Almafia and MysterAsif --

I used to live in Dubai in the late '70s through the early '80s. Talk about being unrecognizable. It's not just the exterior of the city that has changed; it has lost a bit of its soul and sleepy small town charm. It is, however, still a very good place to live if one wants to live in the middle east with peace and security.

MysterAsif, I don't knw about u, and whn you left the UAE (or if u have ever stayed there as a resident), but from when I left dubai (late 90s) to now, Dubai has changed GREATLY, and a large chunk of that change is not positive... It's geared towards the westerners, and they do away with the Desis, so essentially we are like dirt there.

Even I'm now re-thinking my plans to relocate there!

hmmm this is making me rethink my long wish to move to dubai ...

Great article... I actually managed to read the whole thing.

One very important factor the columnist points out that admist all this progress, Dubai is losing it's innate/original culture. The Islamic culture is losing it's identity in dubai. The poignant ex that Xmas (and Dec 2nd) is celebrated with more fanfare than Eid is celebrated, is loooooong withstanding and true...

Great post..