To not get why people hate Dubai so much?

[Cutitup]

What is there to hate?

I think it's a great place to have a holiday. Great restaurants, great service, fab shopping and spa treatments.

I do understand the problems of domestic and construction staff being exploited but this is not a problem unique to Dubai. I just don't get the vitriol, the 'it has no culture' etc.. I say get out of the bitter farm and play with the hay!

it may have been a case of mixed messages and inebriation or she may have been unfortunate enough to meet a rapist.

I believe her.

" because she broke the law, as it stands, in this jurisdiction"

She can't have broken the law because crime assumes actually doing something. She wasn't doing the doing, she was being raped, obviously against her will.

This is not about crime and punishment. It is about the subjugation of women - don't try to seek justice when you are raped if you don't want to be jailed. Being raped is your fault, anyway.

Oh wait. That's what you were saying earlier...

You still bringing up Sri Lanka up Bear

My father is originally from Sri Lanka so I visit family and the tourist industry is very different but yes SL has problems mainly poverty and a civil war

Its appalling human rights record and atrocious treatment of the workers who enable its existence notwithstanding, I avoid Dubai like the plague as a holiday destination because of the type of people who choose to holiday.

It's basically a really expensive Costa Del Sol with people who think they're living the high life but don't realise that the high life happens in private villas on private islands reached only by private jets.

YoungGirl:
'there are none so blind etc.'

That, at least, you have got right.

*choose to holiday there.

Jesus. I will marry the person who invents a phone with psychic auto correct even if it makes me a bigamist.

Personally, I much prefer Oman to Dubai, it just seems to have more class and respect for people.

I know that there are migrant labour issues, but other things (e.g. the majority of under graduates are female, I think) just make it a nice country.

I found it hot, soulless and boring. you shop, eat out and swim and that's it really.

its like the raj life style of the English in the last century.

a refuge for those who want a soft life, servants and loads of money.

such people are shallow by nature.

I found it hot, soulless and boring. you shop, eat out and swim and that's it really.

its like the raj life style of the English in the last century.

a refuge for those who want a soft life, servants and loads of money.

such people are shallow by nature.

There are many valid points being made on this thread but I have to take issue with the subject of FGM being legal. The legal system is in it's infancy and the reliance on Sharia Law means that many aspects of it are unpalatable to many of us. The health authorities, at least in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, DO NOT condone FGM and it is banned in government hospitals and clinics. And having worked as a MW there for 5 years, witnessing over a thousand births and being privy to countless conversations with women and HCP's, I never saw or heard of ANY Emirati women who had been subjected to FGM. Not one. It is not part of the present culture and is deeply frowned upon. It may be theoretically legal but even the WHO has no data to say it is being practiced.

Never been but probably will visit one day though not my first choice.

We chose to live in Singapore over dubai which has its own issues. Love Singapore but still not blind to its faults. I think people have a valid point in that dubai is very rich country but still seems to encourage abuse and racism with its policies and practices.

My husband goes often on business, he witnessed a western barman being slapped by a local. The barman just accepted it as part of the job, something he had to put up with.

I have seen most of the comments here.

I have never had an urge to go to Dubai. Reasons being:

I don't like shopping;
I don't like spas;
I don't like in your face opulence.

Also, why would I want to visit a place where being western and a woman brings such risks? I would feel really vulnerable in such a place.

I am gobsmacked at the assertion that Dubai is such a villan because it is rich and can afford to do better.

I clearly hadn't realised that human rights breaches were acceptable if your country was poor and you can't afford to do any better.

I think the best phrase on this thread was 'armchair saviours of the world'. It sums up so succinctly the hypocritical views expressed on this thread.

Fine, if you want to preach for all breaches of human rights to be abolished them go for it, but don't just preach for those that suit you as and when.

where have I said that human rights breaches were ok if the country is poor

What your do not seem to be getting is that migrant workers are treated appallingly and that is supported by the government, the country has wealth a lot of it yet because these people are desperate they are allowed to be treated in such a way. Many countries do not have the same attitude or the wealth many people suffer because lack of money along with a number of other issues as corruption. Dubai openly treats migrant workers terribly because they see migrant workers as lesser humans

go and enjoy yourself there and maybe stay away from threads like this that point out what is so so wrong about the place

I think the fact it is so rich does mean it should set the bar higher in how it treats it's most vulnerable workers.

Are you trying to say there isn't accepted racism and casual mistreatment of workers who aren't in a position to speak up or protect themselves?

I've lived in countries which imports foreign workers and their is often racism and mistreatment. Why can't this be talked about? If people don't acknowledge and talk about it, it's hardly going to improve.

We talk all the time about this countries failings, we aren't perfect either.

freudian I wasn't talking about you specifically.

I was extrapolating the logic that if Dubai is so bad because it can afford to do better then it must be ok for poor countries who can't afford any better to treat people in a way we find below standard.

Please don't patronise me about my choice of holiday destination when yours is entirely on terms which suit your own argument.

It drives me bloody crazy when people slag off Dubai and say "I haven't been there but..."

Some of the ideas about Dubai are laughable. Just because your culture and religion is different, doesn't always make someone else's wrong.

Cultural vacuum?! Over 200 different nationalities live in Dubai. When I get on the Metro I hear languages from all over the world. If I head into Al Quoz, I can see artwork from across the region, if I go to Bur Dubai I eat food from dozens of different countries. In my office of 35, we are from 11 different countries. Oh, and my female CEO is from Saudi - try telling her she's a victim of sexism. Try stepping outside of the expensive resort and visit the desert, go to the gold souk by the Creek, go and watch some camel racing with the locals, have a traditional Emirati breakfast in the old town, visit the pearling museum, visit the falconry hospital, you get the picture.

And you know what? The UAE is only 41 years old. It's new. It's still learning. But improvements to labour laws, banking regulations etc are being made by the day. Most of the reports you read about poor conditions for labourers are several years old - things change, international treaties are signed.

I really don't get why it's so fashionable to slate it.

Poor countries are just that -poor. Not buying certain clothes or trainers because the workers get paid low rates just hurts them. At least they get work and pay making the things. This is wrong but it will take time to change.

Dubai is RICH, super Rich. It can let expats live tax free. It can let emiratis have free Uni education, healthcare, a wonderful standard of living. It could therefore treat its foreign workers properly. Let them get proper wages, housing, healthcare, protective legislation. But it chooses not to.

Who has mentioned anyone being anti-Islam?