DUBAI ~ THE WORLD'S BIGGEST EVERYTHING Blog # 15

DUBAI ~ the world's biggest everything

Blog # 15

We head back to Dubai on Emirates Air that is fast becoming our favorite airline. Even in coach, the seats are comfortable with individual movie sets and beautiful airline hostesses who serve us a full course meal of Arab mezz including baba ghannouj and hommous, mutton biryani, chocolate mouhalabieh, cheese and biscuits and chocolate.  This is surprising given it is only a 3 hour trip. We have had trips on other airlines that only provide water and nuts in 6-7 hour trips. The Dubai airport continues to impress us with its huge size, simple and clean architecture and helpful service. 

This time we take the subway/tram into Dubai that is a wonderful opportunity for us to see all the Dubai workers getting off work. Because it is rush hour I end up standing for about 30 minutes and 12 stops, as there are no seats available. I am jostled about with my still too large 22 lb suitcase, large camera, heavy backpack and purse.  The people pouring on the subway represent many diverse cultures and languages. Less than 20% of the people here are UAE citizens ~ or 70%-80% are non-nationals, otherwise known as expats. Between the ages of 15 to 65 years, 3 million are males and 1 million are females.  People have come from more than 200 nations to work and help build Dubai. Skilled workers get on average $7 dollars a day salary while nonskilled workers get $4.50 a day. Most of these come from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.  While this seems like slave labor, still those we talked to say they are happy to be in Dubai because the amount they can earn here is more than they would get at home. For example, our delightful and ever smiling hotel luggage helper said he was from Bulgaria and was so relieved to be in Dubai because things are so difficult in his country. These expats have no hope of getting citizenship, which is reserved for native born people.  Even the children of expats born in Dubai are not eligible, nor are the children of the children—forever expat.  I am surprised to learn that Dubai, unlike Muscat, did not develop and grow entirely because of oil (which is does have but not in the abundance of many gulf states) but also because of being a tax-free with a port where businesses can be developed tax free. Tourism and exports are a large part of its economy. There is also no individual income tax—(it would be heaven for many Republicans but for the high concentration of Arabs).  Dubai is part of UAE but has its own government and is ruled by the Sheik Mohammed (Dubai Inc.)and unlike Obama he has final authority over decision making in Dubai and people we talk to seem happy with what he is doing. The Sheik has 2 sons and succession plans are in the works.

The Burj Dubai – the world’s largest tower

John viewing tower from our lunch spot 

10 years ago 

It is amazing to think that 10 years ago Dubai was largely a desert and now is this truly unbelievable place with the world’s largest tower, highest restaurant, largest aquarium, largest mall, and largest fountain ~ in fact, everything here is big. I understand that Abu Dhabi is competing and currently building a tower that they plan will be higher than Dubai’s. 

2013 from top of Berg 

We stay in the Palace Hotel in a room with a balcony that looks directly at the Burj Khalifa.  John sits on the balcony mesmerized by the tower’s size and structure. He comments that Burj is another one of the wonders of the world perhaps the 8^th. But I protest that Petra is the 8^th wonder and he contests that the Burj tower is right up there with Petra.  Actually he is not joking and I comment that this must be a male thing about the size of things. He searches on the internet to get tickets to go up the tower and discovers they are fully booked except for 8:30 am.  We wake up early to rush over to be there at 7:45 in line for tickets that will not be sold until 8:30. I have never seen John so eager to be early or wait in line for a ticket.  We are lucky and get 2 tickets and are some of the first to go up the tower that day.  We go up in the world’s longest travel distance elevator and seem to fly up 163 floors to the viewing area in seconds.  In the Burj there are 200 floors with the service areas and 22,000 windows.  The tower is half a mile high and took 1.5 billion dollars to build in 5 years from 2004 to 2009. It was structurally and architecturally designed and planned by an international group including Canadians (re wind structure testing), Skidmore Owings and Merril from Chicago, with other firms from Hong Kong and elsewhere. It has a hotel that is 10 floors and costs $1600 a night to stay there (for starters). The tower can withstand winds up to 50 meters an hour and can sway back and forth and handle an earthquake up to 6 on the Richtor scale. It is truly a representation of what is possible when an incredible international and collaborative effort is made to accomplish an agreed upon goal (although with cheap, available labor workers who have few protections). Why can’t we do the same for world peace and poverty?

Visit to an Expat

Naeema Jiwana, Firoz Giwant and new baby Ziyana 

After our tower visit, we take a cab out to a residential area to visit a friend who came to one of my workshops 3 years ago.  At the time I met her she said casually if I ever came to Dubai that I should visit her. I don’t think she ever imagined I would take her up on her offer, which I had not forgotten. Her name is Naeema Jiwani and she is a psychologist, born in Kenya to Indian expats and educated in Canada at Queens University. (I am always attracted to Canadians anyway.) She now lives in Dubai with her Indian husband where her parents and in-laws also live as expats. 

She has been using the IY parent programs to help parents in her psychology clinic and is also teaching psychology at the American University. She invited us to come for tea and to meet her new 2 ½ month old baby girl, Ziyana, and her husband, Firoz Giwani. 

 Our cab drive to the Palm residential area gave us a glimpse of how some of the successful expats live in Dubai. These are beautiful villas many situated on the ocean with white beaches and gorgeous  gardens. I am pleased to see Naeema and we have a wonderful afternoon tea with the Indian version of pita bread and some delicious toppings. (puri and aamrus) She says this is a special day called Chandraat (meaning moonnight) that is celebrated every month when there is a full moon with prayers and special food that we are tasting. We talk about her baby experience, her work plans and life in Dubai.  Firoz tells us they plan to live there permanently and are very happy. They can easily get 3 year residency permits but will never be able to get permanent residency. Their parents are in the same situation so they are 2^nd generation expats and seem to be used to this. I think about the possible draw backs of not having permanent citizenship? It took me almost 30 years before I became an American citizen and really the only added benefit was being able to vote.

The World’s Largest Mall

John doesn’t want to shop but Naeema convinces him to go to the Dubai Mall with me–because the world’s largest mall has an aquarium in the middle of it and also has an ice skating rink. The ski hill is at another mega-mall,  the Emirate Mall not this one. 

The main tank of the aquarium is 100 feet long and 25 feet high.  The glass is 2 feet thick and it holds 10 million litres of water and the aquarium has 33,000 kinds of fish.  

There are even people underwater diving in the tanks (which can be done for a price).  We walk through a tunnel of fish surrounding us and it is astounding. There are even penguins in the underwater zoo.  


After this we walk around looking (but not entering) all the amazing shops. Two cute teenage girls ask us if we want our picture taken. We decline but they give me a children’s coloring book called “My friend”. It has all sorts of social skill messages such as, “ my friend Almad advises me when I’m wrong” or “he who chooses his friend, chooses his identity.” I laugh and wonder if they know about my dinosaur program and I ask to take their picture looking at the book. 

Girls teaching social skills in the mall ~
why did they select me for training?

Afterwards they reward us with two gift packages of a t-shirt, hat and cup, all which say, “Avoid bad companions.”  Apparently they are funded by the Department of Community Security Awareness. I am delighted with their effort and messages and can’t quite  understand why we would be selected for this gift. I am sure we have helpful friends. Perhaps this is a message that I should take Dina Dinosaur and Wally Problem Solver into the malls in the US to talk with children about making friends.

World's Most Amazing Fountain

Starting at 6 pm each evening and continuing every 30 minutes until 10 pm the Dubai fountain located in front of the Burj Dubai tower sets up a lighted waterfall fountain ballet show set to Arabic, classical and world music. It is lighted by 6,600 lights, is 902 feet in length and shoots water 490 feet high. It cost 217 million dollars to build. Both nights in Dubai we eat at the same Lebanese restaurant that has a balcony looking at this waterfall show. Every half hour people get up from their tables to watch this incredible show. I videotape it on my camera with the hopes I can transport this magic home to show others. John suggests we space out the meal with courses between waterfall shows and I am surprised that he is not in a hurry to leave as is his usual custom. He is relaxed and I am content and we are both pleased with our trip and most especially the chance to appreciate Arab people and their culture. But for me it is not the huge size or the level of wealth (or its absence) that makes Oman, Jordan, Israel, West Bank and Dubai  special ~  rather it is the special connections and warmth of not only the Arab people we have met but all the other expats from around the world who have made these places what they are. We are in indeed one interconnected world.

Okay where to next? 

Love Carolyn