sense... this was posted in 2003... and yes indeed things have changed so much by now...

but at this moment (I will refer to UAE not Dubai). UAE positioned itself very well on the global map as being an attraction to health care, theater, hospitality, art, music, sports etc.

I have attended top world class sport events... attended theater, had the pleasure to attend workshops with top national geography photographers, had the pleasure to attend top class musicians and concerts, and have top class ranked hotels in the country, attended stand up comedy... had the pleasure to attend dance and art courses... my list will go on...

Abudhabi, Dubai and Sharjah are doing a great deal to contribute to this place... and still this place is small and developing and so much TRAIL and ERROR is happening.. this place as everyone knows, 40years ago it was desert and camels... well its still the same :p

this place is on the right path... while we are comparing this country with the other highly developed countries/nations with 100 years old.. you should admit that this place was (or is) considered one of the fastest developing countries in the world.

ohhh yes... Dubai haters... incoming replies

Chocoholic wrote:There is lots of arts and culture if you know where to look for it.

You clearly just didn't ask the right questions.

spot on..

CoryUSA wrote::?
I just returned afer a week in Dubai and what a trip. My mom has taken up a job in Dubai as a regional director for an advertising firm and moved there on a whim (I think she is planning to move back soon...TOO HOT!!). Nice shopping malls and stuff, but the place lacks the feel of a real city. I hail from Chicago, and there were no Art Museums and the whole 'academic' atmosphere was well....not really there to begin with. It is interesting to see a city that has so much wealth yet feels more like a shopping mall with it's own National Anthem!!! I was also told that you cannot be a citizen of this country unless you are a 'national'. I find this rather peculiar as well....especially even if you happen to be born over there?? Also only 'nationals' (who are these nationals???) can own propterty and businesses....!!!!! I hope the 'residents' of Dubai can answer if the above really are true??!! *unbelievable!!
Cory

well unless you plan to move and live here, for a week visitor, i find it strange that you pay much attention to nationals, business, and citizenship in particular..
may be not art museums but quite a few art galeries there's in Dubai, may be next time you should spend more time on searching before arriving..

rch

hallo............

BB wrote:

CoryUSA wrote::?
I just returned afer a week in Dubai and what a trip. My mom has taken up a job in Dubai as a regional director for an advertising firm and moved there on a whim (I think she is planning to move back soon...TOO HOT!!). Nice shopping malls and stuff, but the place lacks the feel of a real city. I hail from Chicago, and there were no Art Museums and the whole 'academic' atmosphere was well....not really there to begin with. It is interesting to see a city that has so much wealth yet feels more like a shopping mall with it's own National Anthem!!! I was also told that you cannot be a citizen of this country unless you are a 'national'. I find this rather peculiar as well....especially even if you happen to be born over there?? Also only 'nationals' (who are these nationals???) can own propterty and businesses....!!!!! I hope the 'residents' of Dubai can answer if the above really are true??!! *unbelievable!!
Cory

well unless you plan to move and live here, for a week visitor, i find it strange that you pay much attention to nationals, business, and citizenship in particular..
may be not art museums but quite a few art galeries there's in Dubai, may be next time you should spend more time on searching before arriving..

rch

This is an unthoughtful reply if you ask me.
The initial poster gave a very honest opinion about his findings that he obviiously measured against his own metropolis knowledge and feel of Century old cities.
Its is normal for a human being to relate to his own position and quality and findings in life. The initial poster reflects that obviously. And rightfully so.

The tone you setout it simple not realistic. Who are you to judge his opinion, I would nearly say to you....sigh some people...

yujinn wrote:Unless you're being sarcastic, like what? Without looking at the date, one might think it was posted yesterday.

Correctly observed, I was however commenting on how things have changed over the years.

I am sure that in 2003 the OP was hoping to find some cultural areas in Dubai other than souks. It is only in the last few years that the Dubai Arts and Cultural Center is being more widely promoted and there are quite a few art galleries now which exhibit cultural art work from Iran and other ME countries. There is also the village in Shandaga with original housing.