Dubai: A Model of Development and the Land of Opportunity
It has long been an accepted fact that “the American Dream” relates to opportunity available to everyone to self actualize academically or financially in the United States. With the market in the west almost to the saturation point resulting in stagnation of the economy, I really doubt whether this kind of ‘Dream’ materializes for anyone starting from scratch in the US or in the west in general. Visiting Dubai, UAE recently made me think that could Dubai be the next destination to achieve the so called ‘American Dream’. With breathtaking view of city skyscrapers and huge financial centers along with the most luxurious hotels, Dubai is truly seems to have become one of the rich and beautiful cities in the world providing opportunities to millions of foreigners who are in pursuit of better future and quality of life.
Strolling along the road of Dubai Marina, (the most posh area in Dubai), with skyscrapers and wide interconnected roads, I wondered how long it would have taken to build this city. The answer was soon to be found. The next day I visited Dubai Museum and realized that the city was fairly new. Just fifty years back, sparsely populated area alongside the Dubai Creek used to be the normal landscape view which has been completely transformed into one of the most advanced city in the world. Despite all those infrastructure development making it a modern swanky city, Dubai is still continuing its development rapidly. Ongoing massive infrastructure project of Dubai is a Theme park called Dubai land which would be around twice the size of Disneyland Florida and Business bay which is a city within a city and will have more than 230 sky scrapers and is being built as a business hub of the region. Constructions are ubiquitous within the city but despite that, not a speck of a dust around and no loud sound of drilling machines. Everything has been managed in a way that one does not realize that a lot of construction is actually going on. Roads are like formula one track, wide and smooth; In fact, recently there was a formula one car show in Shayek Zayed Road which runs across the city. Alongside the roads are palm trees which have been planted with beautiful green grass around them. These palm trees have been decorated with lights which glow like a beautiful Christmas tree when the sun goes down. Small water pipes with pores have been layered along the ground which waters them as per need. It is surprising to find out that the nature only provides three percent of water to the greenery surrounding the city. The rest comes from the nearby ocean after desalination. With number of theme parks, virtually endless malls and a temperature controlled enclosed ski resort, Dubai is truly a vibrant and affluent city. Talking about coastal line, Dubai has one of the most fascinating and luxurious beaches in the world. While most of them are private beaches, general public can enjoy the sun and the water in number of public beaches around the edges of the city. Public transport is well connected with newly built Metro connecting the major parts of the city. While I am used to haggling with taxis in Nepal for the destination and price and most of the time in Nepal the choice remains with the taxi where he wants to go and not where the passenger wants to go. In Dubai, no matter where you want to go and how short your journey is, taxi drivers are obliged by law to take the passenger wherever they want within the city. What’s more, if the meter malfunctions in the beginning or during the journey, the whole journey is free of charge. There is a small notice in the taxi along with the phone number to complain if the driver misbehaves or the passenger is not satisfied with the service.
Dubai is one of the world famous shopping destinations. With all major brands representing themselves, an avid shopper virtually finds anything he wants. Of course, the price is not affordable to majority of the Nepalese but there are also bargains to be hunted. Malls and supermarkets are lined up across the streets offering range of different goods and services. Even if one wants to window shop in Dubai mall, the world’s largest mall, it would take at least a week to visit each shop. In addition, Dubai mall boasts one of the world’s most fascinating water fountains which with the help of lighting effect, produces an amazing view during the evenings.
It is quite natural for one to think that all these developments have come from trading oil and natural gas. Yes, this used to be true as most of the revenue generated by producing and selling oil went for infrastructure development in the past. However, in the present time, oil exports only account for 7 % of Dubai’s total economy and the rest comes from Tourism, Property, and Financial Markets. I was taken by surprise by the fact that the number of tourist visiting Dubai is huge. While I was in the city, there were hundreds of tourist buses lined up in the main tourist attractions of the city. Tourists mainly come to Dubai for shopping; it is referred as a shopping hub of the Middle East. Markets are called Souks. For instance, Dubai Gold Souk has over 300 shops selling range of Jewellery and ornaments. After the shopping spree is over, the next preference normally is Entertainment. Desert Safari is one of the most popular entertainment activities in Dubai. The 4 wheel drive picks up tourists around 3-5 in the evening from their hotels. After the drive of around 40 minutes on one of the widest motor ways ever built (At times I counted up to 14 Lanes), it stops at the Safari Point. During this journey, one gets to see one of the most beautiful desert sunsets. Once on the safari point, the vehicle deflates tires and get ready for the adventure. The ride is a thrill ride as there is extreme maneuvering through desert terrain which may cause some people to nauseate. After half an hour of the desert ride, the vehicles stops at the desert camp where all sorts of activities like sisha smoking, henna painting, Arabian Cultural dance and finally one can indulge in a delicious barbecue dinner before returning to the hotel.
Regarding the city landscape, the architectural design is worth noting. The mighty Burj Khalifa (830 m), the tallest building ever built in the mankind’s history looks like as if it has penetrated the clouds and heading towards space. The facility include going to the top of the tower for 100 Dirham and the view is simply breathtaking. The other buildings which seem to be very tall from the ground look like little dwarfs from the top. Similarly, the view from Burj Al Arab, world’s only seven Star Hotel is magnificent. It has the most amazing beach side view. Other buildings worth noting are Emirates Tower and World Trade Centre. Apart from, big buildings and city landscape, there are aspects of Dubai old culture could be seen in Al Fahidi Court which is restored as Dubai Museum. The Museum depicts period wise transformation of Dubai from a small fishing village to one of the most vibrant cities in the world.
In order to build and maintain these infrastructures and facilities, Dubai needs huge manpower. Dubai contributes only a small proportion to its total labor force. Almost 85 % of labor force is foreigners. On the top of the pyramid of this total labor force, Westerners and Emiratis come one the top level working as Consultants, Engineers, Project Managers, Financial managers and other executive positions. However, there are also many South Asians on such positions but their number is relatively negligible. The bottom of the pyramid which include almost 500,000 laborers, come mostly from South Asia and poorer parts of Africa giving these regions a huge boost through remittance. For prospective businesses, Dubai offers tax free imports and exports and no corporate tax for up to 30 years. On top of that, Dubai authorities also allow 100% foreign ownership on businesses there are registered in Dubai unlike other Gulf regions. This has created an image of Dubai as a different Gulf region where foreigners are welcomed and different faiths are tolerated. Workers also benefit as there is no income tax provision on the amount they earn.
Submitted by: Pramod Poudel