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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Would you choose Dubai as a holiday destination?

382 replies

Letshopenextyearisbetter · 16/10/2024 09:24

Colleague told me excitedly she has booked to go to Dubai with her family for two weeks. I said ‘Oh wow!’ But really I was thinking 😬
I realise we all like different things, but just curious if you’d choose to spend your money on going to Dubai? I can personally think of some really lovely places to go for that amount of money, especially over Christmas

OP posts:
Maria1979 · 16/10/2024 11:45

Never ever due to human rights, climate and culture issues. Would make me depressed. DH wanted to go one year and until then I didn't know that he was unaware about world politics to that point. Some people are so unaware that for them it's just a sunny resort with influencers hiding tax money away whereas I'm utterly disgusted by everything associated with it.

Teenagerantruns · 16/10/2024 11:41

No, we are two woman who are married to each other, can't see us being welcome, not that l have much interest anyway.

RIVERDALEHIGH · 16/10/2024 11:40

It's like everything though, we all have different opinions and different likes and dislikes like you say.

Just because your first thought was 'no' doesn't mean hers is. Her first thought at your holiday destination might be 'no'

This post gives me a funny feeling, like you think she's a certain type of person for holidaying there, or spending her money to go there? Why do you feel like that about Dubai and/or her? What makes it such a 😆 ?

bifurCAT · 16/10/2024 11:39

For those who go (regularly), I guess the real question is, is the reputation justified? What have people heard that are not true? What precautions should you take to make it an enjoyable holiday?

Zahariel · 16/10/2024 11:37

racist homophobic shit hole built on slave labour. No I wouldn't not be excited about it....

RIVERDALEHIGH · 16/10/2024 11:36

Yep... going soon & can't wait!

SnowFrogJelly · 16/10/2024 11:36

Never

TheGoddessFreyja · 16/10/2024 11:35

Nope, would much rather go to a country that needs my economic support like Cuba, Sri Lanka etc.

Couldn't think of anything worse than going to Dubai.

Hatty65 · 16/10/2024 11:33

Never. For ethical reasons.

I'm amazed that anyone would want to go there - particularly a woman. Why would you choose to go to a place where you are deemed to be a second class citizen and face discrimination? To me, it's akin to being Jewish and deciding to visit Nazi Germany - or black and holidaying in Alabama in the 1950s.

Bizarre to think of paying large sums of money to go somewhere like that. I'm not funding that kind of regime.

CurbsideProphet · 16/10/2024 11:28

No I won't ever go. Aside from everything else, I definitely don't want to be on holiday surrounded by Brits, shopping centres, and apartment blocks.

CoverMeInMarmalade · 16/10/2024 11:26

Lots of people do go and enjoy it but it's not for me. I need far more nature and 'landscape' than it seems to offer.

Plus, I spent some years in Saudi as a child/young teen - not too far along the coast from Dubai and don't have a huge desire to go back to that part of the world.

WestwardHo1 · 16/10/2024 11:25

Not in a billion years.

AsFunAsEnglishWeather · 16/10/2024 11:25

I like it - I've been for work and would happily holiday there. The mad architecture is really interesting and I absolutely hate humidity, so the desert heat is perfect. Plus it's about the only warm place on earth where I haven't been bitten to death by mosquitoes the second I got off the plane.

MrsSunshine2b · 16/10/2024 11:22

No. We went to visit once when I was a kid as my Mum's friend was living there. It's very plastic and fake and run mostly on slave labour. I wouldn't go again and I wouldn't support the regime. Some people think it's glamorous though for some reason.

AtomicPumpkin · 16/10/2024 11:16

If you had to pay NOT to go to Dubai, I'd cough up without a murmur.

mitogoshigg · 16/10/2024 11:15

No wouldn't go for a holiday, not even keen on changing planes there but you haven't always got a lot of choice to some destinations without spending far more. Such an odd place to choose - i would go to Oman for instance as that has more culture and history

isthereaway · 16/10/2024 11:14

No. Because: Ethics. Environment. Soulless. Interesting to read the posts from people who have lived there.

KimFan · 16/10/2024 11:06

Yes, Dubai is brilliant. Wouldn’t want to go every year, but. Have been a a considerable number of times and never fail to have a brilliant time. All depends what you want from a holiday hence why I intersperse visits with trips to other places.

MeowCatPleaseMeowBack · 16/10/2024 11:03

Tattletwat · 16/10/2024 11:01

Just be careful you aren't sexually assaulted in Dubai as a woman or a man as it could be you who goes to prison.

It's a hellhole in dessert run by scummy hypocrites, with a horrendous seedy sick underbelly.

But who cares about that when you can get luxury brands under one roof!!!!

Tattletwat · 16/10/2024 11:01

Just be careful you aren't sexually assaulted in Dubai as a woman or a man as it could be you who goes to prison.

It's a hellhole in dessert run by scummy hypocrites, with a horrendous seedy sick underbelly.

Idontlikeyou · 16/10/2024 11:01

No, it’s absolutely not my cup of tea in terms
of what’s there but I also don’t want to give my money to fund that part of the world either. No thank you.

icouldholditwithacobweb · 16/10/2024 10:59

Not for me, not the type of place I would personally like to holiday. I want to visit Dubai less than I want to visit Vegas. But each to their own.

FastFood · 16/10/2024 10:58

I'd rather spend a holiday in Slough than in Dubai.

Skyrainlight · 16/10/2024 10:56

No, I had a friend that lived there for years and I always had the offer of free accommodation but never took her up on it because I have zero desire to visit Dubai.

Beezknees · 16/10/2024 10:56

Don't fancy it myself but each to their own. I would rather chew my own arm off that go camping, some people love it though.