The New City

My nephew Jamal came to Dubai and stayed a day or two while on his way to Italy together with his Boss. Naz and i picked him up at the Grand Hyatt and took him out for a branch at the Dubai Mall. It was a weekend and the too early in the morning for the locals to be out of bed and attacking the Mall yet and so we had an easy time checking the mall out. The Mall has one of the biggest indoor salt water aquarium I have seen and it held a good variety of fishes from the seas around the Gulf.

We took Jamal later to Naz's apartment to kick back abit and enjoyed 'The Planet Earth" at naz's 'Movie theater', I could tell Jamal was impressed. By the look at him in the picture I could not imagine that this was the kid I used to lug around when he was a baby and today he is among my favorite nephews and nieces and not because he is successful in life alone but mainly because he has a very down to earth humble and highly spiritualized discipline about him despitwe his successes in life.

The Naz and his cousin are about the same age and the last time they met was when the naz was sixteen or seventeen and had visited Malaysia with his Mom. The grew up in two totally different environment and circumstances but both has accomplished great heights in their fields of endeavors and occupations. Looking at them, they are still kids at heart and I am a lucky father and uncle.

Walking through the Gold Souk part of the Mall can turn your heart upside down if you are into wealth and riches in the material world. Some of the watches and jewelleries on display could easily buy a comfortable home in Malaysia or Indonesia, or feed a family of four for the entire year. Such is, whoever has the means to own these items I am sure does not have living in Malaysia or Indonesia as their ultimate dream in life.

Dubai five to ten years down the road when all the dust of costructions has settled down and the Global economy has bounced back, will become the hub of trade and tourism for the Middle East if not the Eastern Hemisphere of this planet as a whole. It is the dream of the Maktoum and his far sightedness to invest into the construction of Dubai as a Mega Mall or the Mall of Malls for the Global Consumers.

The infra structures are being maticulously laid out and all ammnities and conveniences of serving a Global Market is carefully studied. Personels from different countries and backgrounds are being hired and trained to upkeep a high operational and performance standard albeit running a six or seven star hotel or workijng the checkout counters at Hardees or Lu LU's.

Dubai may be owned by the Emeratis Arabs but it sure as hell is run by foreigners in almost every aspect of the business as well as physical management of the city. As most expatriates here has expressed it will take many years for the Arab locals to come to a realization that they will have to get their butts off their sheepskin rug and start to learn how to do real work if they are to survive in the own City. At present they are mostly living in an Arabian Nights dream as the Emerates Governement is amking sure tha they are fully catered to in all their creature comforts.