Dubai
There is a lot of misleading information about the Middle East because it is not a place that many people will ever see in their lives. Dubai is one of the region’s largest cities, and it is located in the United Arab Emirates. About 6 million people are living in the city, and it is one of the busiest business hubs in the Persian Gulf region. You may think that you know what this place is all about, but here are some Dubai photos that will make you think twice about visiting.
Fashion Forward
When you think of high fashion, you likely don’t first think of Dubai. What you may not know is that it is gaining prominence around the fashion world. It is one of the capitals of fashion in the Middle East, and it is quickly catching up to high fashion cities like Milan, New York City, and Paris. The city hosts plenty of fashion shows every year, and many designers from Dubai have had their lines displayed on the fashion show runways in Paris and New York City. Most of the looks are more conservative than what you will see on Western runways, but the styles are still stunning.
Zero Percent Crime Rate
The city is ruled under strict Muslim law; therefore, the crime rate is zero. People in Dubai know that they can easily be imprisoned or deported for the slightest criminal act, so they don’t attempt to break the law. The police officers in Dubai get to patrol the city in style. Dubai wants to show its tourists how classy they are, so the police officers drive around in Ferraris, Lamborghinis, and an Ashton Martin. The total cost of Dubai’s police vehicles is $1.79 million.
Immigrants
Close to 83 percent of the residents of Dubai are immigrants. They came to Dubai to build the hundreds of skyscrapers located in the city. Most of the workers have come from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India. The class divide is huge. Many of the immigrant workers live and work in squalid conditions, which non-workers bring in huge salaries.
Zero Debt Policy
Dubai has stringent laws regarding being in debt. If a resident were to default on their credit cards or they miss any payments, they could be put in jail or deported. Many people flock to Dubai because of the well-paying jobs, the tax-free salaries, and the up-scale living conditions. This has resulted in many foreigners living above their means. When they get into debt, they flee the country before they can be put in jail.
Everything Needs To Be Cooled
Dubai is located in the middle of the desert, and it is not uncommon for the temperature to soar over 120 degrees. This type of heat could cause the buildings to melt in the sun, and residents could bake in the heat in front of their windows. To keep these things from happening, the buildings equipped with vertical cooling systems that rely on very strong pumps to push was up through the buildings to keep them cool.
Fastest-Growing City On Earth
Dubai is growing so fast that experts worried about a financial and housing collapse. In 2009, they completed their metro system, which featured 42 stations, and it completed in just 18 months. This is a fraction of the time that such a big job would have taken other major cities. Thanks to trade and tourism, it is the 5th highest performing metropolitan economy in the world.
No Standard Address System
Because Dubai is growing so rapidly, they don’t have a standard address system in place. If you want to send a letter to someone in Dubai, you won’t write out an address. Instead, you would write instructions on how to get to the house, or you would draw a map. It is not uncommon for postal workers to see a label that reads, “After the white mosque, take the first street to the left. The house with the gold door.”
Camel Racing
In the U.S., horse racing is popular. In Dubai, camel racing is just as popular. Because of a camel’s size, only children can race them. This has created a problem because people are illegally trafficking children into the country to race the camels. To prevent this, child-sized robots used to race the camels. They cost between $300 and $10,000.
Building a City Within a City
The Mall of the World built in Dubai to bring in more tourists. The building is going to be 50 million square feet and will be temperature controlled. The builders have taken inspiration from New York’s Broadway and London’s Oxford Street. The project will include 20,000 hotel rooms, parking for 50,000 vehicles, and will house the largest shopping mall in the world.
Bigger and Better
Dubai wants everything in the city to be bigger and better than anywhere else on the planet. Dubai is home to the most luxurious hotel, the Burj Al-Arab. It is also home to the tallest building, the biggest indoor ski park, the biggest aquarium, and the biggest indoor mall.
No Premarital Sex
Premarital sex is illegal in Dubai and is punishable by imprisonment or deportation. Public displays of affection are frowned upon, which includes kissing and even holding hands. It is also illegal to have sexual relations with anyone but your spouse, and it is often, the man’s word is the one who the government listens to.
The Burj Al Arab
The Burj Al Arab Hotel is decorated with 5,872 square feet of 24-carat gold leaf. This is enough to cover 46,256 Mona Lisa paintings. It is considered to be a 7-star hotel, and the Royal Suite costs $20,000 per night.
Oil Production
Dubai produces a lot of oil. Each day, they produce between 50,000 and 70,000 barrels of oil. This is enough to fill about 4 ½ Olympic size swimming pools per day.
World’s Highest Tennis Court
Dubai is home to the world’s highest tennis court. It stands about 1,000-feet off the ground. It is on top of the Burj Al Arab Hotel. If you are going to play tennis on this court, you better not be afraid of heights.
Gold Bars In ATMs
Dubai has ATMs that will dispense 24-carat gold in the form of bars, coins, and wearable jewelry. After paying with cash or credit, the machines will dispense whatever you want. The ATM is located at the Dubai Mall, and the machines are so popular that they need to be refilled twice a week.
Abandoned Luxury Cars
It is not uncommon to find abandoned luxury sports cars abandoned in parking lots. You could be walking down the street and see Ferraris, Porsches, and BMW’s sitting in parking lots. The reason that they are abandoned is that if you fall in debt, you can be sent to jail; therefore, many of these people flee the country, leaving their luxury vehicles behind.
Exotic Animals
It is not uncommon for a wealthy person in Dubai to own dangerous and exotic pets. Owning pets such as tigers and cheetahs is illegal, but that doesn’t stop the wealthy from buying one. More and more of these animals are being smuggled into Dubai from their natural habitat.
Too Handsome
A journalist from Dubai named Omar Borkan Al Gala was asked to leave Saudi Arabia because he was too handsome. The authorities believed that he could corrupt impressionable women at the annual Janadriyah Festival. He started modeling when he was 18-years-old, and women at the festival recognized him. When they began asking him for his autograph, he was deported.
Cool Bus Stops
Dubai is so hot that even the bus stops are covered and air-conditioned. Since the temperature reaches 120 degrees, people riding public transportation need air conditioning while waiting for the bus.
