Dubai - April 5, 2012

Arriving Dubai

Port w/skyline & QE2

The ship docks in Port Rashid very close to where the Queen Elizabeth 2 ship is being refurbished as a hotel.  The downtown skyline is in the hazy distance and quite spectacular to see.  This is part of the area developed by the Sheikh’s vision of the future of Dubai.  A tall, splinter-looking building protrudes from the skyline.  This is the Burj Khalifa, which is included in our tour.  Being from Chicago, previous title-holder for the world’s tallest building, we must see this building, the tallest building in the world since 4 January 2010.

It makes little sense for us to cover any history about this city or the United Arab Emirates because it would be hard to see any of it during our tour.  This is the new vision of a desert empire.  And we have to say, western capitalism has metamorphosed the desert.  Our tour guide, an expatriate German, she provides us with a few interesting tidbits, which of course we have no way to check if they are true or false but we will share them anyway.

One of many Mosques

1.9 Million People live in Dubai.  80% are immigrants and represent 200 nationalities.  The Sheikh requires in every new area developed that there be a mosque every 1000 meters so the Muslims, who are to pray 5 times a day, should not have to walk more than 500 meters to do so.

Bus stops are air conditioned.  Flowers are planted for the winter season and when summer comes they are removed and taken to air conditioned green houses until next winter season.  There are 600 hotels, all filled to capacity during the winter season.  All the hotels on the Palm Island – 20 of them – must be 5 stars.  The Sheikh holds a major interest in Daimler-Chrysler and it is displayed in the two buildings built next to each other that look like the Chrysler building in New York.  There are cranes everywhere and, while building stopped in 2008-2009, it has slowly restarted again.  One weekend in January, a condo building selling their units offered a free Lamborghini to anyone who bought a unit.

Dubai – a city of wealth on steroids.  A place where the rich and famous of the world can come and live and mingle with each other.  A vacation destination that has all the culture and shopping you could want in one place.  Like a Las Vegas in some ways and yet very different because it is also a hub for business operating in this part of the world.  Truly fits the statement, “If you build it they will come.”  However, the temperatures in the summer are so extreme, no one goes outdoors.  In fact, while our bus drives around, the sidewalks and roads among all the tall buildings are noticeably empty – very weird to visit a vibrant metropolis with no teeming streets.



Marina in Dubai

Atlantis Dubai

Sail Hotel w/Steve

The tour travels to the famous Palm Jumeirah Islands.  At the end of the 11 kilometer road is the Atlantis Hotel.  Looks much like the one in the Bahamas from the outside – we aren’t allowed to go in since we have no reservation.  The Palm Islands’ “fronds” are the first place in Dubai that foreigners can own property.  The islands were built from sand reclaimed from the sea.  They started building in 2001, completed the islands in 2004 and started selling property in 2005.  Currently the same thing is going on with “The World” islands (200 of these) that are now being built and pre-orders have been taken for these islands from many of the rich and famous.

Dubai Skyscapers

We also stop for a photo opportunity of the famous sail-shaped hotel – Burj Al Arab.  The tour guide goes on and on about the price of a room, the cost of a meal at the restaurant, the exclusiveness, etc.  It is a beautiful looking building along a nice beach.

Next we drive among condominium buildings in an area called Dubai Marina.  Eerie how this looks so much like Chicago’s riverfront.

Ski Dubai

We stop at the Mall of the Emirates to see ‘Ski Dubai’, the indoor ski park.  Snow is made nightly, you can rent all of the equipment required to partake, and of course there is a store right next door where you can buy all the ski and après-ski accoutrements.

Burj Khalifa

Across from Burj

Last stop—The Dubai Mall and Burj Khalifa, the largest mall in the world attached to the tallest building in the world.  Up we go in the Burj elevator in 57 seconds to the 124^th floor observation deck.  You can’t go to the 165^th floor unless you have business there.  The observation deck is split between outside and inside.  Yes, outside 124 stories in the sky – what an amazing, strange view of this desert city.  With the pollution or dust haze, you can barely make out the Palm Jumeirah Islands but you can see the The World islands.  The other very tall skyscrapers look like toys at this height.  You get an idea of the Marina area and all the other built-up sections of the city in the distance all constructed in the Sheikh’s vision of the early 1970’s.

View from 124th floor

Gold to go!

While there may be a mosque every 1000 meters, this city will remind you of Las Vegas – OTT. As was said in a documentary we watched, “if you are into ‘green’, swimming with the dolphins or saving the planet, forget about visiting Dubai.”

Back on the ship, dressed for dinner, nursing our new-segment cocktail, and watching the city as it fades away.  600 new passengers have joined for this last segment of the Queen Elizabeth’s world cruise.  All will be roaming the ship for the next few days, lost sheep in search of a meal, store, bar, lecture or concert.

As I write this entry, it is Good Friday, Passover and the Islamic holy day, and we will be visiting Muscat, Oman.  May our one God’s hopes for the world, its inhabitants and their peace be in all of our hearts and minds today.