I visited Dubai earlier this year and found it to be both a fascinating and perplexing place. I will elaborate on my mixed feelings, as well as all of my adventures, in this series of posts about the city nicknamed, "The Gulf Tiger."
First, here is a little background on Dubai, before I launch into the details of my visit:
Dubai is both a city, as well as one of the seven emirates, that comprise the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Each emirate is a territory (similar to a state), ruled by a Muslim monarch or high officeholder, known as an emir. Dubai's current emir and ruler is His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who is also the prime minister of the UAE.
There are several theories surrounding the origin of the name "Dubai."
One theory suggests that it comes from the Arabic word "dabba" meaning "to creep," in reference to the unhurried flow of the Dubai Creek.
2020 Locust Infestation in the UAE
Another theory is that it refers to the alternate meaning of the same word, which means "baby locust," because desert locusts infested the area prior to its settlement. Albeit less frequently today, locust infestations still occur. As recently as 2020, swarms of locusts infested the surrounding region. Footage of the event lends frightening illustration to the biblical plague of locusts described in the book of Exodus.
The most widely circulated theory about the origin of the name "Dubai," is that it comes from the Arabic proverb, "Daba Dubai," which means, "they came with a lot of money." It's no surprise that this is also the most widely embraced theory.
It tracks with Dubai's reputation and corresponds with my experience, which is that all things related to money -- pursuing it, acquiring it, talking about it, retaining it, increasing it, flaunting it, worshipping it, etc. -- are of the highest priority in this populated, Gulf city.
Ironically, Dubai actually began as a small, fishing village of approximately 800 people in 1833. As recently as 1950, Dubai's population was only 20,000. Today, it is the most populated city in the UAE, with more than 3 million people, of whom 90% are ex pats, representing over 200 nationalities.
So, how does one explain this meteoric rise? If your guess is oil, you are not alone, because it is a common belief. It is also a common misconception. Yes, oil was discovered in Dubai in 1966 and served as a turning point to help build the city, but it accounts for less than 1% of the state's G.D.P.
If it isn't oil, then what is it?
First, Dubai's Jebel Alley Port is the main shipping port, and the nerve center of all trade in the Middle East. Moreover, globally, approximately 10% of all world trade passes through this port because the Dubai government has created one of the world's largest, economic free zones, in and around the port, with additional free zones in the city. The free zones offer personal and corporate tax exemptions, custom duty benefits and no foreign ownership restrictions, enticing businesses world-wide to Dubai.
Second, Dubai has used a migrant workforce comprised mainly of South Asians, for construction and other labor. These workers received little pay, endured horrendous working conditions and long hours and often had their passports withheld so they could not return home. Human Rights Watch, as well as Harvard International Review, among others, lambasted the practices for many years.
It was not until 2017, as a result of global criticism, that the UAE began allowing workers one day off per week, medical benefits, and 30 days of vacation per year. By this point however, Dubai (and the UAE) had already benefitted from this cheap labor force, that catapulted the city to one of the richest and fastest growing in the world.
The third factor that led to Dubai's unprecedented success, may surprise you.
Takeoff of My Flight from Los Angeles to Dubai
I left Los Angeles, to head to Dubai, under clear skies and sunshine. We flew out over the sparkling, Pacific Ocean, just as the sun was setting.
Upstairs Lounge of Emirates Airbus A380
To reach Dubai, I booked Emirates for the first time, motivated by a heavily discounted business class fare, that I couldn't pass up. I was then bumped up to first class, one way, due to a seat malfunction.
This isn't a non sequitur. Rather, it is the third factor in Dubai's rise to wealth and prosperity. Can you guess what it is? That's right. It's Emirates airline. Surprised? I was.
Emirates airline was established in 1985 by the Dubai government, as part of a plan to reinvent the struggling city. The then ruling emir, Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum (father of Dubai's current ruler), appreciated Dubai's strategic location as a central point for the fastest, growing economies in the world, including India, Japan, China, some countries in Africa, and the developed countries of Europe. Put another way, Dubai is within an eight-hour flight of 66% of the world's population.
With other airlines already taking advantage of this hub, the Dubai government decide to take part and create its own airline, beginning with just two, leased planes. It resolved however, that despite humble beginnings, Emirates would become known as the premier, luxury airline, and by extension, Dubai, a once inhospitable desert landscape, would become known as one of the most luxurious, tourist destination in the world.
With the help of genius marketing, among other things, it happened. Today, Emirates has a fleet of 269 aircraft, serving more than 80 countries and six continents, and Dubai is indeed a travel destination known for opulence and lavishness.
Here's a taste of the glittering branding that made all of this possible:
Business Class Seat on Emirates
This is a business class seat on the Emirates Airbus A380, the largest passenger plane in the world, and the only double-deck jetliner. Emirates has more A380s in their fleet, than any other airline. If you'll notice, Emirates adds a down, feather mattress, pillow and comforter, to the seat when it's time to sleep.
First Class Seat
For many years, Emirates was unequivocally the best and most luxurious airline, especially when flying first class. As you can see in the picture above, and the video below, a first class ticket on Emirates gets you more of a private pod than a seat.
First Class Cabin Video
While first class is the pinnacle on Emirates, the airline offers small touches like amenity kits, award winning entertainment and world class meals, in every class, from first to economy. (Sorry for the bumpy footage. We experienced a bit of turbulence on our flight.)
First Class Bathroom and Shower
Emirates is also known for its premium services including an onboard shower (remember the Jennifer Aniston commercial?), only available in first class. The video above shows the first class bathroom and shower, with a plethora of amenities, including a heated floor.
Today, Emirates is still one of the world's top airlines, but this year, it ranked third after Singapore Airlines and Qatar Airways, just named 2024's "Airline of the Year" (rankings by travel industry rating company, Skytrax).
While a fall from first is difficult in any context, for Dubai, this one has a particular sting, not because it represents a decline in customer service or quality, but because it challenges Dubai's position as the quintessence of luxury and grandeur.
This is, after all, a place where you can get gold out of an ATM and where license plates are purchased to communicate a person's wealth. That's right. The fewer the digits on the plate, the more it is worth.
Sound ridiculous? It did to me. I mean, if that's your priority, isn't driving an exorbitantly, expensive car communication enough that one is wealthy? Apparently not, because last year, license plate "P7" was purchased for 55 million AED (approximately 15 million USD).
So, has the launch of Emirates and all of this vanity branding accomplished its goal? Yes! About 20 of every $100 generated in Dubai, comes from tourism. (I found it hard to get an accurate percentage of tourism's contribution to Dubai's GDP because most statistics show total GDP for the UAE, rather than just Dubai.)
Let me illustrate this another way. In 2022, the city of Dubai, with a population of about 3.6 million, had twice as many international tourists as the entire country of India, which at the time, had a population of over 1.4 billion. Crazy, huh?
I guess that brings me back to my trip. On a positive note, I must say that, materialistic and avaricious underpinnings aside, the service and amenities on my Emirates flight left me feeling pampered and relaxed, and ready to hit the ground running when I landed in Dubai. It turned out that "swimming" might have been a better verb to describe what actually happened upon my arrival at Dubai International Airport.
Next up are details about my time in Dubai and my experience arriving in the aftermath of the worst storm in the history of the United Arab Emirates.
Comments