To ask why people like Dubai so much?

[moreyoudoknow]

I know loads of people who now say it's their favourite holiday destination?

What's so lovely about it? Looks too hot to me? Can go above 45 weather wise!

I like the Canary Islands because the sun burns down but it has a cool breeze... a hidden gem if you hate sweltering heat

From pictures, it looks like a city like London that just has pools?

I lived there for quite a bit. We are going to spend winters there when we retire.

Popular with drug dealers apparently

I’ve had one night there on the way to somewhere else and I enjoyed the quality of the hotel but there isn’t much of real interest to hold anyone there.

And whoever said this was exactly right:

And finally, I think that luxery, air conditioning, and water, like that in a desert feels like a giant FU to the planet. "Sustainability" is really not on the table, no one can even begin to fool themselves.

Not high-brow, just have a social conscience. It’s built on slavery. (And it’s totally fake.)

I wouldn't go there. I don't like hot sunshine, and I'm not a fancy hotel / lying on the beach / shopping for expensive stuff kind of person anyway. Much prefer somewhere with nice scenery and a bit of history about it.

I actually found it boring- the only thing I did like was the flat in the aparthotel was totally amazing! And I enjoyed the day out in desert dune bashing plus Bedouin type BBQ - very touristy but fun

Apart from that it was too hot and with quite a wind too- felt like being in a tumble dryer- 48 degrees in May

Sea isn't nice to swim in and pools were too hot- it was too hot to lie by a pool too and yet was quite overcast.

It all was based on shopping and I'm not a massive shopper- the beachy bit is also 14 miles from the older town bit reached by a motorway lined with hotels- so you either end up staying in the town bit or the beachy bit- it does have fabulous hotels - maybe if you like lying round a pool all day and it's say February or November it would be ok -

Drink is not easy to get as it's very specific places , rubbish quality and extortionate - food is very mixed too- we had a couple of nice meals (Lebanese and Thai) and several awful ones too- something that looked like spam on a pizza

It was also full of Russians when we went being very rude to staff and a lot of unpleasant people

Can't really see the appeal at all to be honest- if you want a bit of bling (and I do like a bit of glamour now and then) you are better off in a very nice hotel in Marbella between March and October and a damn site cheaper.

Been so many times through work. It's utterly vulgar.

Not for me. But if you like fake, chain restaurants etc then you'll love it. Different strokes for different fokes. My BF loves it and is living there. It's everything I despise. But make your own mind up

What do I love about Dubai.... let's see ....the weather, the hotels, the food, the people , the malls (mainly because I get my steps in when its too hot outside) and knowing I could walk round without fear of being robbed, attacked etc.
Having lived there for several years my life didn't revolve around the 'plastic' parts of Dubai and I certainly didn't hang out with the ladies who lunch/Instagram brigade.
Sustainability is becoming more important to the UAE as a whole in fact more seems to be being done than in the UK.

LOL....jealousy.

I think each to their own, but it certainly doesn't appeal to me, even as a fly and flop destination. I'm not sure why you think someone would be jealous...as you say yourself, it's cheap to get there.

Why would I want to go to Dubai when I could go to the Swiss Alps or Slovenian lakes or somewhere like Thessaloniki, absolutely full of history and character?

I've stopped over there several times on long flights. I couldn't get out fast enough. It neatly encapsulates everything that I find hellish in terms of a destination, and comes with an appalling history.

But yep. Each to their own.

Guaranteed good weather. It might be too hot for you but clearly you don't speak for everyone. Hotels are amazing do they have any that are less than 4 stars? The food is halal so I can eat whatever I want, it's a chance to eat Michelin starred food without having to eat a vegetarian menu or miss out on a tasting menu. There are mosques everywhere with very good female facilities, so I could pray with other women.It screams luxury and felt very nice to see how the other half live. I also felt safer out there in a foreign country than on my own in Manchester (home) city centre on a Saturday night.

I went in August 2014 as part of our honeymoon and spent three days there. It was a nice stay, the hotel was a 5 star hotel and newly built, service was excellent as was the food. I did find it very hot in the day but everywhere you go is air conditioned so it was fine. I struggled more in Morocco and I went there in August too.We went out a lot in the evenings which were cooler. I enjoyed it for what it was but don't have any desire to go again. I noticed the way in which their workers are treated and I didn't like it hence not keen to go again. Its an urban metropolis and if you go expecting that you won't be disappointed. I just felt it lacks real, natural beauty and that in the time we had spent there I had seen all I wanted to see.

I used to live there.

Absolute shit hole.

Stopped over and missed a connecting flight because my flight was delayed. People go on about the shopping,. The emirate’s mall is huge and it has every shop on the British high street and I’m assuming French , German and Italian ones too. Despite being tax free everything seemed about 20% more expensive. Not a huge fan.

My DP described it as Las Vegas but up its own arse.

There are many people exploited and paid a pittance in those countries to make our holidays an enjoyable experience. Do you think the hotels in India/Sri Lanka etc are paying their workers a decent wage for their work

if you travel a lot stay in luxury international chain hotels or budget hotels especially to countries with high levels of poverty with few laws protecting workers rights you are part of the exploration chain like it or not

so no it isn’t so different it’s just Dubai is tacky to some and there is a lot of snobbery and the exploration is in your face

my family have enjoyed working there and it allowed them to send money home to support family they don’t understand the negative feelings towards Dubai

Yes as a hijab wearing woman who’s had racist experiences holidaying in Europe and even in U.K. (very common for us folk in some places) Dubai can be a breath of fresh air even if there are ‘better’ and more cultured places and ethical places to travel to, I guess if you don’t have the type of privilege where you don’t get treated like rubbish or worry for your safety Dubai is nice where you want ‘first’ world experiences. I wish I didn’t have to worry about things then I could go anywhere but islamophobia is quite off putting so thank goodness there is Dubai for us vulgar and tacky folk with no morals 😉 Plenty of normal families go there for a minimal hassle holiday with plenty to do for kids but somewhere where you feel SAFE and where you won’t be getting death stares and fearing you’d be attacked for how you look. Yes lots of ethical issues but not sure why Dubai gets singled out so much like it’s the worst holiday destination ever! It’s interesting reading some of the comments justify their hate for Dubai over other countries with appalling track records 🤔

Yeah I’ve always said the same thing, I read an article once that said Dubai doesn’t have a “soul” haha

Tbh I think the Canary Islands are on the list of places to avoid - I find it very chavvy and way too many Brits around.

We go to Dubai regularly because the weather is good and it has good food. I can eat it whatever I want without worrying about whether I can eat it, and they’re great at catering to my toddler’s allergies, often making bespoke off the menu meals for him. We enjoy having a beach holiday, and then going into a good restaurant for really good food in the evening. An evening by the Dubai Fountains is always my favourite thing to do.

Transport is great for travelling with a baby / toddler, as many taxis have car seats. And the service is really very good.

Weather is perfect depending on time of year we go and it’s very safe.

I agree there are many people who are very new money and don’t know how to behave and treat others, or are after the Instagram life, but they don’t really concern me as we go for ourselves, not to mix with them or post on social media.

Does anyone like it though? It's a nasty tacky oppressive shithole. If you want luxury and hot weather there are far nicer places to visit

I watched a BBC documentary on it recently, called something like Inside Dubai

The people were all ghastly and I have never wanted to visit it less tbh.

Virtually guaranteed good weather (though far too hideously hot in summer), warm sea, shopping. Some people go for these.

I used to,like it many years ago, when we lived in Abu Dhabi. Dubai was more ‘western’ and had shops with things you actually wanted to buy. But that was then, before it turned itself into a shopping-and-bling destination.

I lived in Dubai for just over two years. I completely agree with you, I’ve no idea why people would holiday there. I suppose it is because it offers an affordable luxury which is difficult to come by elsewhere? Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed my time living there, but I wouldn’t return. Even if I fly back to the UK, I try to avoid Dubai as a stopover.

Ugh. I used to live there and I hated it.

But I think people like it (either to live or for holiday) because Dubai has sunshine and palm trees and an economy that allows expats to feel that they are richer/wealthier/better off and just plain better that other people.

This is only possible because Dubai has been built using geographic arbitrage and slavery.

I haven't met a single South Asian who did well there and made comfortable money.

What? How can anyone have spent any time in Dubai and not met South Asians who made comfortable money? Not all South Asians in Dubai are construction workers and cleaners!

I don't really understand this "Great food, extravagant experiences" bit. You can get great food anywhere now. The food in Ireland and the UK is good now if you go to even a quite- nice restaurant. You can get great food in most European countries, I get that really good middle Eastern food tastes superb though. Experiences..hmm. The indoor ski place looks good, for an indoor ski place, but it's still an indoor ski place, so probably shit compared to real skiing and doesn't look glamorous either. If I wanted to ski I could go to Ski Welt or Whistler. If I wanted glamour+skiing I could go to Courcheval.

Top class racing...well, Meydan is a decent course and has Group 1s, but racing elsewhere is better. They flung money at it but the Dubai World Cup was never the best horse race in the world and now it's not the richest either. Royal Ascot, the July meeting at Newmarket, Goodwood, Arc day, the Melbourne Cup, the Breeder's Cup, Irish Champions weekend are all better. The Galway festival, though not top grade and expensive, is more interesting and fun.

I can see the attraction of no bitey insects and white sand and warm sea. Once you've had a swim can you go for a good long walk on the beach or is it too hot? Can you fish off the rocks and hoke about looking at crabs and shells and stuff?

Shopping I suppose must be the biggest and bestest but you can do good shopping in any capital city. I suppose it's all the capital cities' blinigiest labels under one roof maybe.

The desert sounds quite cool. I'd like to see that.