No they weren’t.
I’m not sure if it can be called an “achievement” to take a huge pile of money from oil revenues, and by the use of underpaid, semi-captive labour, and a complete indifference to the natural environment, put up a large number of huge, tacky buildings that cater to the world’s rich and idle. YMMV.
You probably don’t like Las Vegas either, then.
Not especially, no. (at least, I would not call the construction of Las Vegas an “achievement”)
Wherefore? What’s “wherefore” supposed to mean here?
Whence Dubai?
Because.
Most of the large high-rise building leak when it rains (not very often and usually only in Feb/Mar). The windows are just not sealed well. Also the finishings like electrical sockets, cabinets, doors, etc. are just poorly done in most cases.
The malls (Mall of the Emirates, Ibn Battuta etc) leak as well.
The 7 emirates are much more autonomous than US states or Canadian provinces. There is Federal law but mostly for things like defense. Abu Dhabi has far more money, but is much more conservative and does not seek to be like Las Vegas. Sharjah is VERY conservative.
Bahrain is more open (almost like Dubai), Doha is somewhere between Dubai and Abu Dhabi in this regard, but really Dubai is the only one that is trying to promote itself as the “ultimate in luxury”.
Oh, he’s center field.
Naturally.
Um, you’re a penis? What do I win?
It wasn’t meant as a pretense cockbag, it was meant as a serious inquiry into the state of affairs in a city that likes to project itself as the most modern, advanced city in the world, when the opposite is (allegedly) true.
Unlike your arbitrary dismissal, I started the thread in earnest WRT people that had actually lived there or had some knowledge of the issue.
You apparently exist to be contrary, funny in a way only *you *get, or just lame. Fuck off.
Moderator’s Warning: FoieGrasIsEvil, that was way out of line for this forum. You need to keep your temper better in Great Debates, please.
How is it that these vastly different emirates can coexist as a single state? I’d imagine that Sharjah would be very, very angry over this type of excess and disregard for fundamental Islam. If the regions reactions to the US and Europe are any guide they should be jihading their asses.
If Dubai collapses as the author presupposes how dramatically would the affect the others?
Are they straining the environment and over-extending their resources the way Dubai is? Are they equally water poor?
How is Dubai able to borrow money from other nations by itself? This debt won’t be applied to the UAE as a whole?
Seems very strange that this could go unchecked if it imperils the rest of the state the way it appears.
Bahrain isn’t one of the UAEs, though. It’s entirely sovereign.
Well, each of the emirates are more or less independent when it comes to their domestic policy, so what the Emir of Dubai decides in terms of what to allow there doesn’t really affect Sharjah. Besides, the emirates have always had pretty close ties to each other, and the big reason for the unified government is so that all the emirates can speak with a common voice when it comes to oil development.
Besides, Saudi Arabia, for instance, is more fundamentalist than Sharjah, and yet they manage to avoid “jihading Dubai’s ass”. Sharjah and Dubai manage to get along well enough.
Vermont and Alabama. 'nuff said.
Abu Dhabi will bail them out.
Not much water anywhere, but Dubai uses MUCH more than anyone else.
Just for the record, the 7 emirates are:
Abu Dhabi: Lots of oil, high Arab population, fairly conservative.
Dubai: Las Vegas of the Gulf.
Sharjah: most conservative - borrowed a lot of money from Saudi and pressured to keep stricter laws.
The others are mostly poor (at least in relative terms)
Fujairah: Has a bit of coastline on the Arabian sea, outside the Gulf.
Ras al-Khaimah: Lots of mountains.
Umm al-Quwain and Ajman: Both very small
Sorry. Drinking and migraines.
Apologies.
I like Omniscient’s question though, re: the sustainability of the water usage in Dubai. While it appears they get most of their water from desalination plants, apparently they are expensive to run, the economy of the city is down, construction projects are halted, Dubai is in debt…
…is it true then that Dubai will get propped up by Abu Dhabi? And is that an indefinite situation?
I really don’t think that Vermont/Alabama are in the same ballpark. The difference between Dubai and a fundamentalist Islamic state are a whole different thing. The differences between an American state are small potatoes compared to what is described in that article.