I hated Dubai until I learned about it

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2024-11-16 14:00:05

Dubai was in my “Top 5 places where I NEVER want to go”. I heard it was commercialized hedonism, glorified overindulgence, pandering to millionaires and influencers — extravagance and opulence. Everything I hate. That's why I had never gone there.

Last year, when I was booking a flight to attend a conference, there was going to be a short layover in Dubai. My first thought was “yuk”. But when I notice I’m prejudiced against something, it makes me curious. So I made it a 3-day layover, to see Dubai for myself.

Before going to Dubai, I read two books about the culture of United Arab Emirates, and one about the history of Dubai. And WOW, it was so fascinating.

First, about the United Arab Emirates. (U.A.E.) Like the United States or Switzerland, it’s a collection of states — called emirates — of which Dubai is just one. Like New York, Dubai can refer to the big state or the city inside it. Dubai the city is in Dubai the state, which is one of the seven emirates of the U.A.E. Abu Dhabi is the biggest emirate, and Abu Dhabi the city is the capital of the country.

#2: Part of the problem in African countries is due to European leaders in the 1880s carving up African territories with straight lines, ignoring ethnic and linguistic divides, tribal territories, existing kingdoms, and even geography. So when United Arab Emirates was becoming a country in 1971, its founders did the opposite. They went village to village, tribe to tribe, asking each which ruling family they were loyal to. Then that's where they drew the boundaries between states. It’s more complex but more accurate, as it respects personal allegiances and relationships.