Some thoughts on Dubai

I am currently staffed in Dubai, working on behalf of a UAE conglomerate on a large-scale organization project.

Dubai typifies the new metropolis - falsely cosmopolitan, artificially clustered, and under construction.

Falsely cosmopolitan - while 80% of the population is comprised of expatriates, there is little inter-ethnic mixing going on. Indians stick with Indians, Westerners with Westerners, Chinese with Chinese, and so on. All can be seen strolling through the Mall of the Emirates - a group of British teenagers in mini-skirts passing an Emirati woman covered from head to toe is not an unusual sight - but no dialogue ever takes place. After all, what is it that these people have to share? Juxtaposition does not entail interaction. Even what seems to have become the lingua franca of the modern capitalistic world - that is, the shopping experience - fails to create bonds across cultures, across continents.

Artificially clustered, because the city was conceived around specific functional needs. All tech companies gather in "Dubai Internet City", while car dealerships and the go-kart track are located in "Dubai Motor City". Similarly, there's a Dubai Industrial City, Dubai Biotech City, Dubailand (entertainment/theme parks) and so on. The same logic applies to large, upscale residential areas, which are located far away from business centers and are somewhat of a reenactment of the oasis within the city. Dubai's urban design reflects a deep concern for efficiency and functional excellence. The traditional city, on the other hand, creates unnecessary duplication through the neighborhood structure. The existence of smaller entities within a larger urban landscape, however, allows a social fabric to develop. But when the concept of the neighborhood is suppressed, what is left but institutionalized loneliness?

Under construction, because everything here is either in the planning or development stage. Oversized and dazzingly realistic scale models abound throughout the city, as real estate developers sell houses and apartments that are due to complete in 2008, 2009 or sometimes past 2010. Dubai is a city that boldly capitalizes on the virtual, the yet-to-be. In fact, almost all maps will feature a full-scale representation of the current projects , with a small note "under construction". Looking at the map, it is often hard to know what's in operation and what isn't, what is real and what is virtual, what is true and what is not.

After this, you may think I have a profound dislike for Dubai. Quite the contrary. There's something surprisingly refreshing about this city, its dynamism, its desire to go forward at all cost. I don't think I would want to settle down here permanently, but Dubai offers adventure for those who are young and have a few months, or perhaps even a year or two, to spare.

More soon...

First post

This is my first post.