Abu Dhabi and Dubai, United Arab Emirates. January 30 and 31, 2016

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Sitting in a Starbucks in Singapore. Finally able to update the blog. Enjoy!

Abu Dhabi and Dubai, United Arab Emirates

This is what we have learned. We may not have all the details right because this is really one of the most foreign experiences ever. Information varies from our guides talking about a presidents and a vice president, whereas the news talks about a prime minister and a cabinet of ministers. Today's news tells us that the Sheik has just appointed two new ministers: the Minister of Happiness, and the Minister of Tolerance. The need for tolerance is quite evident, while it still remains unclear whether the resident foreigners will be at all affected by the imposition of Happiness. An Emirati once said, "We are all happy as long as we keep our mouths shut."

The law is strict, and in the traditions of Sharia, not terribly understanding of crosscultural differences. Get arrested here, and you are in for a protracted struggle as you will have no significant rights, even as a foreign national.

Costume varies. The robed Arabs sometimes affect a light cane, which harkens back to a camel rider/herder's switch. Women wear black robes to cover their wrists, ankles and hair. Some have subtle designs threaded though in dark colours, others shot with gold highlights or designs. Veils are rare, and if a face is covered at all, then the whole face is covered, and all you see is eyes. I can understand how many of the women prefer this style of dress. The simplicity of dressing to run errands or go to dinner is appealing, and the observer necessarily concentrates much more on the face, rather than clothes, body shapes and accessories. Also, we are told, they wear quite contemporary and daring items underneath the robes, and in private, away from men.

As in Oman, my beard drew curious stares. If I were robed, no doubt I would be approached in Arabic.

Both cities have been carved out of the desert coast, their locations chosen for their fine ports along the trade routes. It is amazing to look at these skylines and realize that there was nothing here at all but desert, and perhaps a few huts, until the oil money came.

They learned how to turn oil into money, then turned the money into imported material and expertise. With that, they oversaw the creation of what seems on the surface to be an insane contest between the Arab oil producers for the biggest, longest, tallest, most ornate whatever in the city, in the state, in the country, in the region, and if at all possible, in the world.

In the background, the Emirs and Sheiks have spent trillions on construction, and supply free housing and generous social programs for the Arab native-born. This is not extended to the locally-born children of foreigners. Questions to our guides regarding foreigners being granted citizenship were stonewalled. They only responded with convoluted explanations and cited dozens of confusing exceptions. Basically, the Emirates are for the Emirati, and Oman for the Omani. New citizens not welcome.

The opulence and newness of the two cities is difficult to take in. Formed by a coalition of seven Sheikdoms, each Emirate has a different tribal and economic base. The UAE is headed by a prime minister (or perhaps president) elected amongst the sheiks, and only about 15% of the population are Emirati. All others are imported for their labour and services, from brain surgeons to landscapers.

Each Emirate also has a finite supply of oil, upon which their economies have been based since the '60s and '70s. They will run out of oil to sell at varying periods in the future, with Dubai to run out first, perhaps as soon as the end of the decade.

There are no, or alternatively, minimal, taxes. Construction and social programs for the native-born are owned and paid for by the government, which is to say, the incredibly wealthy ruling Sheiks. But while the Saudis, Omani and some Emirates have funded their social programs with oil money, the smart minds in Dubai recognized that the oil party will soon end, and were directed by their Sheik to diversify. Thus the economy in Dubai has been shifting to trade, transport, investment and real estate, while the region of Abu Dhabi has oil aplenty for a couple more decades, if not more. Further, these two opulent, modern cities are only 150Km apart.

The Arab families in their national dress stride proudly through the city amongst the ethnic mix and variation in dress styles one would find in any large city. It all makes for a remarkable cultural mix, although the native-born run the show. Here, the Emirati hold themselves a cut above the Indians and Indonesians and Europeans who provide their labour and specialized services.

Opulence and pride. It's all quite confusing; difficult to understand (for non-Emirati) which rules stem from culture, or which from religion, or from membership in OPEC and from the flow of extraordinary sums of money, or an unprecedented combination of two or several of these things.

The first day was in Abu Dhabi, where the Prime Ministerial seat is located. The deputy resides in Dubai. Besides being names of the main cities, they are also the names of their respective provinces, or Sheikdoms, or Emirates. The Sheik of Abu Dhabi is the current nominated ruler, and his 19 brothers comprise his cabinet. The Prince of Dubai is the current deputy. At intervals, the Emirs choose who leads. I can only imagine the devious power struggles playing out in the secretive shadows of megawealth.

Dr. Mohammed bin Zayed al-Musharaff (with a few dozen other guttural syllables attached ad infinitum as the short version, "Call me Dr. Norman.") our tour guide for the best part of our day was a large, affable Arab with a ready laugh, a large personality, a snug robe and a repetitious narrative (he was inordinately proud of their ten lane divided highway leading out to the desert, remarking upon it several times during our journey). His area of expertise being zoology, he was somehow tied to the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital. Usually, we were told, Arabs are not tour guides. They have foreigners for that.

On the way to the Falcon Hospital, we saw many of the main sights of the area, including the Ferrari World Amusement Park, with Disney-style rides and roller coaster (the fastest in the world!), and, of course, a Formula One track where, after a few lessons, the affluent leisure class can pilot various types of racing and luxury cars around an official track.

As Dr. Norman repeatedly noted, the highway leading from Abu Dhabi through the mangrove swamps and sand islands to the park was built specifically to handle the anticipated traffic levels going to the Formula One events, a superhighway of five lanes each way. It is worth repeating that the locals are very proud of this, despite the universal truth that a little construction in one lane will snarl traffic dead in four others.

Falconry is a main sport of the Emirati, with top-end falcons exceeding the price of a Ferrari. Falcons are so prized by their owners and there are so many competitions for racing and hunting in the Arab world, that falcons are issued passports, and fly first class in the seat next to their owners (no discounts). Falcon racing itself is prohibited in the Emirates, so many owners make the journey over the nearest border to enter their falcons in these highly prestigious competitions. Allowing the falcons to hunt is also restricted in most areas, as they would quickly depopulated the desert of small game.

So, the Falcon Hospital. First-rate veterinary care for privileged avians. Hooded falcons perch on their own benches in the waiting room and treatment areas. Other facilities include an enclosed area for molting falcons, who tend to damage themselves while molting as their aerodynamics are off. A group must be introduced simultaneously and carefully to each other, restrained by lessening degrees as they acclimatise to each other's company and allow an alpha and a beta to assume their roles. After they are used to each other, introduction of a new member would result in a flock attack on the newcomer, so it is important to make sure your falcon has a proper place in a proper spa for the proper season.

After visiting the falcons, we toured the Sheik Al-Zayed, the largest mosque in the world (capacity 41,000 people) which also has the largest hand-made Persian carpet in the world, lit by the biggest chandeliers in the world, comprised of the most valuable gathering of Swarovski crystals in the world. Marble quarried in Italy and transported to China to be worked, to be assembled on site with ornate inlays of semiprecious and precious stones, creating floral murals 20 meters high. This was a gift to Allah and to the people by the Sheik, built with his money (conservative estimate $1.5 billion, but no one knows for sure as it could be easily twice that) in the hope, I suppose, echoed by many Christians, that you can indeed buy God's favour with earthly goods, and thus ensure a seat in heaven.

The palaces of the Royal Families dot both cities, and are easily recognized by the higher-than-anyone-else's privacy walls and closed, guarded access gates.

We toured the prolific architecture of the downtown area. Overdone hotels everywhere, each trying to outdo the other. One of the Royal Palaces near the central marina sported a series of docks at which were moored several luxury yachts. "Which one belongs to the Sheik?" asked Brainard. "All of them," smiled Dr. Norman.

Our last stop was on the breakwater to the marina, where the people play in the manicured parks, on the beaches and boardwalks and on the water. As we walked along the water we were trailed by two boys, about 10 or so, one of whom pulled out a water pistol and shoved it in the face of an old lady. Another lady tried to engage them in conversation as they clearly were privileged and spoke English, but they were most disrespectful and when she turned away one threw a hard kick at her butt. She, not realizing the insult, turned and smiled indulgently, which they took as license to start annoying others in our group. Scanning the crowd, I spied a robed Arab smiling indulgently and took him for a parent or uncle. I began to sidle over to point out the disrespect of the children towards elders, when one of the boys blocked my path, clearly intent on mischief. I said in loud and clear English, "Point that gun at me and it goes into the sea. Then you." Jane touched my arm in that way she has, but the boys headed away from our group.

Lots of luxury vehicles, almost all with tinted windows. We remarked that even though the weather in January is comparatively mild, we saw almost no motorcycles. Dr. Norman said that helmeted bikers get heatstroke quickly and easily, and helmets are law.

Onward to Dubai, with our Dutch guide, Brigit, a nineteen-year resident, but still very much a foreigner. Our first stop was the Burj Khalifa, the 180-story tower which has become the status touchstone for the region. It is the tallest building in the world (until someone builds one two centimeters taller). Our tour group got express access to floors 124 (outside, and open to the sky) and 125 (360 degrees of floor to ceiling glass), affording stunning panoramic views of the city which extends eastward to the horizon. We looked south into the desert and over the city stretching north to the water, and east and west to disappear into the desert haze. The well-connected have access to an even higher external observation deck.

We saw the indoor ski hill with youngsters wearing winter clothing for barely under-freezing temperatures, clothing that Canadians would consider overkill for -20C weather. Their 1200-store malls with a single aquarium as big as a city block, and yes, expensive wood and marble everywhere. Watches that cost more than my house. Ferraris and Lamborghinis on display as a draw to the real estate dealer who will give you a car to go with the apartment or home you buy. We missed the nighttime fountain show, which is said to match or exceed the display a the Bellagio in Las Vegas.

Free zones and not-free zones are another wrinkle in the social structure. If you want to have a business outside the Free Zone, an Emirati must vouch for you and guarantee your good conduct, and is automatically granted 51% of the business.

Massive areas of Dubai are functionally designated - Knowledge City contains private schools, and colleges and universities. Internet city contains the Microsoft building next to the Oracle building next to the IBM building . . .

We drove the Palm Island of Dubai to the Atlantis Hotel, smaller cousin to the one in the Bahamas, and saw the hotel on the Persian Gulf shaped like the sail of a dhow, where Tiger Woods famously shot a few drives off their rooftop helicopter pad.

What is most amazing is the speed at which these cities grew, and continue to grow. Although the Emirati no doubt hired the best planning and construction expertise money can buy, I mistrust the stability of millions of tonnes of highrises perched on infill at the juncture of the desert and the Gulf.

Also amazing is that this all flows from ego. Construction of the Palm Islands required sand dredged from the bottom of the Persian Gulf. Desert sand particles are too round; it would be like building something on top of a kids' ball pit - the sand from the ocean floor is more crystalline and jagged, thus settles into a more stable configuration. The islands were to take several years to settle, but the Sheik wanted everything sooner. Thus, the schedule was dramatically accelerated by a company specializing in infill stabilizing. Using some sort of vibration settling technology, the stabilization of the giant sand castle was compressed to two years.

One cannot help but note if one type of vibration can increase stability, another can wreak havoc. I envision a disaster movie scenario of highrises taking each other down in a domino effect right across the skyline. As well, the construction of what amounts to several hundred little islands constructed from sand dredged from the bottom of the Persian Gulf has severely disrupted Persian Gulf currents and fish habitat.

An overdone, amazing and modern city indeed. Still. Dominoes.

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Photos

Abu Dhabi
Dr. Norman on the left.

Abu Dhabi
Falcon Hospital

Abu Dhabi
Shiek Zayed Mosque. Such opulence!

Abu Dhabi
Mosque

Abu Dhabi
Thousands of Swarovski crystals!

Abu Dhabi
Modesty a must!

Dubai
What a view!

Dubai
Khalifa Tower. 124th floor.

Dubai
Khalifa Tower

Dubai
Now, that's an aquarium! And inside the shopping centre!

Dubai
So many tall buildings!