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Kewl article, thank you.

Dubai is extremly expensive, I agree.

But the author got fleeced in her taxi ride or has her numbers all confused...

Consider just one small sign of the times: one day last month, I found myself handing over 40 dirhams, or just under $11, for a six-kilometer trip across town. That’s over 6.5 dirhams per kilometer, which is a dirham more than you’d pay in New York City, and nearly as much as you’d pay in Paris. And yet in Dubai, these prices are the new norm.

I'm sorry but this is impossible.

From the Abu Dhabi edge of Dubai Marina to mid-way on SZR costs 44AED. Thats a distance of 25kms I beleive (approx.). Expensive compared to Abu Dhabi, but MUCH cheaper than New York or Paris or Montreal...

Just an observation.

good observation liban. i couldnt find any up to date info on dubai transport raters but i saw one place where it said it was 1.17 dirham per kilometer.

could he/she be had waiting in traffic for a long time ? heheh

MaaaD wrote:could he/she be had waiting in traffic for a long time ? heheh

Even if that was the case, when the car is not moving, the meter ain't moving either...

Liban,

I had the same thought as you about the taxi. Perhaps it was from the airport where they have a 20dhs pick up fee?

That said, I agree it was a very good article. The closing comment is one I particularly agree with:

“There has to be more than just good weather and no taxes,” says Corley. “As well, there is no instance in the history of mankind where a bubble continued. Bubbles have a design flaw: they burst. The stock market has already imploded. Real estate has stalled. Likewise, you simply can’t keep increasing the price of everything and expect international business to pour in. I fail to see where the returns are.”

Cheers,
Shafique

Liban wrote:

MaaaD wrote:could he/she be had waiting in traffic for a long time ? heheh

Even if that was the case, when the car is not moving, the meter ain't moving either...

Like Maad I couldn't find anything about what current taxi rates are but I know the meter does now run when the taxi is sitting still, A friend had to pay AED 15 from my house to my work and you know that distance, Plus with the amount of U-turns and diversions maybe they were measuring distance on a map and not actually looking at the odometer.

Meter does run when the car has stalled too, lower rate though. I paid AED30 for probably what was 8kms...was stuck in horrible traffic for a full hour...I know I should have just walked it!

i am thinking about moving to dubai or spending a semester there...any help?

audreygaur wrote:Meter does run when the car has stalled too, lower rate though. I paid AED30 for probably what was 8kms...was stuck in horrible traffic for a full hour...I know I should have just walked it!

That is news to me-I thought you were only charged for kms not time of journey-however I have asked a taxi to wait and the meter does tick over for waiting time which is reasonable otherwise you would take your time doing something and the poor taxi driver could have had other fares.
I agree the taxi fare in the article seem the product of fiction.

shafique wrote:Liban,

I had the same thought as you about the taxi. Perhaps it was from the airport where they have a 20dhs pick up fee?

That said, I agree it was a very good article. The closing comment is one I particularly agree with:

“There has to be more than just good weather and no taxes,” says Corley. “As well, there is no instance in the history of mankind where a bubble continued. Bubbles have a design flaw: they burst. The stock market has already imploded. Real estate has stalled. Likewise, you simply can’t keep increasing the price of everything and expect international business to pour in. I fail to see where the returns are.”

Cheers,
Shafique

Shaf, ya that does sum up the dilemma right now. But my question is : If dubai gets too expensive, what is the alternative in the Middle East for buisnesses ? I have travelled to pretty much all the major cities in the region and i dont see any city that is even 10 years close to where Duba is today. so much hype about Qatar, Al Qoz is more developed than Qatar and its just as expensinve if not more than Dubai when it comes to housing.

Is Dubai going to be the playground from the rich and famous ? or the buiseness hub for the hard working middle class ? Its trying to be both. can that work ?

just thinking out loud

Liban,

It is something that will be interesting to watch.

Bubbles burst and it remains to be seen when and how bad it will be post bursting. However, the correction will (hopefully) just bring things back to where they should be - perhaps to where Dubai prices were about 5 years ago... looking back at recent history, the property bubble burst in NY, London, Tokyo and Hong Kong - and I think all have bounced back after the prices dropped (I can really only speak about London/UK, where there is currently another property bubble in my opinion and prices are above where they were in the early 90s before the price drops).

Then we fall back to the fundamentals - Dubai is geographically well placed for trade, has better weather than many countries/cities, and has low tax (for now).

However, the signs are that it is getting expensive - I already know of people leaving because of the expense - primarily rental.

Cheers,
Shafique

shafique wrote:However, the signs are that it is getting expensive - I already know of people leaving because of the expense - primarily rental.

The people who came here for big savings opportunities will leave. Ten years ago a big night out was a quiz night in the Red Lion hanging out with your expat mates.

The people who are prepared to save less and enjoy life in the sun with traffic jams and crowds and perhaps better career opportunities will replace the ones in the departure lounge. Now, we get Robbie Williams doing concerts here.

There are other places in the Mid-East for business.

For example, if Lebanon follows some basic fiscal reforms by removing red tape (as an example), improving the security by resolving the current political stalemate, and lastly with American and EU help make sure Israel stays put, then Beirut could become a more important city than it is right now.

Let us not forget that for two decades, Beirut was the Arab financial and business city. The war changed that in the 80s, but the people who built Lebanon in the 50s and 60s are similar thinkers to the Lebanese of today. But the government there needs to do more before such a thing can happen....

Perhapes Lebanon will not be called the "Switzerland of the Middle East" or Beirut as the "Paris of the Middle East" in the forseable future, but it can surely become a business hub once again... It is on the right track as a tourist hub.

Liban wrote:There are other places in the Mid-East for business.

For example, if Lebanon follows some basic fiscal reforms by removing red tape (as an example), improving the security by resolving the current political stalemate, and lastly with American and EU help make sure Israel stays put, then Beirut could become a more important city than it is right now.

Let us not forget that for two decades, Beirut was the Arab financial and business city. The war changed that in the 80s, but the people who built Lebanon in the 50s and 60s are similar thinkers to the Lebanese of today. But the government there needs to do more before such a thing can happen....

Perhapes Lebanon will not be called the "Switzerland of the Middle East" or Beirut as the "Paris of the Middle East" in the forseable future, but it can surely become a business hub once again... It is on the right track as a tourist hub.

Thats an interesting point Lib, Beirut was a thriving business and tourist destination for many years, however the war totally destroyed the city and the economic strength of Lebanon. I have a basic understanding of the political and religious background to the country, but perhaps you could elaborate either here or in the Political Forum on the reasons for the war in the first place?
I have friends who are from both sides of the fence, but I cannot understand the reasons why the whole thing started.

Knight

Liban wrote:For example, if Lebanon follows some basic fiscal reforms by removing red tape (as an example), improving the security by resolving the current political stalemate, and lastly with American and EU help make sure Israel stays put, then Beirut could become a more important city than it is right now.

And politicians don't get blown up by their neighbours ...

sharewadi wrote:

Liban wrote:For example, if Lebanon follows some basic fiscal reforms by removing red tape (as an example), improving the security by resolving the current political stalemate, and lastly with American and EU help make sure Israel stays put, then Beirut could become a more important city than it is right now.

And politicians don't get blown up by their neighbours ...

That is my point about containing Israel.

Only a fool would blame another country.

From my understanding Syria has been impilcated in the assination of Hariri.

kanelli wrote:From my understanding Syria has been impilcated in the assination of Hariri.

Quite.

From Arab News...

Two UN reports have implicated senior Syrian officials and their Lebanese allies in Hariri’s murder in a massive bomb blast on the Beirut seafront on Feb. 14, 2005, that also killed another 22 people. They have also criticized the Syrian government for failing to cooperate more with the investigation and have long sought interviews with top regime officials

Syria has been implicated but no direct links have yet to be found.

Involving Syria (who is not an angel per sae) is part of pressure to de-baathify the country, stop it from meddling in Iraq and weaken it vis a vis Israel in negotiations over the Golan that Israel stole from Syria in 1967.

Syria as a whole has had both a hand in destabilizing Lebanon and also in bringing law andf order to that country. Israel on the other just takes pleasure in destabalizing the ONLY country in its near vicinity that has the potential to overtake it politically, economically, socially, and strategically (I do not mean military prowess here of course!).

I would move the discussion about hariris assasination to tue politics forum since that is a never ending discussion by itself.

Back to the point of this thread, i think that beirut would be a great place for a hub for its proximity to Europe and the fact that the big chunk of young educatied professionals are trilingual (Arabic, French and English). However, i dont see that happening not in the next 20 years. too much corruption and red tape. As well as political instability. I would say Jordan is in a much better position to take that place, but then again no goverment in the middle east has been able to execute as fast and efficient as dubai.

let me give one example, the first time the idea of a freezone/buisness hub for IT companies to base there middle east operations came out of Lebanon. The idea was proposed in the parliament years before Dubai even thought of it. in 1999 Dubai Internet City was born and in 2001 the first company (Microsoft) moved in !!! I think the lebanese officials are still debating who will get the biggest cut out of that proposed project

i know i am not following my own advice but :

de-baathify the country

made me fall on the ground laughing. Those Syrianss need to stop bathing huh ?

MaaaD wrote:I would move the discussion about hariris assasination to tue politics forum since that is a never ending discussion by itself.

Back to the point of this thread,

Sorry ...