Dubai - The Red Light City

....... so what is the problem ? ``It is more a tourist resort with load and loads of entertainment.`` ............. sounds like fun to me ... and god knows we muslims need a little fun in our drab and miserable lives that have been hijacked by humorless dieties and are occupied by never ending prayer, endless ritual ablutions, and thirty days of needless starvation ........... these russian women should be commended for their great service instead of being condemned for practicing the world`s oldest and noblest profession ............ of course, everyone should practice safe sex and listen to the surgeon general ......

........ viva dubai ! ....... there is a ray of hope in the desert of idiocy ..........

Who do the residents of Dubai go to for services?

An article on Dubai? This is a first. :o)
You`re right, Dubai has changed remarkably over the past few years. Although their oil money has always provided the foundation for any economic activity in the country, the marketing of Dubai as a trade zone and regional marketplace brought big business to the area. And what used to be a ``family city`` is now as cosmopolitan and wicked as they come.
I grew up in Al Ain and we would go to Dubai on the weekend to visit relatives or shop in Deira. Back then Ghurair used to be the centre of the universe! Now, when I go back, it`s difficult to recognise the old places. With all the new malls, the multinational stores, the shopping festivals, Dubai`s gotten itself a facelift; it`s now the City of Gold. And yet the misery of the expatriate experience remains the same. You only have to talk to a taxi-driver, or a waiter at one of those ``cool bars``, to learn for yourself the terrible cost of it all, this progress everyone loves to celebrate.
It`s good to see an article on Dubai. I`m surprised, with all the people from the subcontinent interacting at this site, there aren`t many more chronicling the expatriate experience in the Gulf states. It`s another world, and one worth exploring in print, if only to clear the misconceptions that surround it. Any takers?

Russian men tried so hard to get to warmer waters in the past but guess what? Russain women got there without fighting!
Bangkok is still better than Dubai; they have orientals instaed of Russians!

dubai?...please...

Let me get this right. This article gets a damn good rating...and for what?

No offence, brother, but there was nothing in this article. I can talk about how they want to McDonaldise my peaceful, green neighbourhood: They want to replace the posts with giant fries. They would substitute lettuce for leaves any day. They want to line pavements with baps and sesame seeds. They don`t wanna see animals drinking from the lake. They would rather have 4% protein- 96% water burgers on legs….

When I said (on its 5th Birthday) that Chowk was one year closer to its death, I had meant it in a good way, as in a metamorphosis. But there`s something funny going on about Chowk, like new management or some deal that`s being pushed or pulled...I don`t know...

Umer M.

UmerMurtaza #6: I guess the author uses asaleh1 name for interacting at chowk and has written couple of good posts about forex reserve. I hope to see him interacting more frequently giving his insight and opinion. The rating is the average of several ratings. It will be biased one way or another, if few people choose to rate. Simple statistical issue. Only large number of ratings cancel out the bias or subjective rating.
Once Z. A. Bhutto realized the potential of Dubai and wished to create a little Dubai on an island off Karachi. Too bad, Pakistan did not follow through this fantastic idea - to attract money from around the region.

``People no longer restricted themselves to the Diera side of Dubai, Bur Dubai has become more vibrant.``

Bur Dubai was always the hub of Dubai and the creek was the life stream.
The Ruler`s Palace in the Bastakia District,the Covered Bazaar,the Hindu Temple and the Shia Mosque on the Al Fahidi road on one side and the
Textile shops on the other side of the road were ``the place`` in the early seventies, while the Deira side was a barren piece of land except the
Dubai Library,The Custom House, where Mehdi Al Tajir used to charge
``chungi`` from the Dhow operators and the Qadir Hotel were the only
sign of life.Deira construction started after the formation of UAE in December 1971 and in ten years the barren landmass was a modern and
planned city,thanks to petro-dollars used sensibly.Custom House is no more,in its place is The Sheraton Hotel.The Library has since been renovated and is still there.
Calling Dubai ``Red Light City`` shows your ignorance about a real Red
Light City.You must visit Bangkok,Bombay,Pattaya andColombo and then
offer your opinion.

``You might want to visit the nightclubs that are dotted across Dubai from Jumeriah Beach to the Airport.``

You are wrong again.There are no night clubs on this whole route from
Jumairah to the Airport.Unless you are talking about `` The Cyclone`` located in the Al Nasr leisureland,which is on a side lane whose name
I can`t recall at the moment.The Night Clubs are located on Bani Yas
Street, Deira and around Clock Tower in all those ``Tourist Class Hotels``.

``A friend of mine had told me that she lived right across from the Bank, so I assumed that it must be a small town, may be not more than a few road each side. How wrong I was.``

Till date,there are SIX main roads in Abu Dhabi intersected by smaller
roads forming a grid like pattern.The main roads are: Corncihe,Shaikh
Khalifa,Shaikh Hamdan,Shaikh Zayed,Jawazaat and Airport Road.The entire city can be traversed in a car in 45 minuits,I wouldn`t call it a big
city.

Regards.

#9 by Banjaara on September 15, 2002 8:10pm PST
You can try the Jules bar at Le Maridien near the Airport and Rumours at Ramada on Mankhool Road also besides enjoying Cyclone.

While you might be right of running from one end of Abu Dhabi to another in 45 minutes, you have to be mindful of the Radars that don`t catch you for going over 120 KPH.

I don`t think the article is supposed to highlights any problems but just the fact that cities change as their priorities change. They learn to adapt to new conditions that they come accross. For some this might be a good change while for others it might not be such a good one. To each his own.

I was in Dubai in June after about ten years and it saddened me. Someone was correct in the comment that Dubai has started importing women. It is to cater for the travelling beusinessmen. That`s not the way to go. Better way is to provide the infrastructure and let the business decide if it wants to come, instead of luring capital through women.

Dubai is desperately trying to get big business in, but there`s no large scale manufacturing, only triangular trade taking advantage of the Jabal Ali Free Zone. All the big names are there but what good is it in the long run ? They`re only taking benefit of the strategic location and the tax cuts. Nothing is manufactured, only assembled or trans-shipped. Sheikh Mohammad is making a big mistake.

Now the race is on between the Russians and the Chinese. If anyone has been to the Cyclone Club recently they would know it`s now completely dominated by the Chinese. The Chinese (particularly Shanghainese)are there in big numbers, and competing with the Russians. The edge the Chinese have is that the Russians are there only for the flesh trade, while the Chinese are taking over the small businesses which the Indians used to dominate. The Chinese families move in, buy up a grocery store or something, the husband and wife and the kids all work in the store, while the daughter goes out in the evening. That`s how they will eventually take over the Dubai scene. The Russian girls, no matter how stunningly pretty they are, would be no match for the work-ethic and ruthless determination of the Chinese.

Rumours in Ramada is Russian. Has anyone been upstairs to the Pub ? There`s no rif-raff there and live music. That was my haunt during my sojourn there.

However, it is true that Dubai has become the red-light district without match. One can meet girls of all colours and nationality there. I even met some girls from Seychelles there for Heaven`s sake. All there for the taking. All they want is your money.

However there`s a very nice Indian club in the Hotel Sea-Shell Inn in Bur Dubai. They have instituionalised `Mujra`. There are live singers singing classic Indian songs, and three girls dancing on the floor. Throwing money is not permitted and when you want to give a tip you just have to point to the girl and write the amount on a slip. That`s it. The amount is added to the bill and the girl gets that amount before closing time.

Can you imagine I met Roger Daltry of The Who there ?

Rgds.

What is the point Amin?

I am lost.

Asfand

AmericanExpress,

I give you negative 15 stars!

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Interesting. Russian prostitutes are taking over from the Indians.

Reply Saminashah #15

behain, d not talking tot his soandsos. U r only encourage.

Dubai is on the right track... Sheikh Mohammed is doing the right thing. Once you have captured the market, it is feasible to assemble and even manufacture... in Dubai or even elsewhere... And look at the allied industries developing... Banking... Shipping... Insurance... Advertising... Media... Tourism... Hotels... the list is endless... Wish more leaders will follow the success of the Dubai Sheikh.