Dubai

Sometimes the more you see the smaller things all become. The spectacular and the mundane meld together making it hard to be moved by either one. I keep being told that by people who want to extract the excitement from life. More than one person has said that once you’ve seen one place you have seen them all, emphasizing that there is nothing new under the sun. I will let those people keep their lackluster view of life; as for me, this time has not yet come.

When I step off the plane in any new place I hold my breath waiting to be swept away. I close my eyes and hope that this “next place” will be more brilliant than the last. Fortunately, I have yet to be disappointed. Dubai was the Oasis I had imagined and then some. Attempting to put it in finite words would be tragic. Dubai is one of those places you just have to experience to believe it. Therefore, I will not make any feeble attempts of my own to describe what it was like being there, I will just say if ever given a chance, take that moment to experience the luxury, the splendor, the inspiration for yourself…

With that said, I would be remised if I did not at least give a few notes of merit about Dubai.

-          Although Dubai is in all estimations a young industrial and economic establishment, its infrastructure is even younger, with nearly every building of significance being a decade or less in age. The boom of construction began in 2004.

-          Bill Gates and Donald Trump have found Dubai to be fertile from a commerce perspective and have multiple projects in the works there.

-          Ever on the cutting edge of greatness, Dubai currently boasts the world’s biggest mall, the world’s tallest building (for now at least. Saudi Arabia is vying for the title as well), and world’s fastest growing tourism and economic industry.

-          Oil is its leading commodity. If the oil ever ran dry, the Emirates would have precious metals and gems to fall back on.

-          Dubai is one of 7 Emirates (the people are also called Emirates). Sheikh Mohammed is vice president of the 7 Emirates or UAE as it is commonly known, but is the genius behind the success of Dubai. He is also the "ruler" of Dubai. He spares no expense and it is his enthusiasm for education, equality and decadence that keeps the other 6 Emirates thriving. Ironically, the President of UAE, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, is the ruler of only the second most powerful Emirate, Abu Dhabi. Though he is slightly eclipsed in notoriety by Sheikh Mohammed, he does at least have the honor of having the world's tallest building named after him, The Burj Khalifa.  We were informed, however, that he does have the most oil.

There were many highlights to our trip to Dubai, but the most memorable has to be our trip to “the top”, our journey inside and all the way to the top of the Burj Khalifa.

 

Up next...my private tour of the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi