Dubai: Party on, Dude
Even though Dubai's boom has turned to bust, the emirate known for its gaudy exuberance, which comedian Jon Stewart once called 'what happens when Saudi Arabia and Las Vegas have a baby,' couldn't restrain itself from yet one more big bash.
South African casino owner Solomon Kerzner spent $20 million on fireworks and other party notions to celebrate the opening of his new Atlantis resort on Dubai's Palm Island, at an event bedecked by celebrities such as Robert DeNiro and Charlize Theron. As soon as the fireworks ended, Atlantis "goddess" Priyanka Chopra called for partying to begin, and Kylie Minogue led the way.
The fireworks at the grand opening were spectacular:
Still, real estate prices on Dubai's Palm Jumeirah island have fallen by 40%, since prospective buyers can no longer easily get loans, given the credit crunch.
You have to wonder whether the world's first "dynamic building" is still going to get built.
posted by Juan Cole @ 11/21/2008 12:34:00 AM
|
Facebook
8 Comments:
This is exactly why I HATE Dubai.
Dubai was built on the backs of slave labor. These laborers work 12 - 15 hours a day for $3 a day. If you mention "union" in Dubai, you will be jailed and deported. These laborers are allowed to go home every 3 years to see their family and children. These laborers are forced to live in a room with 30 other men, with one toilet and shower down the hall. I know this because I have been in their rooms many times. It is surreal.
And, then they spend $20 million for fireworks and champagne while hundreds of millions of their fellow muslims are starving and walking to Dubai looking for work.
It is pure EVIL. I will never return to Dubai or Israel for similar reasons. Get the picture ?
I spent 'Eid this year in South Lebanon, on the outskirts of Sidon, and I was amazed at all the money I saw. I set foot in Beirut once, for an hour (excluding the airport); the rest of my Lebanon time was spent in the South. Mercedes SUVs, glitzy pastry shops, clothing stores, furniture galleries, women in expensive hijabs or Western cute jeans & spike heels. "What economic crisis?" I kept saying to my companion, a New Yorker.
More than once I saw (expensive) cars with Dubai license plates in downtown Sidon. Many of my cousins and their 20 - 30-something children live in the Gulf. I wondered if the prosperity I saw in South Lebanon reflected all the money coming from people working in the Gulf.
This Palm Island development is obscenely unsustainable. I can't cry tears about it busting.
Let's all just hold on and care for each other and our neighbors in this rocky time. There is enough food to feed everybody... if we all share. Those of us with jobs need to consider sending any spare nickels to the local food banks, which are overwhelmed.
All I can say is... What a waste of money!! I mean the world is heading towards /in a serious economic and probably humanitarian crisis and all the Sheikhs can do is put on a show. The arabic word for this is Ri'yaa.
Park the car in their condo?
I hope their glorified espresso machine (AKA, the Lamborghini) leaks on their white shag rug.
@ anonymous (6:56) how can you possibly compare Israel and Dubai?
Israel is like Dubai inasmuch as much of the dirty work is done by non-citizens with little or no civil rights.
with all due respect, i think everyone on this forum is a little too quick to judge, if you don't like dubai stay the hell away from it. for the record im not settled in the dubai, i just feel people need to recognise the wave of capitalism is not going to stop just cuz its hurting their feelings.....if they really care about humanitarian causes, instead of sending their nickels to food banks, maybe they should actually go out educate a child, give blood weekly or volunteer at a morgue and not crib on forums like these
I want to teach all the stupid racist commentors such Sandor0 that put a vulgar comments about this successful project that you ignore the civilisation of arabic people. we are peaceful, kind and we love our guests so that we celebrate suche party this to provide happines to our guests, the money doesen't mean any thing to us, however we owne the richest men in the world. don't show your racism because it doesen't damage us.
Post a Comment
<< Home