Dubai/UAE - where did you think you were?

[WhyamIinahandcartandwherearewegoing]

I’ll preface this by saying I wish the best for anyone out there, working or holidaying. I hope you are and remain safe.

but do people go there with next to no concern for where in the world it’s located? Do they pay no attention to news or the general geopolitical situation, it’s hnot exactly a secret.

are we really that dense that most people don’t look past the bling, the weather, the tax perks, the bloody influencers?

https://www.europol.europa.eu/media-press/newsroom/news/heat-rising-european-super-cartel-taken-down-in-six-countries quite well documented. As stated upthread, many UK heads go out to to Dubai to control business from afar.

Yes to be fair I decided to go a bit light on the news because I’m exhausted so wasn’t following this. But still previously at least they’d sell some BS reason to the UN whereas now no one even bothered with that.

I’m sorry but why are you moved by starving children only when you are in close proximity to them? (In a totally different country. On a totally different continent and not on the same island).

Do you think they aren’t starving when you are in a hotel in Italy? Or when you are having your coffee in London?

I don’t understand this logic, sorry.

For those who feel it’s safer than the UK and a sensible choice to move there. Should the UK Government assist in repatriating individuals if it ever came to that? Or should individuals be expected to stay/find safety elsewhere?

When our press constantly drone on, about Iran attacking its neighbours, they are being deliberately disingenuous. Iran is attacking US bases in those countries - Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan. All those bases were used to attack Iran and they are absolutely massive bases, far larger than Fairford, Mildenhall or Lakenheath in the UK and Ramstein, Spangdahlem and Geilenkirchen in Germany.
This attack was planned months ago, the so called peace talk with Iran were just a smoke screen, Trump and Netanyahu never wanted peace with Iran, they weren't interested in helping the Iranian people, they are both psychopaths.
Maybe the Gulf countries should have engaged their brains before letting the US/UK build huge military bases in their countries.

Totally agree, OP. Know of someone recently who went to Dubai who didn’t have a clue that she was visiting the UAE 🙈

I didn't say it was logical. I grew up in the 90s being told by parents to eat my dinner because "children were starving in Africa" as was the catchphrase of the day. Watching news reports of something happening on a shoreline I could see from my hotel surrounded by excess did make it a bit more real for me as a teenager who had thus far only been to Spain.

I will admit that I have got prejudices towards anyone going to Dubai, either to live or for holidays. It's constructed and catered to by modern slavery and sharia laws are in place. Ofcourse influencers and finance people and other people without a moral compass do not care- and I can't say I care much about their predicament now either.

They don’t go there to live. Or set businesses up

OK, so what's your radius of comfort? A thousand miles?

I think this is a false feeling, though, because does it make ANY difference where you are in the world, in relation to a given conflict? The conflict is still going on regardless of your location. Of course, you would hardly want to be holidaying in a place close by for the reasons you mentioned, but we are talking hundreds of miles here. I hope you didn't holiday in Greece or Italy while the Balkans war was going on, as they were very close. In fact I hope you headed West when you could, because the conflict was only Two Hours from London, to quote the name of the famous documentary on it.

In response to the OP, people should always look on a map when they book a holiday. When planning for Jordan, I was aware that I was staying only 80 miles from an active war zone, because I spent five minutes on Google maps! With those small distances, there’s always a possibility of disruption.

Maybe safer for white western women but not women who are from there. Educate yourself and realise the world does not revolve around privileged westerners

@oldtiredcyclist When our press constantly drone on, about Iran attacking its neighbours, they are being deliberately disingenuous. Iran is attacking US bases in those countries -

Ofcourse, but they are not very precise are they? Hotels and buildings were hit. Just as the US took out a school in Iran with 150 little girls killed. There will always be error margins with civilian casualties.

I think the demographic of people who love Dubai overlaps heavily with the demographic of people who don't watch the news, read papers or keep up with geopolitical events.

The number of influencers who moved to Dubai to not pay tax who now expect UK tax payers to rescue them is pretty offensive. If you haven't paid tax in the UK in the past year you should have to pay to be "rescued".

And you shouldn’t go to asia as it’s near north korea and china is very unethical. Avoid pretty much all of europe due to russia.

These threads are really distasteful. It doesn't matter whether people are born there, moved there or are visiting it's a frightening time for all of them. Under the circumstances sneering at people who didn't do a full geopolitical risk assessment before going is really unpleasant.

This site maybe useful for anyone interested in improving their geography.

https://www.geoguessr.com/quiz/seterra

Quite possibly some ignorance here and Ive never liked the idea of dubai.

However I also find the comments saying “serve you right” very tasteless. A lot of wealthy middle class people living in a nice street with good schools being all moral whilst still benefitting from all the issues with the world.

And ignorance is annoying but dont think it deserves a death sentence.

Tells smth about own awareness of the world once you are past school age

This thread reminds me a bit of that part on a Bridget Jones film where Bridget is laughed at because she "doesn't know where Germany is." I always thought that was really silly, because while everyone knows where Germany is, they might not be able to name all EIGHT countries that it borders, without looking at a map. And that's what it came down to, that she couldn't name all eight. It's not as if she thought Germany was at the foot of France or something! I knew where it is - east of France and Belgium and the Netherlands - but I couldn't have named all eight of its surrounding countries without looking at a map. I'm not sure I could accurately remember all eight in one go now, actually. But geographically, I know where it is!

Similarly, of course the OP knows Dubai's geographic location. But it's surrounded by many other countries, and also, with the zoom in and out function, it's not always clear how far or close places are when you look at maps online, as most of us do these days. It's not like the old days when you had a paper atlas and one scale for everything.

PP are just being mean and superior.

Thank you for this. I so agree with you.

Exactly! The Lake District it is! 🤣

Can't go to India, either. Appalling human rights abuses. And Canada, the US, Australia, and NZ are all stolen lands.

You do know the first universities were founded in the Arabic world don’t you? You have no idea how many well read, highly educated and informed people live in the Emirates. Or do you think everyone, literally everyone there is either a young, white influencer, European drug dealer or evil woman-bashing royalty?

Exactly. Nowhere is safe.

That said most people pay tax, expats in Dubai tend not to yet strangely expect UK assistance.

But Jordan has not been sold to us for years as Westernised and safe like Dubai has.