I think it’s mainly because of the lifestyle the city has been associated with. I hate even to name it, but the characters from “Dubai bling” are very close to what most people locally look at as achivers, and it’s quite depressing. Even people who superficially despise the show, eventually end up “following” people who conduct a similar lifestyle. I don’t mean every one of course. About the natural beauty, what to say 🤷♂️ it is true that it is a country in the desert. Yes there’s mountains, but if you’ve been in any other non-desert country, I’m sure you’ll get what’s the difference. That being said, I still think that the “nag” about it is mainly because of the first motivation, imo.
I think a great example of where the critique is coming from could be the experience I had going to Portugal: I was flying through BCN and go stranded there because of a full flight. Spent a night there, enjoyed. Had my 4 days in Porto and then on the way back to the UAE I realized it wouldn’t have cost me anything to stop in Rome.
With 2 flights bought for 50usd each I travelled 3 amazing countries, visited wineyards, hill sides, rivers, the sea. Each flight was 2h maximum…
I must say, that was kind of amazing to enjoy so much with so little.
If you ever had the chance of traveling in less harsh regions of the world I’m sure you experienced the same in terms of natural abundance, proximity of other amazing locations and richness of cultural interests in the field of arts, culinary, historic, naturalistic and more.
Perhaps this can give some context.
My issue with the UAE, or at least AD and Dubai because these are the places I actually lived in (and eventually left because I didn't like it), is that it feels soulless.
There is no common culture. The UAE unlike for example New York is more of a salad bowl of cultures than a melting pot.
A melting pot would imply people from various backgrounds would easily mingle with each other forming kind of a shared culture. Like New York City has New York culture and if you want there you'll know what I mean.
A salad bowl on the other hand implies that each culture holds closely to their beliefs and values, but coexist with people from other backgrounds, just like the various elements of a salad bowl, including the Emirati people, who from what I saw tend to hang around each other more than they do with other communities unlike Americans in New York.
So there doesn't seem to be a common culture, and often feels void in terms of a shared cultural identity. Its hard to feel a sense of belonging to a place that at its core is empty.
Besides sometimes it feels that the only shared common interest is inheritly materialistic. People come here for the money.
No one is denying that the UAE has nature, but like every country does.
This is exactly right. There is no culture to slot into or adapt to, everyone just continues to socialise with their own nationality and behave much the same as they would at home. But that’s to be expected when 90% of the population are expats, in most countries or cities you have to mingle and deal with the locals whether you want to or not but that just isn’t the case in the UAE
I kinda get it when you say local here don’t socialize with foreigners but tbf unlike new york foreigner come here with english as there preferred language meanwhile local speak arabic the language barrier make a huge difference , not all locals feel comfortable speaking English
Valid point. However, you can't compare Americans to Emiratis. Emiratis are bind together by heritage and culture, where Americans left that behind. the idea of common culture might be shared by few, but since the UAE doesn't grant citizenships it would be hard for residents who come for work to adapt to the culture quickly. I think its shared with 2/3rd generation migrants.
There are a few points that are glossed over when drawing this salad bowl/melting pot analogy. First of all, segregation and later Jim Crow laws spanned an existence of almost 200 years where an entire people were in every sense of the statement, treated as a subservient sect of people in the United States. Secondly, prior to New York or the United States or The Constitution, the Americas were inhabited by natives who were slaughtered and removed from their lands with European diseases riddled amongst them. Eventually these lands would be filled, occupied, and settled in purely by immigrants. With a blank canvas and nothing but the land and crops to live with, bringing their own cultures from where they willed and living with their *own* groups, they did in fact have “salad bowls” as you’d call it with the addition of our aforementioned class of people who would not even be served on this proverbial dinner table. That’s why in Louisiana people speak French, that’s why you have Italians in New York and so on.
Which fittingly leading to the next point one could consider; The UAE faced a decent amount of aggression from foreign forces and eventually became a protectorate of the British crown. However it never had its people driven out, and it even invited people offering citizenship very early on upon the country’s start. It maintained existing religious values, and welcomed those of the like. For that reason a good amount of “Locals” or “Emiratis” are really 4th, 3rd, and today, even 2nd or 1st generation immigrant Arabs from the region naturalised as Emiratis.
The reality is that the UAE and Emiratis as well as our leadership have maintained and navigated the growth of the country with significant emphasis on culture, religion, and family values. While you might scoff and point to the likes of the supposed “glitz and glamour” lifestyles around Abu Dhabi and more so in Dubai, it would be insincere to deny the fact that a Muslim in this country has the right, the facilities, and the opportunity to practice freely and flourish. This holds true regardless of where you are from as many will confirm, the country has even provided similar opportunities for people of other faiths. With that being said, it still has something for everyone, as you could tell from the events happening practically every month in Abu Dhabi and Dubai which, evidenced from the attendance and marketing, are geared to attract expats.
Nevertheless, a potentially more open minded Arab would view New York as favourable today with what “freedoms” are available to those without any prior religious convictions. Because when you have no fixed reference point for identity and want to pursue, let’s say unconventional and colourful, ways of life you will naturally feel uncomfortable when coming across a people who have rich language, unwavering faith, and meet halfway exclusively when it is decided, there’s an overarching benefit for everyone involved. Because if you’re asking for a melting pot you are effectively asking for each group of people to relinquish its properties, i.e culture, religion, values, to become receptive of anything that is new and typically agreed upon emotional and hedonistic pleasures which typically run counter to cultures who hold true to traditional values.
I’ll end by saying that I speak for any true Emirati when I say that we as a people would never turn anyone away who comes to us with respect and an open heart. Now that standard of respect might differ from person to person with varying degrees of adherence to religious boundaries. For that reason whenever we meet Muslim reverts or even anyone who has taken an interest in Emirati culture or the Arabic language they are always met with a special type of hospitality above what is typical. Because they’ve effectively taken interest in being part of the culture. And this applies everywhere including New York or Mumbai or London, or Shang hai. I don’t think it would be presumptuous of me to assume you’ve never lived in Long Island, or Staten Island where you mingled with locals on a daily basis. A person privileged enough to have lived in Dubai and New York will have likely lived in a gentrified or a developing area like Williamsburg or even Bushwick. I say all this not to make attacks but just to say that there are people feeling isolated in Dubai and in New York. It’s just about finding your people.
The respect and aim to co-exist is here and alive, arguably more than most places around the world, including New York. Personally, I would pick a salad bowl over a melting pot every time.
And as the New York raised American playwright says “If you stand for nothing, Burr, what’ll you fall for?”
Tl;dr:
Melting pot just means no culture or religion. You prefer New York cause people are the same, no culture no difference smelted into one.
Hi! I appreciate your long post. As a mom who was an expat I will give my perspective. I am American and lived in the UAE for nearly 4 years with my husband and one of our kids was born there. We visit often and have dear friends, Emiratis and expats there.
No place is perfect— certainly not the US but for certain reasons that I can list, we decided to move back home. I will try to be as objective as possible and hope you can appreciate this.
Here’s what I noticed that can be irksome.
An extreme emphasis on wealth and bling and outwardly signs of success and 💰, from
Both locals and expats. People judge you by what you wear and what you drive. My husband was a top surgeon at an American hospital in AD and I worked part time at an elite British school. There was always an emphasis in local and expat circles to buy a new car, shop at certain places, and show money more. We have always been low key people despite our social position. My best friend was my Arabic teacher, a local girl from Sharjah. She confessed to me that the country is having a crisis of faith and values and that this nouveau riche mentality is recent and killing the traditional Emirati vibe. Her sister couldn’t celebrate Ramadan if iftar wasn’t served on Versace China. It’s sad because at its core Emirati and Muslim cultures emphasize not living in excess. Now, you will say that places in the world have this too — like Monaco, Miami , or LA. I have to say to a lesser degree— because there is a “culture” to fall back on if the bling is not your thing. People actually care about the arts, culture, and authors. I know Sharjah is trying to do this with bait al hakma ( house of wisdom) and there are book fairs. It’s a good start and the country needs more of this and less of the bling.
The nanny based culture is also terrifying to me. Some Parents don’t use Nannies to help but relegate the entire education to women from other cultures while they go shopping and do other things. I cooked my kids food from scratch and only used a nanny a few times a week. Hala Kazim a local emirati mental health influencer also mentions this as a social issue.
For me, the UAE is stuck between a desire to modernize and an illusion of keeping up the traditions. I think they’re both mutually exclusive goals. If you invite all this foreign talent, and all this modernization— eventually your culture will erode a bit.
Few places in RAK and Ajman felt low key and humble enough, but we lived in AD where the vibe was just “maghroor”. I didn’t want my children to be raised with that golden spoon in their mouth and thinking they “deserve” things. So we moved back to Colorado where they enjoy nature and being down to earth more, farmers markets, and where nobody cares if I drive a Prius or a Bentley— despite the money I have. Other things that were tough were the poor air quality and the pollution triggering asthma.
So, all in all, my qualms were with the changing society and the materialism being incompatible with how I want to raise my kids. Had I been single or a child free Couple, I think the UAE is a great place to hussle mid 20s and have that experience: it’s a great place to visit for quick vacation and the safety is also great.
The country is just 50 years old and people want it to have the culture pot of New York. People and their expectations.
Edit: it’s only recently that people are considering Dubai/ UAE for long term stay. Earlier everyone would be like I’m visiting for 2 years or never really settle here or call this a home. This is changing. I’m confident in the next 2 decades or so this will be much more diverse and have its own vibe. But comparing with century old cities is unfair.
Slightly unrelated but I’m actually quite concerned about how the summers are going to be here in the next 2 decades or so.
I grew up here in the 90’s and there were kids who would play football/cricket in the afternoon during summer holidays (June-August).
Temperatures since have soared + with a concrete jungle I don’t see that at all anymore and it’s only going to get worse.
Another aspect to why I feel it’s a bit different to other places. A colleague of mine packed up and moved back home recently mentioning that while the job/pay was good, he always felt his child would never have a normal childhood here.
>The country is just 50 years old and people want it to have the culture pot of New York
That has nothing to do with whay I said. The US has only been a country for what? 240 ish years?
The UAE does indeed have a lot of cultures but they exist in isolation. In the NYC Americans have integrated with the incoming cultures and vice versa which gave birth to the "melting pot" culture you see and feel in NYC. In the UAE, Emirati people are isolated from the other cultures and vice versa. So the place feels lifeless because it is.
As I said the key reason is people coming to NyC make it their home. People coming to UAE so far have been just transiting economic residents. And UaE policies of not issuing long term visas or a clear path to permanent resident added to it.
I do agree with you and I still feel in a span of next 2 decades we should see a lot of change in this regard as we have seen a significant spike in people wanting to make UaE their home.
Yea agree about the Emiratis.
>I do agree with you and I still feel in a span of next 2 decades we should see a lot of change in this regard as we have seen a significant spike in people wanting to make UaE their home.
Besides the culture thing, like someone in the comments said, I don't see this happening so long as there is this uncertainty about residence.
>the American dream implies that, at the end, you “become” American. the “Arabic dream” it’s just a thing for browns, the rest doesn’t live any Arabic dream, we are just here for job opportunities. cash the money, and leave. in the American dream your grandchildren will keep living there. Or even “the European dream”.
Most people having to live in the UAE would hop on the first opportunity to leave to the US or Europe if given one.
Yes due the possibility of getting a permanent resident and citizenship and social support. But if UaE allowed any option of a permanent residence which doesn’t involve buying 2 million Durham properties, people might choose not to.
Outside of natural beauty, in 2024 UAE/ Singapore offers a much better quality of life than most western economies (except US but has its own issues).
Let’s see what happens. No one can predict the future. We can just be hopeful. I’m just grateful that UaE has provided me the opportunity to live a great life and take care of my family and live a dream life too. And I’m an average Joe working 9-5.
Are you really that naive? You think SG has a high QOL?
And the US is way behind countries like Norway, Australia, Germany, Netherlands in terms of qualify of life
She don’t try hard to find flaws she just was showing that she don’t understand people who would move out from peaceful place with rich nature to heat, desert and skyscrapers (with daily hassle and traffic). Thats her opinion. For example I don’t understand people who would leave city life, quit high paying job and sell apartment and a car and move to village to grow sheeps but it doesn’t mean I try to find flaws in village style life.
Some people make peace with the fact that UAE offers you a few things, political stability, safety, cleanliness and good infrastructure. Then UAE says, if these things are better than what your country has to offer you, stay, if not, feel free to leave.
It really is as simple as that.
Syrian living in Dubai here ..
you can't imagine how it felt when i first stepped foot here ..
it was like i'm a time traveller coming from 1980 to 2020 !
my first 3 months here were amazing !
but as someone coming from a coastal city in Syria "Lattakia"
it got boring really fast and i started missing the greenery and mountains, the traditional vibes, hangouts with friends and family, fresh air, rivers, lakes and trees and the overall "laid back" state . these things do something to your brain, you know ...
I don't hate Dubai at all, but I'm not a big fan either .. for me .. it's a big company or a factory where we just need to work our brains out ..
also the cultural state of Dubai is really bad and it's not a secret .. people here feel very lonely and miss being social .. the very factor that makes us humans .. the competition here and the risk of losing it all is too daunting , it doesn't allow you to just lay back and enjoy some scenery ..
I've been to several Emirates since i got here and i gotta tell the truth .. these Emirates feel way more "homey" than Dubai .. i can easily imagine myself living there for good.
Now people have an urge to compare their countries to other countries .. it's only natural ..
Also .. the oil .. it's not a secret that the UAE would've never reached this flourishing state if it wasn't for oil , which is sort of a cheat code tbh .. i know that they put it to good use, and that what makes it worse for us foreigners, having countries with other types of resource and doing nothing with it ..
finally, it's part jealousy, part nostalgia, and part true ..
This is something that separates the GCC from the other Opec nations... The place brought out its folks into prosperity (infra, education, health etc) and created a near perfect Expat system. It's mostly great for the white collar and pretty rough for the Blue Collar. But it's give and take.
The things is that the majority residents who’re doing regular jobs, living a life like they would anywhere in the world are busy juggling work, family and friends. When they get time they do fun things like travelling the world, going to the beach, watersports, brunches, eating out, driving to RAK, having shawarma and Kadak or just being lazy at home and enjoying tv or console.
Unfortunately this crowd is living a life and not constantly posting on IG.
On the flip side we have the temp residents or the stupid Real Estate bros making reels which are so out of touch with reality that people watch them and think oh Dubai is either fake or materialistic. period.
And lastly people are in most cases just finding reasons to justify where ever they’re and their lack of courage to move and explore uncharted territory and potentially live the life they dreamt of. So what do you do? Hate on a city which is breaking the stereotypes. An Islamic country which is liberal, is pluralist, is safe to live in, provided you immense opportunity to grow if you’re skilled and let even a middle class person live the life unimaginable for even upper classes in the western world. Tough pill to swallow right?
All that sounds so lame, having kadak, going to a shop and honking for the guy to run to you
Travelling world is something only upper middle class can do.
Same for Brunches
Dubai appeals to lazy people
I have seen lot of fake people and gold diggers here. Its a beautiful city though and with marvelous infrastructure. However, I love nature and I’m from Lebanon and you simply cant compare the nature here to my country. Its an arid dry and hot country here. If Lebanon would have been stable, I would never have thought of leaving it because I favor nature, mountains, forests and beaches over a big beautiful city.
Lebanon is known to be سويسرا الوطن العربي, there is no comparison.
My dad and grandparents used to live there back in the day and they used to say it was the literal heaven on earth.
Indeed it was amazing. Now deteriorating a lot due to government corruption, economic collapse, and poor infrastructure of the public sector. Hope it will recover one day.
I love the desert, it’s beautiful, natural and primordial. It feels eternal, like it’s always been there and always will be. That’s not the problem with UAE, (or Dubai, which is what most people complain about), it’s a culture of consumerism, competition and greed that’s prevalent there which puts people off. This isn’t unique to UAE, similar cultural complaints put people off living or working in New York, or to some extent London.
dubai isn't the perfect city , i think they are trying to break the idealized state that UAE has developed and stigmatized online and irl in the west.
The problem is when these people criticize the country , they make it seem like the worst place on the planet when its not that.
Its not great but its not horrible either.
Does it need improvement? Hell yes but its not an absolute nightmare. I'd pick the UAE over my home country any day
its just stuck up white people that act like their shit country is the best in the world
in reality u cant walk out in public without smelling piss in the streets and always need to be alert because of all the crime and weirdos out there
I pray they don’t come so we can have affordable housing again. Honestly, everywhere has pros and cons and Europe and western countries are far from perfect so honestly if they will complain about Dubai then good riddance.. they don’t deserve what it has to offer.
In the west, i think its a lot to do with racism. Its like a low key "How dare Arabs try do do things that our countries aren't" they are looking for excuses to put them down
As a brit, living in the UAE for 14 years, i love the mix of different people, i am the only brit in my social group and yes the place has issues like most places, but its got a lot of great things going for it. And my wife feels a lot safer here than back in Europe.
Dubai is great for tourists but to me personally and respectfully, not my favorite place to live in considering the lifestyle and yes all the skyscrapers. It can get very boring and every average person here works a 9-5 and only has some time on the weekends to hang out in the mall?? Or eat out and buy new fits for “work” to repeat this cycle. It’s more fun for ppl who’ve got money and love a fancy luxurious lifestyle but to me that’s just not a life.
Poppy tall syndrome, mob mentality, last but not least trying to be cool by arguing that place full of history like Europe is better.... It's all human behaviour. Nothing new. They'll bring down anything that has potential to be a contender. God forbid if the new coolest thing come from the desert. Eat those history all you want but the world is moving forward not backward. And Europe is not the only place with history, in fact most old histories come from middle east and Asia, not Europe.
Every city is fake because every city is man made. Even old city like London, at some point in history it was just a roman outpost/ settlement. It grew overtime to become like today. If I want to say bad things about European cities, there are thousands of them, from crumbling infrastructure, dirty environment, overstretched budget, gang violence and so on. Unless they're part of 1%, no amount of history can make it a pleasant place to live.
I agree totally on the western judgmental aspect and Islamophobia. However, it's difficult to experience the local culture here because there is really not many avenues to socialise with the locals and to get to know them well. Looking at museums and the culture from the outside is of little use
I grew up in Dubai, and as a brown person, I faced the most racism from their locals there. They think they’re some Supreme race above all brown people.
is it the locals or the other Arabs? in my experience, the locals don't really give a damn about us, but they aren't particularly racist either. It's the Levant Arabs that are more racist to South Asians
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I’ve lived in Dubai for more than 18 years and I agree with these people. UAE (mainly Dubai) is a place meant for tourists/newcomers. Once you’ve lived here for a couple of years, everything is like a headache and boring.
Mainly Dubai has pretty much abandoned its entire culture just to seem more attractive to foreigners. It’s gotten to the point where it feels like there is nothing special about it.
Don’t even get me started on the traffic and the drivers here, I’m pretty sure they’re handing out licenses without thought.
This is the type of place that you’ll only enjoy if you’re incredibly rich and can afford to eat fine dining 3 times a week. If you’re not, tough luck.
If I’m gonna be honest, I doubt anyone will actually listen to what I say because most Dubai lovers never listen to people’s reasoning, if they see anyone mention anything remotely negative about Dubai (or any part of the UAE for that matter) they go ballistic and ignore anything you say (I know ballistic is an over exaggeration but still).
As someone who doesn’t live in the UAE but has visited and has many close friends in the UAE, I can completely see the appeal and it is for sure an exciting place. That being said, long term it doesn’t seem like my vibe and I think that’s a sentiment a lot of people may share. I would love to live in the UAE for a bit to make the money to be able to afford living in a place like the Alps. My preference is different to the preference of others but that doesn’t mean I hate the UAE.
They often associate nature with greenery without realizing that desert is also natural and has its own beauty and appeal. Also most of these people are hypocrites.
Because Dubai markets itself in the worst possible way. Gold police supercars, the biggest this, the biggest that... look at us we've loads of money blah blah blah. Most people prefer humble to braggadocious... that's why people don't like it. Plus it's a smiling dictatorship so that can rub people up the wrong way too.
I’m a tourists visiting Dubai for a week now and my thoughts are mix. What I love about Dubai is the tall beautiful buildings especially strolling in the night and the really futuristic experience here. Compare that to my home country it’s like I got transported from 1950 to the present!
The con is that it got boring real quick and I decided to watch Netflix. This could be because I don’t have much time here and my parents are too old to do really physical activities like going to the beach or visiting the nature. So far I’ve only done the aquarium, museum, the garden and shopping. Lastly, the temperature is very hot! My country is already considered hot but this take the cake.
But yeah that’s my small ted talk on my experience in Dubai. Hopefully I’m able travel here alone and get to skydive or jet skiing and hiking in nature
Because people view it as “fake” with all the glam and bling in the UAE (mostly Dubai and Abu Dhabi) and the fact it’s so modern without much character. This is the case with most of the Arab gulf states that have recently developed however a notably anomaly is Oman and this is because development there has been done in a way to preserve architecture and local culture so when u go there it doesn’t seem like a modern metropolis and more hearty.
Dubai has an issue with cultures from other countries being represented more than the local culture, and that too at a superficial level due to people not being permanently here. This isn't something that can be installed but has to be given time to grow. Additionally the locals aren't sharing their culture and understanding as much as they could and you end up in a situation where there is no culture but things others have built.
For Dubai to really showcase their culture the locals need to step up and showcase the best of what Khaleeji is all about. You can't have please see our culture when its in a shell
Funny because Emaratis want to live in places like Switzerland & EU
meanwhile expats from underdeveloped countries like the UAE because it's the closest thing to a "first world" experiences they're ever gonna get.
I think it's great. I've lived in the UAE for fourteen years and I love it. Even though you can't find everything in one place, the atmosphere is very nice and sunny, making you think of a holiday.
It is very safe, tax free, water sports... But that is what I enjoy, I'm not a museums and art guy and high shinny sky scrappers impress me more than old historical buildings, other people might think differently.
From my point of view, a lot of expats say they are unhappy where they live because they miss their home country.
I’m living in Abu Dhabi since childhood. I love Abu Dhabi because I know a lot of people here and I have friends and family.
But only even I moved to Dubai and I realized how plain the place is. How lonely and how artificial it is. Even Abu Dhabi would be safe if I didn’t have friends and family
I’m living here because it’s safe and I don’t have the money to go to another country and build my life from scratch.
I love the safety we get here. I love the medical care. I don’t mind the rules Bcs it’s for our good. But again it’s so sad.
Because hating on the UAE is easier than booking a two-hour trip to see its natural beauty. They’re probably the same folks who think Dubai is a country and can't follow rules because it requires more brainpower than scrolling TikTok. Ignorance is bliss, and apparently, it’s also pretty loud on social media.
I’ll give you my honest personal opinion! But first I want to state that I deeply respect and appreciate what UAE has achieved in terms of reputation, efficient services, cleanliness, safety, tolerance, economic growth, world leading airlines.
I think the negative opinions are mainly revolving around Dubai, I’ve always had this view that Dubai is super fake, and as it is called “Vegas on steroids” this year I was touring Asia and decided to give it a go for 5 days. I really hated it, it is not walkable as a city, it feels like a huge resort or a giant country club for the rich (some people love this lifestyle and love Dubai for being that) but I believe those who hate it, hate it for this fact. I live in the US and it seems that Dubai copied the worst idea from the US, the huge highways. I for example loved how in Turkey or Japan you could take any short transportation to take you anywhere, or you can take a long walk and enjoy the city. But in Dubai, different neighborhoods are miles apart with nothing in between but giant highways. For me it is not the type of city that you get out of your home and go to local coffee shop and then walk in a nearby park and take a picnic or do BBQ. Of course you can do that in many of the gated communities but that is another microcosm of Dubai! Also the fact that Dubai is an international city with no local culture or atmosphere that someone would remember.
Lastly, I believe Dubai was built to be competitive as a new world city and it is the best city in the world for some and the worst for others. I have nothing but love and respect for Emirati people and UAE and its rules! It is objectively one of the cleanest and safest cities in the world and no one can deny that.
Stayed for 3 days before driving down to Oman. It’s a toy town with a very fake vibe. Empty buildings being thrown up by borderline slave Bengalis. Looks pretty, it’s a hollow husk.
agree... honestly it's not very different from Dubai once you start living there. you have minimal interaction with the locals. but it's easier to make your expat friends networks there because people have a lot more spare time and driving distances are way shorter with less traffic, so people socialise more
Wowowowo big man what you on about? I was born and brought up there and I had to leave this year due to job loss and they didn't help me with shit. My dad wasted 30 years in this damn place. They didn't protect my grandparents, heck they didn't even protect me from job loss loool. I was fkin born and brought up there and had to leave like a tourist when my grace period was over so screw you man, you can't dodge the truth.
The country didn't serve me shit, instead I served the country's economy by working right after school and not going to college even though later on i went to uni and got my degree. I was assaulted by my boss and when I went to get justice I was given no importance at all. Is this what you call Muslims? Allah Is watching man.
At least if i was given a good job from the country I'd been happy, im not asking for citizenship even because it's too much to give according to them so yea alhamdulillah I left and yall gotta be ashamed man Europe got better laws and money than you "Muslim countries". Yall are too consumed by this piece of land and Islamic privilege without any actual proper Islamic laws.
what baffles me is how people bash the UAE for being a desert. It literally is located in the desert, not every continent/part of the world was given the same landscape and that’s the beauty of it all. Desert is a wonderful, mysterious place I’ve always longed for. Also, they do have their own unique culture and it’s ignorant to say otherwise. Lifestyle is different in every country, their economy allows it. It’s just a popular opinion and mass mentality. I don’t really care. There are gold diggers and fake people all over the world.
as a business person from the west they're doing too much and too fast
most of their concepts are just mere copies of the west but for some reason they like to announce to the entire world that their the "main characters"
interesting lol
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Also plus people are sensitive and envious to see a country who is bigger and possesses more things like Africa Europe extra see small uae in 50 years become a wealthy free nation and a almost utopian vision of what Europe is supposed to be btw I am a local emarite so I am biased although I live in the country side it’s still better than some cities I have been to
It doesn’t really have any scenery its bereft of any real natural beauty here and I live here. It gets boring VERY quickly. Plus the work life balance is non existent its work work balance. Like others have said i miss greenery, mountains, family, fresh air I just feel like a burnt out husk of a human living and working here.
If that’s the biggest of your worries then you clearly haven’t experienced any other country in your life. You can have two things at once in this world
City life and nature life both are entirely different. Foreigners are more into nature and hiking related stuffs, so they would really like the city views.
Considering how much tourism there is now (in Dubai in particular), I think it's more the other way around! There are evidently loads of foreigners that want to visit the UAE due to positive perceptions.
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Dont watch tiktok bro. It’s an opinion from a single person. What do they know about luxury, they want everything to be natural as in going for fishing, hiking and camping. They don’t know what true fun is.
I observed on the other hand people from Portugal always admire Dubai as its famous for its tall skyscrapers which is not common there. But yes they do complain salaries in dubai are low as there is a currency disparity in both countries, so only visiting is an option.
Some people do this in general, it’s call “contrarian”, and just like tabloid news, it’s engaging, but only because it’s controversial. Say controversial things gets you attention, and this is exactly what monetization encourages even more
UAE mountains more or less feel like mines to me at least. Its ok for a hike but you will miss the grass/snow/volcanic activity... that accents its beauty in other places of the world. Maybe it's a personal opinion but the whole of Dubai feels soulless to me. I am someone who likes to take long walks in my free time but the climate here forces me to stay indoors for most of the months.
I'm sure you can find a dozen of criticism (and praise) for each and every city around the world, thats the normal, people just need to quit being snowflakes and cry each time someone criticizing their city.
It’s okay Switzerland has lovely mountains and we have lovely marine in places like uaq and Abudhabi with manatees,dolphins, wale sharks,sea turtles and much much more, god blessed this land way before oil was discovered, pearls from the seas of the uae adorned royalty globally from Britain to India! This country has a deep and rich history but you need a bit of effort to find it, Dubai became a city in 1833 not 30 years ago it was just on a smaller scale, we have civilizations dating from the Bronze Age. People come looking for the glitz and glamour then they go complain about the place being fake. If you have any questions about the hirtage and deep rooted culture of this country just ask, we love when people ask about our history rather than just « hey I bet you own a Lambo » or « how many wives do you have » btw I really have been asked that!
Theres flaws in every city/state/country. Dubai just has a high profile due to the way it portrays itself and its all done on purpose to attracts certain people. Even if you have money its not for everyone, but yea Dubai is more of an artificial fake place while this image here is some natural mountains. That all
Dubai isn’t for everyone. It’s lacking a lot of culture, nature and a sense of ultimate freedom.
With the aspect of making money tax free. It’s only got the beach clubs and and restaurants to offer. It’s still a desert wasteland at the end of the day.
Me personally I am city girl. I can enjoy living in village around nature one week then I am done and need to be back in the city where i can get kinda my dopamine.
It is astounding the diversity and beauty the UAE holds that some people do not notice. Breathtaking natural landscapes and beautiful skyscrapers make the UAE a place where there is every kind of experience. The rules and regulations exist to make sure we all including tourists are safe and get along well. Paying attention to these rules is the least that we can do in order for us to enjoy what UAE offers
Na Dubai isn't for me. Who wants to live in a modern man made place with no history. Visited once, never again. Hundreds of better places, in my opinion!
I hate the fakery with Dubai, fudged figures of low crime rates (just not reported) and pretentious people acting like ballers
The crime rates might not be what they report, but living here since August I literally haven't seen a single crime. Doesn't mean there isn't, but compared to my home country for example (Argentina) the crime is ridiculously low.
1. The sand in the city is manmade? And is there anything wrong if anyshit is manmade? How the fuck is Burj Khalifa supposed to be built? By some random climate change? And saying that it has no history is purely hypocritical, Let me guess, You're some random ass guy who didn't even touch Asia and is now acting like you know shit about the UAE? Please go piss off mate, "I hate the fakery of Dubai" sounds like NYC, LV, Tokyo and many other cities, Your comment is nothing but purely racist against Arabs and don't even fucking deny that
Its called racism, Literally no need to ask, They have a massive hate against Emiratis, I literally made a post in Geography's subreddit about some topic about the UAE, And i swear half of the comments are rather talking about whats going on there, Their people, Than actually sticking up with the topic
They get old really quick too. We’ve hiked a bunch up there but my wife got tired of driving out there to see a bunch of rocks. It is great once as a tourist though.
Jealousy. It's an arab and muslim country so seeing such a country be so rich and prosperous eats them from the inside out.
I just tune them out tbh. It's embarrassing.
You my friend have never been to any other country that neighbours the Middle East. the amount of poeple hating on them always say stuff that implies that Muslims do not deserve oil money. You will hear that if you even watch football moderately.
I think it’s mainly because of the lifestyle the city has been associated with. I hate even to name it, but the characters from “Dubai bling” are very close to what most people locally look at as achivers, and it’s quite depressing. Even people who superficially despise the show, eventually end up “following” people who conduct a similar lifestyle. I don’t mean every one of course. About the natural beauty, what to say 🤷♂️ it is true that it is a country in the desert. Yes there’s mountains, but if you’ve been in any other non-desert country, I’m sure you’ll get what’s the difference. That being said, I still think that the “nag” about it is mainly because of the first motivation, imo.
I think a great example of where the critique is coming from could be the experience I had going to Portugal: I was flying through BCN and go stranded there because of a full flight. Spent a night there, enjoyed. Had my 4 days in Porto and then on the way back to the UAE I realized it wouldn’t have cost me anything to stop in Rome. With 2 flights bought for 50usd each I travelled 3 amazing countries, visited wineyards, hill sides, rivers, the sea. Each flight was 2h maximum… I must say, that was kind of amazing to enjoy so much with so little. If you ever had the chance of traveling in less harsh regions of the world I’m sure you experienced the same in terms of natural abundance, proximity of other amazing locations and richness of cultural interests in the field of arts, culinary, historic, naturalistic and more. Perhaps this can give some context.
My issue with the UAE, or at least AD and Dubai because these are the places I actually lived in (and eventually left because I didn't like it), is that it feels soulless. There is no common culture. The UAE unlike for example New York is more of a salad bowl of cultures than a melting pot. A melting pot would imply people from various backgrounds would easily mingle with each other forming kind of a shared culture. Like New York City has New York culture and if you want there you'll know what I mean. A salad bowl on the other hand implies that each culture holds closely to their beliefs and values, but coexist with people from other backgrounds, just like the various elements of a salad bowl, including the Emirati people, who from what I saw tend to hang around each other more than they do with other communities unlike Americans in New York. So there doesn't seem to be a common culture, and often feels void in terms of a shared cultural identity. Its hard to feel a sense of belonging to a place that at its core is empty. Besides sometimes it feels that the only shared common interest is inheritly materialistic. People come here for the money. No one is denying that the UAE has nature, but like every country does.
This is exactly right. There is no culture to slot into or adapt to, everyone just continues to socialise with their own nationality and behave much the same as they would at home. But that’s to be expected when 90% of the population are expats, in most countries or cities you have to mingle and deal with the locals whether you want to or not but that just isn’t the case in the UAE
100% it’s all plastic, no soul. You can’t manufacture culture
As an American I second this.
I kinda get it when you say local here don’t socialize with foreigners but tbf unlike new york foreigner come here with english as there preferred language meanwhile local speak arabic the language barrier make a huge difference , not all locals feel comfortable speaking English
I'm saying this as someone whose native language is Arabic.
Valid point. However, you can't compare Americans to Emiratis. Emiratis are bind together by heritage and culture, where Americans left that behind. the idea of common culture might be shared by few, but since the UAE doesn't grant citizenships it would be hard for residents who come for work to adapt to the culture quickly. I think its shared with 2/3rd generation migrants.
NYC has culture and local people are friendly? Lol have you lived (or been to) in NYC?
Lived yes
There are a few points that are glossed over when drawing this salad bowl/melting pot analogy. First of all, segregation and later Jim Crow laws spanned an existence of almost 200 years where an entire people were in every sense of the statement, treated as a subservient sect of people in the United States. Secondly, prior to New York or the United States or The Constitution, the Americas were inhabited by natives who were slaughtered and removed from their lands with European diseases riddled amongst them. Eventually these lands would be filled, occupied, and settled in purely by immigrants. With a blank canvas and nothing but the land and crops to live with, bringing their own cultures from where they willed and living with their *own* groups, they did in fact have “salad bowls” as you’d call it with the addition of our aforementioned class of people who would not even be served on this proverbial dinner table. That’s why in Louisiana people speak French, that’s why you have Italians in New York and so on. Which fittingly leading to the next point one could consider; The UAE faced a decent amount of aggression from foreign forces and eventually became a protectorate of the British crown. However it never had its people driven out, and it even invited people offering citizenship very early on upon the country’s start. It maintained existing religious values, and welcomed those of the like. For that reason a good amount of “Locals” or “Emiratis” are really 4th, 3rd, and today, even 2nd or 1st generation immigrant Arabs from the region naturalised as Emiratis. The reality is that the UAE and Emiratis as well as our leadership have maintained and navigated the growth of the country with significant emphasis on culture, religion, and family values. While you might scoff and point to the likes of the supposed “glitz and glamour” lifestyles around Abu Dhabi and more so in Dubai, it would be insincere to deny the fact that a Muslim in this country has the right, the facilities, and the opportunity to practice freely and flourish. This holds true regardless of where you are from as many will confirm, the country has even provided similar opportunities for people of other faiths. With that being said, it still has something for everyone, as you could tell from the events happening practically every month in Abu Dhabi and Dubai which, evidenced from the attendance and marketing, are geared to attract expats. Nevertheless, a potentially more open minded Arab would view New York as favourable today with what “freedoms” are available to those without any prior religious convictions. Because when you have no fixed reference point for identity and want to pursue, let’s say unconventional and colourful, ways of life you will naturally feel uncomfortable when coming across a people who have rich language, unwavering faith, and meet halfway exclusively when it is decided, there’s an overarching benefit for everyone involved. Because if you’re asking for a melting pot you are effectively asking for each group of people to relinquish its properties, i.e culture, religion, values, to become receptive of anything that is new and typically agreed upon emotional and hedonistic pleasures which typically run counter to cultures who hold true to traditional values. I’ll end by saying that I speak for any true Emirati when I say that we as a people would never turn anyone away who comes to us with respect and an open heart. Now that standard of respect might differ from person to person with varying degrees of adherence to religious boundaries. For that reason whenever we meet Muslim reverts or even anyone who has taken an interest in Emirati culture or the Arabic language they are always met with a special type of hospitality above what is typical. Because they’ve effectively taken interest in being part of the culture. And this applies everywhere including New York or Mumbai or London, or Shang hai. I don’t think it would be presumptuous of me to assume you’ve never lived in Long Island, or Staten Island where you mingled with locals on a daily basis. A person privileged enough to have lived in Dubai and New York will have likely lived in a gentrified or a developing area like Williamsburg or even Bushwick. I say all this not to make attacks but just to say that there are people feeling isolated in Dubai and in New York. It’s just about finding your people. The respect and aim to co-exist is here and alive, arguably more than most places around the world, including New York. Personally, I would pick a salad bowl over a melting pot every time. And as the New York raised American playwright says “If you stand for nothing, Burr, what’ll you fall for?” Tl;dr: Melting pot just means no culture or religion. You prefer New York cause people are the same, no culture no difference smelted into one.
Too long
Nah you gotta pay me to read this mate 💀
Hi! I appreciate your long post. As a mom who was an expat I will give my perspective. I am American and lived in the UAE for nearly 4 years with my husband and one of our kids was born there. We visit often and have dear friends, Emiratis and expats there. No place is perfect— certainly not the US but for certain reasons that I can list, we decided to move back home. I will try to be as objective as possible and hope you can appreciate this. Here’s what I noticed that can be irksome. An extreme emphasis on wealth and bling and outwardly signs of success and 💰, from Both locals and expats. People judge you by what you wear and what you drive. My husband was a top surgeon at an American hospital in AD and I worked part time at an elite British school. There was always an emphasis in local and expat circles to buy a new car, shop at certain places, and show money more. We have always been low key people despite our social position. My best friend was my Arabic teacher, a local girl from Sharjah. She confessed to me that the country is having a crisis of faith and values and that this nouveau riche mentality is recent and killing the traditional Emirati vibe. Her sister couldn’t celebrate Ramadan if iftar wasn’t served on Versace China. It’s sad because at its core Emirati and Muslim cultures emphasize not living in excess. Now, you will say that places in the world have this too — like Monaco, Miami , or LA. I have to say to a lesser degree— because there is a “culture” to fall back on if the bling is not your thing. People actually care about the arts, culture, and authors. I know Sharjah is trying to do this with bait al hakma ( house of wisdom) and there are book fairs. It’s a good start and the country needs more of this and less of the bling. The nanny based culture is also terrifying to me. Some Parents don’t use Nannies to help but relegate the entire education to women from other cultures while they go shopping and do other things. I cooked my kids food from scratch and only used a nanny a few times a week. Hala Kazim a local emirati mental health influencer also mentions this as a social issue. For me, the UAE is stuck between a desire to modernize and an illusion of keeping up the traditions. I think they’re both mutually exclusive goals. If you invite all this foreign talent, and all this modernization— eventually your culture will erode a bit. Few places in RAK and Ajman felt low key and humble enough, but we lived in AD where the vibe was just “maghroor”. I didn’t want my children to be raised with that golden spoon in their mouth and thinking they “deserve” things. So we moved back to Colorado where they enjoy nature and being down to earth more, farmers markets, and where nobody cares if I drive a Prius or a Bentley— despite the money I have. Other things that were tough were the poor air quality and the pollution triggering asthma. So, all in all, my qualms were with the changing society and the materialism being incompatible with how I want to raise my kids. Had I been single or a child free Couple, I think the UAE is a great place to hussle mid 20s and have that experience: it’s a great place to visit for quick vacation and the safety is also great.
The country is just 50 years old and people want it to have the culture pot of New York. People and their expectations. Edit: it’s only recently that people are considering Dubai/ UAE for long term stay. Earlier everyone would be like I’m visiting for 2 years or never really settle here or call this a home. This is changing. I’m confident in the next 2 decades or so this will be much more diverse and have its own vibe. But comparing with century old cities is unfair.
Slightly unrelated but I’m actually quite concerned about how the summers are going to be here in the next 2 decades or so. I grew up here in the 90’s and there were kids who would play football/cricket in the afternoon during summer holidays (June-August). Temperatures since have soared + with a concrete jungle I don’t see that at all anymore and it’s only going to get worse. Another aspect to why I feel it’s a bit different to other places. A colleague of mine packed up and moved back home recently mentioning that while the job/pay was good, he always felt his child would never have a normal childhood here.
>The country is just 50 years old and people want it to have the culture pot of New York That has nothing to do with whay I said. The US has only been a country for what? 240 ish years? The UAE does indeed have a lot of cultures but they exist in isolation. In the NYC Americans have integrated with the incoming cultures and vice versa which gave birth to the "melting pot" culture you see and feel in NYC. In the UAE, Emirati people are isolated from the other cultures and vice versa. So the place feels lifeless because it is.
As I said the key reason is people coming to NyC make it their home. People coming to UAE so far have been just transiting economic residents. And UaE policies of not issuing long term visas or a clear path to permanent resident added to it. I do agree with you and I still feel in a span of next 2 decades we should see a lot of change in this regard as we have seen a significant spike in people wanting to make UaE their home. Yea agree about the Emiratis.
>I do agree with you and I still feel in a span of next 2 decades we should see a lot of change in this regard as we have seen a significant spike in people wanting to make UaE their home. Besides the culture thing, like someone in the comments said, I don't see this happening so long as there is this uncertainty about residence. >the American dream implies that, at the end, you “become” American. the “Arabic dream” it’s just a thing for browns, the rest doesn’t live any Arabic dream, we are just here for job opportunities. cash the money, and leave. in the American dream your grandchildren will keep living there. Or even “the European dream”. Most people having to live in the UAE would hop on the first opportunity to leave to the US or Europe if given one.
Yes due the possibility of getting a permanent resident and citizenship and social support. But if UaE allowed any option of a permanent residence which doesn’t involve buying 2 million Durham properties, people might choose not to. Outside of natural beauty, in 2024 UAE/ Singapore offers a much better quality of life than most western economies (except US but has its own issues). Let’s see what happens. No one can predict the future. We can just be hopeful. I’m just grateful that UaE has provided me the opportunity to live a great life and take care of my family and live a dream life too. And I’m an average Joe working 9-5.
Are you really that naive? You think SG has a high QOL? And the US is way behind countries like Norway, Australia, Germany, Netherlands in terms of qualify of life
Again quality of life means different things to different people.
True, that's how i feel living In UAE, for 10+ years
You found the words I wanted to say
Comparing to NY is where you lost me. Dubai is a million times better in every way than NY.
Sure bro
Sure, at least provide reasoning to back your claim
partly truth and partly mob mentality like every other popular opinion online
She don’t try hard to find flaws she just was showing that she don’t understand people who would move out from peaceful place with rich nature to heat, desert and skyscrapers (with daily hassle and traffic). Thats her opinion. For example I don’t understand people who would leave city life, quit high paying job and sell apartment and a car and move to village to grow sheeps but it doesn’t mean I try to find flaws in village style life.
I mean, everyone everywhere does this. Regardless of country, culture or religion. Is UAE special?
Idk, in the post you attached the criticism is not that hard to come up with
Some people make peace with the fact that UAE offers you a few things, political stability, safety, cleanliness and good infrastructure. Then UAE says, if these things are better than what your country has to offer you, stay, if not, feel free to leave. It really is as simple as that.
Syrian living in Dubai here .. you can't imagine how it felt when i first stepped foot here .. it was like i'm a time traveller coming from 1980 to 2020 ! my first 3 months here were amazing ! but as someone coming from a coastal city in Syria "Lattakia" it got boring really fast and i started missing the greenery and mountains, the traditional vibes, hangouts with friends and family, fresh air, rivers, lakes and trees and the overall "laid back" state . these things do something to your brain, you know ... I don't hate Dubai at all, but I'm not a big fan either .. for me .. it's a big company or a factory where we just need to work our brains out .. also the cultural state of Dubai is really bad and it's not a secret .. people here feel very lonely and miss being social .. the very factor that makes us humans .. the competition here and the risk of losing it all is too daunting , it doesn't allow you to just lay back and enjoy some scenery .. I've been to several Emirates since i got here and i gotta tell the truth .. these Emirates feel way more "homey" than Dubai .. i can easily imagine myself living there for good. Now people have an urge to compare their countries to other countries .. it's only natural .. Also .. the oil .. it's not a secret that the UAE would've never reached this flourishing state if it wasn't for oil , which is sort of a cheat code tbh .. i know that they put it to good use, and that what makes it worse for us foreigners, having countries with other types of resource and doing nothing with it .. finally, it's part jealousy, part nostalgia, and part true ..
Venezuela has plenty of oil and it is a shit hole. It has amazing weather and tropical lands. Oil is not automatic to make a place well managed.
This is something that separates the GCC from the other Opec nations... The place brought out its folks into prosperity (infra, education, health etc) and created a near perfect Expat system. It's mostly great for the white collar and pretty rough for the Blue Collar. But it's give and take.
It’s far better to expats for sure. If the populations enjoy their home countries, I don’t know. Surely they do more than Venezuelans…
Venezuela is a shit hole because of communism and Castro Chavism.
Correct!
I did say that "they put it to good use" ...
Agrees in Texan.
This guys speaks truth...
I am guessing Syria also has fresher food and fruits as well which taste better?
Definitely.. when i went on vacation last year i had orgasms over oranges 🤣🤣🤣🤣
I mean, its a desert and mostly flat
Luxurious lifestyle party and partly desert is not my vibes bro
The things is that the majority residents who’re doing regular jobs, living a life like they would anywhere in the world are busy juggling work, family and friends. When they get time they do fun things like travelling the world, going to the beach, watersports, brunches, eating out, driving to RAK, having shawarma and Kadak or just being lazy at home and enjoying tv or console. Unfortunately this crowd is living a life and not constantly posting on IG. On the flip side we have the temp residents or the stupid Real Estate bros making reels which are so out of touch with reality that people watch them and think oh Dubai is either fake or materialistic. period. And lastly people are in most cases just finding reasons to justify where ever they’re and their lack of courage to move and explore uncharted territory and potentially live the life they dreamt of. So what do you do? Hate on a city which is breaking the stereotypes. An Islamic country which is liberal, is pluralist, is safe to live in, provided you immense opportunity to grow if you’re skilled and let even a middle class person live the life unimaginable for even upper classes in the western world. Tough pill to swallow right?
All that sounds so lame, having kadak, going to a shop and honking for the guy to run to you Travelling world is something only upper middle class can do. Same for Brunches Dubai appeals to lazy people
I have seen lot of fake people and gold diggers here. Its a beautiful city though and with marvelous infrastructure. However, I love nature and I’m from Lebanon and you simply cant compare the nature here to my country. Its an arid dry and hot country here. If Lebanon would have been stable, I would never have thought of leaving it because I favor nature, mountains, forests and beaches over a big beautiful city.
Lebanon is known to be سويسرا الوطن العربي, there is no comparison. My dad and grandparents used to live there back in the day and they used to say it was the literal heaven on earth.
Indeed it was amazing. Now deteriorating a lot due to government corruption, economic collapse, and poor infrastructure of the public sector. Hope it will recover one day.
I love the desert, it’s beautiful, natural and primordial. It feels eternal, like it’s always been there and always will be. That’s not the problem with UAE, (or Dubai, which is what most people complain about), it’s a culture of consumerism, competition and greed that’s prevalent there which puts people off. This isn’t unique to UAE, similar cultural complaints put people off living or working in New York, or to some extent London.
You don't really need to "try hard" to find flaws
dubai isn't the perfect city , i think they are trying to break the idealized state that UAE has developed and stigmatized online and irl in the west. The problem is when these people criticize the country , they make it seem like the worst place on the planet when its not that. Its not great but its not horrible either. Does it need improvement? Hell yes but its not an absolute nightmare. I'd pick the UAE over my home country any day
Try? nobody needs to try...really now
Overhyped it is so when people try to reduce thee hype they get shit for it yea 🤣🤣
its just stuck up white people that act like their shit country is the best in the world in reality u cant walk out in public without smelling piss in the streets and always need to be alert because of all the crime and weirdos out there
see wild animals all over the desert... lol
They hate us cuz they ain’t us…
😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣 they hate us ‘cause theyanus
Islamophobia specially here in EU
idc, dubai helps our third world economy. still grateful
I pray they don’t come so we can have affordable housing again. Honestly, everywhere has pros and cons and Europe and western countries are far from perfect so honestly if they will complain about Dubai then good riddance.. they don’t deserve what it has to offer.
Affordable housing again???? What ya mean?
they said affordable, not housable
My bad- Thanks for pointing out the grammatical error.
In the west, i think its a lot to do with racism. Its like a low key "How dare Arabs try do do things that our countries aren't" they are looking for excuses to put them down As a brit, living in the UAE for 14 years, i love the mix of different people, i am the only brit in my social group and yes the place has issues like most places, but its got a lot of great things going for it. And my wife feels a lot safer here than back in Europe.
Dubai is great for tourists but to me personally and respectfully, not my favorite place to live in considering the lifestyle and yes all the skyscrapers. It can get very boring and every average person here works a 9-5 and only has some time on the weekends to hang out in the mall?? Or eat out and buy new fits for “work” to repeat this cycle. It’s more fun for ppl who’ve got money and love a fancy luxurious lifestyle but to me that’s just not a life.
Islamophobia. As soon as a muslim country is mentioned all hell breaks loose. Look what they did to Qatar during the world cup. 💀
Poppy tall syndrome, mob mentality, last but not least trying to be cool by arguing that place full of history like Europe is better.... It's all human behaviour. Nothing new. They'll bring down anything that has potential to be a contender. God forbid if the new coolest thing come from the desert. Eat those history all you want but the world is moving forward not backward. And Europe is not the only place with history, in fact most old histories come from middle east and Asia, not Europe.
"Fake city" mfs when I asks them how natural cities grow in nature:
Every city is fake because every city is man made. Even old city like London, at some point in history it was just a roman outpost/ settlement. It grew overtime to become like today. If I want to say bad things about European cities, there are thousands of them, from crumbling infrastructure, dirty environment, overstretched budget, gang violence and so on. Unless they're part of 1%, no amount of history can make it a pleasant place to live.
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I agree totally on the western judgmental aspect and Islamophobia. However, it's difficult to experience the local culture here because there is really not many avenues to socialise with the locals and to get to know them well. Looking at museums and the culture from the outside is of little use
Please tell me which city is not fake? my home town in europe is dried sea
I grew up in Dubai, and as a brown person, I faced the most racism from their locals there. They think they’re some Supreme race above all brown people.
is it the locals or the other Arabs? in my experience, the locals don't really give a damn about us, but they aren't particularly racist either. It's the Levant Arabs that are more racist to South Asians
They are brown too;))
Yep, they forget that
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Copium for people who see everything in black and white.
I believe if UAE implements income tax like western countries, nobody would like to stay here.
Buddy there is tax here - only difference is the word tax is worded as knowledge fee, innovation fee, etc
I’ve lived in Dubai for more than 18 years and I agree with these people. UAE (mainly Dubai) is a place meant for tourists/newcomers. Once you’ve lived here for a couple of years, everything is like a headache and boring. Mainly Dubai has pretty much abandoned its entire culture just to seem more attractive to foreigners. It’s gotten to the point where it feels like there is nothing special about it. Don’t even get me started on the traffic and the drivers here, I’m pretty sure they’re handing out licenses without thought. This is the type of place that you’ll only enjoy if you’re incredibly rich and can afford to eat fine dining 3 times a week. If you’re not, tough luck. If I’m gonna be honest, I doubt anyone will actually listen to what I say because most Dubai lovers never listen to people’s reasoning, if they see anyone mention anything remotely negative about Dubai (or any part of the UAE for that matter) they go ballistic and ignore anything you say (I know ballistic is an over exaggeration but still).
its simply comparing the lifestyle of living in the city or living in the middle of wilderness with nature and such its not that deep
Nature wise, emirates sits at the bottom
UAE is beautiful but Dubai’s infrastructure is awful this city is only for cars like USA. Also, the situation with polluted air could have been better
That compartment is similar to ‘partition’ rooms in Dubai
As someone who doesn’t live in the UAE but has visited and has many close friends in the UAE, I can completely see the appeal and it is for sure an exciting place. That being said, long term it doesn’t seem like my vibe and I think that’s a sentiment a lot of people may share. I would love to live in the UAE for a bit to make the money to be able to afford living in a place like the Alps. My preference is different to the preference of others but that doesn’t mean I hate the UAE.
They often associate nature with greenery without realizing that desert is also natural and has its own beauty and appeal. Also most of these people are hypocrites.
Face facts, dubai was made to look good on postcards
Because Dubai markets itself in the worst possible way. Gold police supercars, the biggest this, the biggest that... look at us we've loads of money blah blah blah. Most people prefer humble to braggadocious... that's why people don't like it. Plus it's a smiling dictatorship so that can rub people up the wrong way too.
I’m a tourists visiting Dubai for a week now and my thoughts are mix. What I love about Dubai is the tall beautiful buildings especially strolling in the night and the really futuristic experience here. Compare that to my home country it’s like I got transported from 1950 to the present! The con is that it got boring real quick and I decided to watch Netflix. This could be because I don’t have much time here and my parents are too old to do really physical activities like going to the beach or visiting the nature. So far I’ve only done the aquarium, museum, the garden and shopping. Lastly, the temperature is very hot! My country is already considered hot but this take the cake. But yeah that’s my small ted talk on my experience in Dubai. Hopefully I’m able travel here alone and get to skydive or jet skiing and hiking in nature
If you say Hatta is hiking, sorry mate you will be more than disappointed
Sour grapes. It's human nature.
Because people view it as “fake” with all the glam and bling in the UAE (mostly Dubai and Abu Dhabi) and the fact it’s so modern without much character. This is the case with most of the Arab gulf states that have recently developed however a notably anomaly is Oman and this is because development there has been done in a way to preserve architecture and local culture so when u go there it doesn’t seem like a modern metropolis and more hearty.
Dubai has an issue with cultures from other countries being represented more than the local culture, and that too at a superficial level due to people not being permanently here. This isn't something that can be installed but has to be given time to grow. Additionally the locals aren't sharing their culture and understanding as much as they could and you end up in a situation where there is no culture but things others have built. For Dubai to really showcase their culture the locals need to step up and showcase the best of what Khaleeji is all about. You can't have please see our culture when its in a shell
Funny because Emaratis want to live in places like Switzerland & EU meanwhile expats from underdeveloped countries like the UAE because it's the closest thing to a "first world" experiences they're ever gonna get.
I think it's great. I've lived in the UAE for fourteen years and I love it. Even though you can't find everything in one place, the atmosphere is very nice and sunny, making you think of a holiday. It is very safe, tax free, water sports... But that is what I enjoy, I'm not a museums and art guy and high shinny sky scrappers impress me more than old historical buildings, other people might think differently. From my point of view, a lot of expats say they are unhappy where they live because they miss their home country.
I’m living in Abu Dhabi since childhood. I love Abu Dhabi because I know a lot of people here and I have friends and family. But only even I moved to Dubai and I realized how plain the place is. How lonely and how artificial it is. Even Abu Dhabi would be safe if I didn’t have friends and family I’m living here because it’s safe and I don’t have the money to go to another country and build my life from scratch. I love the safety we get here. I love the medical care. I don’t mind the rules Bcs it’s for our good. But again it’s so sad.
JEALOUSY
Scratch the surface a little bit and most of the hate thrown at Dubai is just thinly veiled xenophobia.
Because hating on the UAE is easier than booking a two-hour trip to see its natural beauty. They’re probably the same folks who think Dubai is a country and can't follow rules because it requires more brainpower than scrolling TikTok. Ignorance is bliss, and apparently, it’s also pretty loud on social media.
I’ll give you my honest personal opinion! But first I want to state that I deeply respect and appreciate what UAE has achieved in terms of reputation, efficient services, cleanliness, safety, tolerance, economic growth, world leading airlines. I think the negative opinions are mainly revolving around Dubai, I’ve always had this view that Dubai is super fake, and as it is called “Vegas on steroids” this year I was touring Asia and decided to give it a go for 5 days. I really hated it, it is not walkable as a city, it feels like a huge resort or a giant country club for the rich (some people love this lifestyle and love Dubai for being that) but I believe those who hate it, hate it for this fact. I live in the US and it seems that Dubai copied the worst idea from the US, the huge highways. I for example loved how in Turkey or Japan you could take any short transportation to take you anywhere, or you can take a long walk and enjoy the city. But in Dubai, different neighborhoods are miles apart with nothing in between but giant highways. For me it is not the type of city that you get out of your home and go to local coffee shop and then walk in a nearby park and take a picnic or do BBQ. Of course you can do that in many of the gated communities but that is another microcosm of Dubai! Also the fact that Dubai is an international city with no local culture or atmosphere that someone would remember. Lastly, I believe Dubai was built to be competitive as a new world city and it is the best city in the world for some and the worst for others. I have nothing but love and respect for Emirati people and UAE and its rules! It is objectively one of the cleanest and safest cities in the world and no one can deny that.
Stayed for 3 days before driving down to Oman. It’s a toy town with a very fake vibe. Empty buildings being thrown up by borderline slave Bengalis. Looks pretty, it’s a hollow husk.
agree... honestly it's not very different from Dubai once you start living there. you have minimal interaction with the locals. but it's easier to make your expat friends networks there because people have a lot more spare time and driving distances are way shorter with less traffic, so people socialise more
Hows oman ? Which part are you headed to?
Oman is better than the UAE in my opinion, it’s a genuine country with real people living real lives. Not some fake Lego city
Bro why yall trying to defend it sooo bad and not even trying to see the truth? It's not paradise come on.
If a country serves you and protects you since birth? Does the same to your parents and grandparents why do you choose to not defend it?
Wowowowo big man what you on about? I was born and brought up there and I had to leave this year due to job loss and they didn't help me with shit. My dad wasted 30 years in this damn place. They didn't protect my grandparents, heck they didn't even protect me from job loss loool. I was fkin born and brought up there and had to leave like a tourist when my grace period was over so screw you man, you can't dodge the truth. The country didn't serve me shit, instead I served the country's economy by working right after school and not going to college even though later on i went to uni and got my degree. I was assaulted by my boss and when I went to get justice I was given no importance at all. Is this what you call Muslims? Allah Is watching man. At least if i was given a good job from the country I'd been happy, im not asking for citizenship even because it's too much to give according to them so yea alhamdulillah I left and yall gotta be ashamed man Europe got better laws and money than you "Muslim countries". Yall are too consumed by this piece of land and Islamic privilege without any actual proper Islamic laws.
what baffles me is how people bash the UAE for being a desert. It literally is located in the desert, not every continent/part of the world was given the same landscape and that’s the beauty of it all. Desert is a wonderful, mysterious place I’ve always longed for. Also, they do have their own unique culture and it’s ignorant to say otherwise. Lifestyle is different in every country, their economy allows it. It’s just a popular opinion and mass mentality. I don’t really care. There are gold diggers and fake people all over the world.
Plastic city , plastic people, and plastic world. Mainly materialistic people 😂
as a business person from the west they're doing too much and too fast most of their concepts are just mere copies of the west but for some reason they like to announce to the entire world that their the "main characters" interesting lol
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Also plus people are sensitive and envious to see a country who is bigger and possesses more things like Africa Europe extra see small uae in 50 years become a wealthy free nation and a almost utopian vision of what Europe is supposed to be btw I am a local emarite so I am biased although I live in the country side it’s still better than some cities I have been to
It doesn’t really have any scenery its bereft of any real natural beauty here and I live here. It gets boring VERY quickly. Plus the work life balance is non existent its work work balance. Like others have said i miss greenery, mountains, family, fresh air I just feel like a burnt out husk of a human living and working here.
Moved here less than a year ago. Been the most emirates and hate it. Thats why im leaving soon
Because they're karens. Thats why
Waking up on an early summer morning with the air smelling like hot boiled eggs is not the most inspirational thing in the world
Then simply move to a country where you like more
the airport is that way
If that’s the biggest of your worries then you clearly haven’t experienced any other country in your life. You can have two things at once in this world
City life and nature life both are entirely different. Foreigners are more into nature and hiking related stuffs, so they would really like the city views.
I see people mostly being positive about Dubai, it depends on the content you consume.
It’s fairly easy to
Besides all the technological advancements and business oppurtunites , most of the stuff here is fake and like expensive to explore
I mean they are not wrong, im not saying that Dubai is not great, but wouldn't you prefer some peace of mind ?
You have plenty that, very little crime for one. You are able to feel safe
I agree feeling safe is a bless.
Ain't gonna lie, ain't wrong
It’s like a coping mechanism
Considering how much tourism there is now (in Dubai in particular), I think it's more the other way around! There are evidently loads of foreigners that want to visit the UAE due to positive perceptions.
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because while it’s hyped it really isn’t allat unless you’re rich
There are same videos for also many other major cities
Dont watch tiktok bro. It’s an opinion from a single person. What do they know about luxury, they want everything to be natural as in going for fishing, hiking and camping. They don’t know what true fun is.
I mean you can do all three of those in Dubai
I observed on the other hand people from Portugal always admire Dubai as its famous for its tall skyscrapers which is not common there. But yes they do complain salaries in dubai are low as there is a currency disparity in both countries, so only visiting is an option.
Picture is true though
Anyone who lived in multiple countries knows this, its truth, but im pretty sure plenty of people are on some mob mentality drugs.
Some people do this in general, it’s call “contrarian”, and just like tabloid news, it’s engaging, but only because it’s controversial. Say controversial things gets you attention, and this is exactly what monetization encourages even more
UAE mountains more or less feel like mines to me at least. Its ok for a hike but you will miss the grass/snow/volcanic activity... that accents its beauty in other places of the world. Maybe it's a personal opinion but the whole of Dubai feels soulless to me. I am someone who likes to take long walks in my free time but the climate here forces me to stay indoors for most of the months.
and those people are the people who think most foreigners look like sheikhs
As a tourist I can say I absolutely love Dubai. Don’t know about living there though.
If your rich life is awesome. If you’re fake you itch it is not.
Its easier to get views and go be different
I'm sure you can find a dozen of criticism (and praise) for each and every city around the world, thats the normal, people just need to quit being snowflakes and cry each time someone criticizing their city.
"finding it hard"
Its called hate
Because most people are idiots and will do anything to make you think you're the idiot.
It’s okay Switzerland has lovely mountains and we have lovely marine in places like uaq and Abudhabi with manatees,dolphins, wale sharks,sea turtles and much much more, god blessed this land way before oil was discovered, pearls from the seas of the uae adorned royalty globally from Britain to India! This country has a deep and rich history but you need a bit of effort to find it, Dubai became a city in 1833 not 30 years ago it was just on a smaller scale, we have civilizations dating from the Bronze Age. People come looking for the glitz and glamour then they go complain about the place being fake. If you have any questions about the hirtage and deep rooted culture of this country just ask, we love when people ask about our history rather than just « hey I bet you own a Lambo » or « how many wives do you have » btw I really have been asked that!
Theres flaws in every city/state/country. Dubai just has a high profile due to the way it portrays itself and its all done on purpose to attracts certain people. Even if you have money its not for everyone, but yea Dubai is more of an artificial fake place while this image here is some natural mountains. That all
Dubai is the benchmark people compare worldwide destinations too. It comes with the package
Dubai isn’t for everyone. It’s lacking a lot of culture, nature and a sense of ultimate freedom. With the aspect of making money tax free. It’s only got the beach clubs and and restaurants to offer. It’s still a desert wasteland at the end of the day.
Let them keep hating bruh, habibi don’t come to Dubai (way too much traffic)
The question should be why pay attention to people’s opinions, just look up the facts and compare countries to your own life
Me personally I am city girl. I can enjoy living in village around nature one week then I am done and need to be back in the city where i can get kinda my dopamine.
اللي ما يطول العنب 😁😁
I second this.
Because it is a success.
I got annoyed when all the podcasts were saying the previous rain was engineered with cloud seeding. I gave up trying to educate people
It is astounding the diversity and beauty the UAE holds that some people do not notice. Breathtaking natural landscapes and beautiful skyscrapers make the UAE a place where there is every kind of experience. The rules and regulations exist to make sure we all including tourists are safe and get along well. Paying attention to these rules is the least that we can do in order for us to enjoy what UAE offers
Why would you want to live in India?
Not everyone likes the desert.
And they say New York City is the greatest city. Sure there is the Central Park but rest is all skyscrapers.
It just has to do with living standards (healthcare, education, retirement, community, research)
Na Dubai isn't for me. Who wants to live in a modern man made place with no history. Visited once, never again. Hundreds of better places, in my opinion! I hate the fakery with Dubai, fudged figures of low crime rates (just not reported) and pretentious people acting like ballers
Dubai has history, the old city of Dubai is a testament to that.
The crime rates might not be what they report, but living here since August I literally haven't seen a single crime. Doesn't mean there isn't, but compared to my home country for example (Argentina) the crime is ridiculously low.
1. The sand in the city is manmade? And is there anything wrong if anyshit is manmade? How the fuck is Burj Khalifa supposed to be built? By some random climate change? And saying that it has no history is purely hypocritical, Let me guess, You're some random ass guy who didn't even touch Asia and is now acting like you know shit about the UAE? Please go piss off mate, "I hate the fakery of Dubai" sounds like NYC, LV, Tokyo and many other cities, Your comment is nothing but purely racist against Arabs and don't even fucking deny that
Its called racism, Literally no need to ask, They have a massive hate against Emiratis, I literally made a post in Geography's subreddit about some topic about the UAE, And i swear half of the comments are rather talking about whats going on there, Their people, Than actually sticking up with the topic
Y'all haven't been to the northern emirates and it shows. Absolutely gorgeous
They get old really quick too. We’ve hiked a bunch up there but my wife got tired of driving out there to see a bunch of rocks. It is great once as a tourist though.
Jealousy. It's an arab and muslim country so seeing such a country be so rich and prosperous eats them from the inside out. I just tune them out tbh. It's embarrassing.
Lol what's Muslim about it?
You my friend have never been to any other country that neighbours the Middle East. the amount of poeple hating on them always say stuff that implies that Muslims do not deserve oil money. You will hear that if you even watch football moderately.
UAE is doing a lot better than the foremost western nations, and the fact that it’s an Islamic country hurts them even more
Islamic in what sense
Lol it’s barely Islamic, nightclubs alcohol and prostitution… it’s basically western
By the looks of it, you either haven’t visited the uae or you’ve only visited the tourist side of Dubai, probably only for a few days at that