During a three-day visit to Dubai this past week where I had the opportunity to meet with journalists from all over the region, the subject of Dubai and its character came into focus at one of our informal gatherings.
The immediate consensus was that Dubai is very expensive, the streets and roads are crowded and there is too much glitz without substance. And as our discussions went on, there were varying degrees of opinion on some of these problems and what needed to be done to fix them. Now mind you, within this group were several newspaper folk from Dubai itself.
One such Dubai-based journalist expanded on the common woes faced by many of the residents. Living in Sharjah in a cupboard-sized flat, he was recently forced to send his family back home due to rising rents and school fees. The separation from family had an unsettling effect on him.
Added to that, he said, were the trials on the road when getting back and forth to work. On a good day, it took him two and a half hours going in one direction. The extra five hours daily added to his work time, compounded by the absence of his loved ones had forced him to make up his mind. He was quitting his job at the end of May and heading back home.
A similar sentiment was expressed by another Dubai veteran. He had been there for 11 years and had witnessed the tremendous growth of the city in the last decade. But at what cost, he wondered. Unless one was an Emirati or a highly paid Western executive, living in Dubai was shrinking most of an expatriate’s resources.
He sympathized with those in the lower income brackets who make the bulk of Dubai’s work force, adding that the prevailing situation was making nearby countries, with all their restrictions, far more attractive. Rising prices along with escalating rents were forcing many to take that decision.
He felt that the glitz of bigger and better was taking a negative toll on the residents, and wondered if the planners were mistakenly heading in the direction of attempting to transform Dubai as the Las Vegas of the region.
A Western journalist interjected by adding that at least in Vegas it was possible to take a family of four for a week’s stay for what would amount to a day’s expenditure in Dubai. Pricing itself out of the market of most of the folks would come to haunt Dubai one day, he added.
If one were inclined to consider a studio apartment at one of these new developments, one would have to fork out something over $200,000. And for what, he continued. Four or five months of unbearable heat and the rest of the time in maddening traffic jams? He was going to put in his two years and move on, he declared.
He conjectured that Dubai’s biggest nightmare would be if the Saudis liberalized some of their laws and made the place more business-friendly. That would draw more of the multinationals currently based in Dubai to the largest market in the region.
An Abu Dhabi journalist expressed concern that his city was heading in a similar direction. Bigger and better may well apply to buildings and entertainment, but it certainly did not apply to where it counted most — his wallet!
There was a chorus of murmuring approvals from others based in Sharjah and nearby. Planners were moving and building too fast on the wave of real-estate speculation.
And every boom would be followed by a massive bust, they felt. While some would walk away fat and happy by playing the real estate market, most would end up holding the proverbial empty bag.
A Pakistani journalist offered a contrasting view whereby he admired the relaxed laws of living and working in the UAE. He felt that it was an opportunity for most in his field to excel and to realize their dreams. One should stop being so negative about everything around them, he concluded.
As a Saudi listening to all of this and looking from the outside in, I have this to say. If you can’t stand the heat in the kitchen, find the nearest exit door.
