Dubai Study Abroad, Essay Example

I visited Dubai, United Arab Emirates for a summer trip for two months, mapping, observing and listening from the perspective of an anthropologist attempting to discover the city’s culture, the ways of life of the people, their customs, habits, influences and the people who reside there. Three of my closest friends accompanied me on this most gracious and fascinating journey across the world and oh what a journey it was! Planning the trip was very exciting, tedious and tiresome but my friends and I put our heads together and did a great job. We had some misconceptions of what to expect once we arrived to our destination but some of these misconceptions we learned were simple fallacies and stereotypes from speaking to others that had not visited the area. Some ideas were indeed true which will be discussed in further detail in this research paper.

Whilst mapping the historical area of Dubai we stumbled upon the old homes of Diwan Amiri which was near the Ruler’s Office. This area was historically known for the wind towers to effectually present sea breeze for air conditioning and protects the townspeople from the extreme summer heat. There was a wonderful museum located on the Deira side of the creek located near the abra landing. Today it is used for fishing and sailing which is a tradition of the emirate city. Before striking it rich in the 1950’s for oil fishing was one of the main resources for the economy of Dubai. Sailing is one of the luxurious sports of the locals and tourists. One of the most popular sports in the area is the sport of camel racing. The locals and the tourists enjoy the camel racing tremendously. The townspeople enjoy this racing even most often on the National Day.

On our second day in the city we visited the World Trade Centre of Dubai. This is a huge 39 story building which is one of the tallest buildings in the Gulf. The building is used for exhibitions and business conferences. The Centre is located on Sheikh Zayed Road in the centre of town and there are guided tours available to tourists if so desired. Another magnificent attraction was the Dubai Zoo which is small in size but large in offering. The zoo offers a variety of mammals of exotic species, birds, reptiles and many of endangered species such as the axis deer and the Bengal tiger. We ended our day with a visit to the Gold Souk which is one of the largest retail gold markets in the world. I purchased some precious pearls and a very nice gem ring to bring back home with me for a very favorable price. We decided we would take a look at the parks and gardens later during the trips since we were going to be in Dubai for two months. We were very excited the first few days and sort of behaved as tourists visiting the major attractions but knew there were much more exotic places to discover as we set into our hostel. Children’s City Park is known for rich cafes, internet cafes and more than 200 exhibits. The park is located in Bur Dubai. Al Mumzar Beach Park is another interesting park to visit which is near north of Al Hamriya. The park is full of great beach facilities and very affluent chalets. It encompasses on-site transportation system and on site cafeteria for convenience.

Dubai recently spent $7.6 billion revamping its public transportation system. “This will cover a luxury transportation system for those who want to travel publically in comfort.” (Lutz 2009).  The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has authority over the public transportation within the city limits of Dubai, UAE. Over 30 million people use this public bus system weekly which has approximately 193 routes that it supports for business and personal use. The system is not large enough to accommodate the needs though, hence sometimes people have over an hour wait for a bus which puts them either late for work or coming to the bus stop an hour early to ensure they are to work on time. Buses are by far not the only means of transportation in the city but it is the cheapest means of transportation. Taxis are available and there are over 8,000 private and public taxis for consumer use. They are usually cream in color and easy to spot for use. Metro Taxi and Cititaxi are two of the largest taxi services in Dubai.

There are over 1.5 million residents in the city of Dubai and the city has become very congested with even some commuting taking as long as two hours during peak hours in the mornings and evenings. Though the economy is difficult and some expatriate workers have been laid off this had accomplished little to decrease the transportation congestion problems. Many consumers have cars but the roads are very thick with congestion and this adds to the congestion and pollution problems in the city areas. 53% per 1000 people in the city of Dubai but not all automobile owners use cars to commute to work due to congestion and inner city tariffs. There is a significant flawed road system including key routes including bottle-neck problems on key routes that service the major routes to work. Many of the major routes built years ago service the motorists and need to be restructured.

There is a partial railway system similar to the Underground System of London, England called the Dubai Rapid Link (DURL) that is under construction. The hope is to eliminate the traffic congestion and provide effective and economic commuting for all residents of Dubai. The complete construction will not be completed until the year of 2012 though. The contractors involved in this project are Japanese and Turkish entities. The subway will run from the city of Rashidiya to Jebel Ali through the Dubai International Airport along way the Dubai World Central International Airport. The station at Palm Jumerah Monorail is already in operation but the extension to the International Dubai Airport is not presently in service as of yet.

Because Dubai is a tourist area it is made up of a multi-cultural society including businessmen and women as well as tourists seeking to enjoy the cuisine, bars, shopping and sporting events that the city has to offer.  It is a very lucrative place to spend time because the city has modern facilities as well as offers much historical charm that many people appreciate. There is much dining to offer to suit the palette of just about any eater. Drinking laws are very strict in Dubai regarding licensing and conduct whilst in the bars. Dubai is favored for their gold souq spices and many international tourists are more than willing to bring some home to add a taste of Arabic cooking to their traditional taste. Many people feel the social warmth and technology that Dubai has to offer will prove to be the technological advantage of the world’s future. The nightlife is very vogue and flashy in Dubai. Many large name venues travel to Dubai and advertise there as well. Many DJ’s enjoy practicing in Dubai to attract attention. Of course Dubai is best known for its Arabic music and traditions.

The Burj Al Arab or Tower of the Arabs is one of the most spectacular pieces of architecture that Dubai has to offer the locals as well as the tourists to the area. The interior of this hotel was actually designed by Khuan Chew, Design Principal of KCA International of London and completed in 1999. The hotel consists of 202 luxury rooms and 60 floors. The hotel is built with a post-modern design.

Burg Dubai is the second best architecture created by architect Skidmore, Owings and Merrill. The hotel building is located around Doha Street and is only two years young in completion. The hotel comprises 164 floors and is built in a modern corporate style which attracts many of the business men and women that travel to Dubai. One of the most magnificent attractions about the hotels is the indoor/outdoor observation deck which allows the customers a great view to the city as well as the inner parts of the lovely hotel atrium.

Grosvenor House West Marina Beach is a five star hotel, post-modern style located near the prestigious marina area located across Al Sufouh Road. This piece of architecture is considered the third top prestigious work of art that the city of Dubai has to offer its guests and residents for business and luxury relaxation. It is a post-modern hotel offering a beautiful spa and resort that attracts people from all over the world. Archgroup Consultants built the resort/hotel in 2005.

The majority of the residents of Dubai wear traditional Arabic clothing which entails Saudi dresses, Arabic Thobe dresses, abayas, etc. There is also traditional American clothing that many wear from jeans to casual shirts and tee- shirts. Many women wear Indian clothing which includes kurtas and cholis and sandals and high heel shoes. There are many major department stores such as Gap, Marks and Spencer’s, Saks Fifth Avenue, Harvey Nichols, Dubai Barney’s, etc.

Dubai is a very rich city, one of seven states that make up the UAE. Prior to oil being discovered in the 1950’s in Dubai the major economic source in the city was fishing and pearling. The city is now one of the largest exporters of petroleum. Aujan Industries which is the largest privately-owned beverage company in the Gulf. It manufactures, markets, and distributes a wide range of beverage products to the Middle East and beyond. Dubai International Financial Center ( DIFC) which is considered to the world’s fastest growing financial center which focuses on number of financial activities, including Banking and Brokerage, Capital Markets & Wealth Management.
Nakheel Presentation and Palm Jumeirah Tour which are the developers such as “The Palm Trilogy” and “The World” and Nakheel real estate developments. Emirates National Oil Company ( ENOC). The Emirates National Oil Company operates the Jebel Ali refinery which was constructed between 1996 to 1999 and is owned by the Dubai government. It is 120 kbpd gas condensate refinery, and processes mainly condensate or light crude oil. These inputs are processed to various products, including LPG, naphtha, jet fuel, diesel oil and fuel oil.

There is a continuous flow of foreign workers into the city and country because of the oil industry. It is anticipated that the oil production will last for another thirty years.

The sandy white beaches make this Arabic country rich in tradition and a city of cosmopolitan charm. In 2003 this city was voted the most desired place to attend for vacationers. “Jumeirah Beach is the most famous and popular beach in Dubai. Actually, it is a long stretch of beach on the Arabian Gulf flanked by hotels and private clubs, interspaced by a few public access marine beaches. The Jumeirah beaches have soft white sand that slip into the shallow warm turquoise waters of the Arabian Gulf, there is also a beautiful hotel named Jumeirah Beach Hotel Dubai.” (“Beaches in Dubai” 2010).

Living in Dubai is very accommodating for there are many rentals to find. There are rental advertisements in many supermarkets as well as through rental agencies. One can find a modest apartment to a more luxurious apartment near Bur Dubai. Jumeirah is most probably the best place to live in Dubai because it is safe, the accommodations are nice but the area is quite pricy in the millions.

There are many good schools for children if you are considering a permanent or long-term move to Dubai but you should remember the cutoff date to enroll your child is May 1^st of every year. International workers enjoy tax free shopping and tax cuts on their paychecks for national workers for a period of time. The average annual costs of a decent apartment in Dubai are $140K. An average car would cost you $40K. Clothing can range from $200-$2,000 per month depending if one shops at designer stores. An average dental or doctor visit runs about $250. An average movie ticket would cost you $30. Prices are comparable to that of London, England. I took notice that electronics are much more expensive in Dubai than in the United States. An average laptop would cost approximately $2,000 and an average LCD television would cost about $5,000 whereas in the states would cost about 50% less.

Some of the local newspapers of Dubai are The Financial Times, Khaleej Times Home, Gulf News and 7days.AE as the online sports newspaper. All of these newspapers provide comprehensive sources to local and some international finance and community advertisements to keep locals and foreigners abreast of the best news available.

The chain and local supermarkets to shop are Spinney’s, Waitrose, Emirates Coop, Ajman among other small chained convenient stores that are there to service needs. Most supermarkets are open until midnight on weekends and 10 pm on weekdays. There are many pharmacies available in Dubai but the most common ones are Abeer, Al Falasi, Al Baraka and Al Ahali of all Arabic decent. The normal hours of operation are from 8 am until 10 pm.

Dubai’s public health care system is currently under the rule of the Department of Health and Medical Services. The medical services are either free or provided at a very low cost to UAE residents. If a resident chooses to go to a private health care provider they can expect to pay (40 British Pounds) for their initial visit) which is comparable to about $60 US Dollars with the current exchange rate. “Dubai does not participate in mandatory employer or state contributions to insurance schemes.” (“Move Forward” 2009).

I not only made my own observations, my three friends made their own observations for the purpose of this research report. We visited many of the top notch facilities, some of the not so highly regarded areas and spoke to local residents as well as tourists. I would state accurately we spoke to as many as on average of 20 people per day in order to make these assessments. This report is very objective by nature.

Initially my pre-conceptions were that Dubai was a very expensive place to live and would have too much of Arabic influence to be called modernized according to a democratic American society. I have changed my viewpoint. The people were bi-lingual and spoke as many as four languages in some instances and the architecture was very modern. The ambiance and setting was very modern. The cost of living was indeed very expensive as a tourist and as a part-time resident but if I was a full-time worker I could probably afford to survive a decent life. There was another misconception that I shared with my three friends that it would be quite difficult for American and British women to fair well in a predominantly speaking and living cultural society especially feeling that the men might not respect the women from an American or British society. As long as women cover up and do not conduct themselves as prostitutes they will fare well in this country. It is considered acceptable to go over to you boyfriend’s house for a visit and perhaps an overnight visit but in the neighboring country of Saudi Arabia this is not condoned unless you are married as man and wife. Dubai is traditional but a little more relaxed on some values but not as relaxed as America and Britain though Britain is not as relaxed as the states. One is able to live an independent lifestyle without worrying about being crucified by the local government for being flogged by the men as long as they respect themselves.

Of course you will always have your neo-liberalism class that constantly has to argue for their political freedoms as expressed by Ahmed Kanna, 2010. He argues this philosophy is what has shaped the 21^st century corporate neo-liberalism in the city of Dubai and rightfully so. Capital is dominant within social hierarchies. Citizens are instead trying to accomplish democracy in a nice and peaceful way which is against what the political tyrants of Dubai want. More on this topic can be read in “Spiritual Economies: Islam and Neoliberalism in Contemporary Indonesia (2009)”.

Works Cited

Lutz, M. (2009) Retrieved February 18, 2010 from, http://articles.latimes.com/2009/sep/10/world/fg-dubai-subway10

Ahmed, K. (2010) Retrieved February 14, 2010 from, http://www.culanth.org/?q=node/297

Kanna, C. Spiritual Economies: Islam and Neoliberalism in Contemporary Indonesia, New York, Wilson Publishing, 2009.

Beaches in Dubai (2010) Retrieved February 13, 2010 from, http://www.dubaiabudhabi.com/dubai-tourist-attractions/beaches-in-dubai.html

Move Forward (2009) Healthcare in Dubai Retrieved February 18, 2010 from, http://www.expatforum.com/articles/health/health-care-in-dubai.html