Well I have now left the UAE and I thought I’d list some of the
Pro’s and Cons of Dubai / UAE living
In no particular order:
Loved
- Tax
free salaries
- Friday
brunches and the nightlife in general
- The
friendliness and camaraderie amongst expats
- Souk
Madinat
- Burj
al Arab and Jumeriah Beach Hotel
- Dubai
thunderstorms
- Dubai
Sevens rugby tournament
- SCUBA
Diving – why did I leave it so late to learn?
- Winter
weather
Liked
- Burj
Dubai – the worlds tallest structure
- The
Arab male national dress
- Some
malls, particularly Mall of the Emirates
- The aquarium
at Dubai Mall
- Dubai Museum
in Bur Dubai
- One
Dirham Abra rides across the creek
- Wild
Wadi and Aquaventure water parks
- The
majority of Dubai
is neat, clean and tidy.
No opinion
- Palm
Jumeriah, Palm Jebel Ali, The World, Palm Diera – what’s the point?
- Dubai Marina
– what’s the attraction?
- The
Arab female national dress with face uncovered
Disliked
- Arab
female national dress with the face covered.
- The
old souks in Bur Dubai and Diera filled with fake watch hustlers
- Public
holidays based on spurious moon sightings that differ from country to
country and are announced the day before they happen.
- Summer
heat and humidity.
- Paying
through the nose for alcohol in the bars
- Censorship
of the internet and lack of press freedom.
- Dust
everywhere – it’s the desert, what did I expect?
- The
standard of cable TV.
- The
lack of accountability or opposition to the rulers.
- Not
being able to eat or drink in public during the month or Ramadan.
Loathed
- The
4am call to prayer from the mosque adjacent to the hotel where I first
stayed.
- Sharjah
drivers.
- Government
bureaucracy and spur of the moment rule change
Overall it's been a great adventure and I have no regrets. It's just a shame that it's all ended so soon.
