This week my husband and I made it through our first major Dubai milestone (at least on the home front)—we closed on our lease, moved into a brand new 30+ story apartment and rented a car… Hurrah! Sweet independence!
As I sit here basking in the solitude of our new place (When I say solitude, I really mean it. There is nothing in this grand three-room estate beyond our suitcases and a mattress), I can’t help but stare out my wall of windows and admire the architectural feat this place is! While my eyes play connect-the-dots between the 23 construction cranes on the horizon, I am amazed by the stark contrast between the landscapes that stare up at me. Directly below, I see my development (a multi-building, pool, pond and date tree oasis). To my left, the sea; in front, an infinite number of blue, yellow and white towers; and to the right, barren desert. Dubai has become the epicenter of the Middle East when it comes to trade, finance, tourism, media, technology and innovation. It’s almost impossible to believe that most of these industries developed here within a mere 40 years. The rapid pace of development here is truly astonishing and the energy of its people–flat out palpable! As one young Western European woman recently told me, “Europe is dead. The Middle East is where all the action’s at!”
Over the past month I’ve met with dozens of people—friends of friends from the States, CEOs and executives from India, boxing coaches from the Philippines (FYI: I now study boxing privately two mornings a week…step aside Muhammad Ali!), entrepreneurs from Libya, security guards from Pakistan, aspiring oil moguls from Korea, teachers from Egypt, the list goes on and on…The unifying theme that seems to bring everyone here is opportunity—the opportunity to build your wealth, to build the city (buildings, policies, schools, infrastructure), to build your network! And if you’re from countries such as Libya or Pakistan you may be here because it’s safe. When I asked A (see last blog entry) why Dubai is considered safe, his response was, “because everyone is happy here!” He clearly hasn’t spoken with my cynical American compatriots (Note: American’s make up an overwhelming minority here)! But, American cynicism aside, I too am affected by this place’s overwhelming optimism and eye towards the future. And, on a safety note, I am amazed how trusting everyone is here. People around me leave their doors unlocked while they are away from home, purses on chairs while they go to the restroom, and keys on the seats of their brand-name cars while they slumber at night—something I can’t fathom doing as a former New Yorker! In fact, the evening my parents drove into town to help me move out of my last Brooklyn apartment, their car windows were smashed and my dad’s gym bag was stolen… Now, there’s a warm Big Apple welcome!
I must admit, there are two perspectives on this place I am dying to know—that of the construction worker and that of a twenty-something Emirati woman. Are construction workers happy here? Can one feel any sense of utopia after 8 hours of back-braking labor in the 115+ degree sun? What is it like to be a modern day indentured servant? (Rumor has it that many workers devote over a year of their salaries just paying back the loans they took out to get here.) What is a night like without solitude in a dormitory filled with densely packed rooms? (I’ve seen blueprints for worker housing where there are 8 beds to a room.) What is it like for a grown man to go over 3 years without seeing his wife and children? Does one give up on craving physical intimacy? Perhaps there are women here to help out with that? Nearly every time I stop at a traffic light, I am greeted by at least 20 male stares from the worker-buses in the next lane over. I can’t help but wonder if they are staring at me because I am in an air-conditioned car by myself or because I am a woman with her hair let loose. This is the material of a fascinating documentary folks! Aspiring Spielbergs, take this as a call to action!
Finally, what about those twenty-something Emirati women?! How do these women view the world having grown up simultaneously with the city in their backyard? What family expectations are there when it comes to work and having children? I am learning that many Emirati women fill top posts within Dubai’s government. What does a gal have to do in order to rise the ranks of UAE women? (Note: A recent Time Magazine article points out that Arab women, especially those from Saudi Arabia and the UAE, are becoming a multi-billion dollar force to be reckoned with. More financially savvy than ever before, these women are buying property, investing in the stock market and demanding high quality luxury goods and services. They represent a market segment with huge untapped potential… Marketers, please take note!) Yesterday I met with a local professor of education that mentioned one of his advisees just published her master’s thesis—a look at 30 highly successful Emirati elder women and the steps they took to build their careers. I can’t wait to get my hands on it!
Alright… I hear the call to prayer from my local mosque, so I will give this blog post a rest. But, since it is prayer time, I want to give a shout out to Allah for allowing me the opportunity to live here! Which reminds me… Last weekend while driving back into the city after a day trip to the Ras al Khaimah beach, my husband and I noticed a fancy 4-wheeler truck pulled over on the side of the highway in the middle of the desert. Wondering why the driver had stopped, we slowed down to see if everything was okay… Low and behold, it was a wealthy Arab man (dressed in a beautiful white cloak and headpiece) kissing the sand—giving thanks to the beautiful land that surrounds us. I will never forget that image.
To happiness,
A
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