Journals of a Hotel Manager

At Charlie’s insistence, I allowed him to drive me back to Dubai for my departure. A thick layer of gray smog enveloped Dubai as we approached. The economy has dealt Dubai quite a blow which is evident as many construction sites are being left unfinished. The much hated and anticipated Sky Train is nowhere near to be completed. The iconic Burj Dubai poked into the sky like a jagged stalagmite. Charlie told me the construction has also been halted.

As we drove down the main thoroughfare, we remembered how it had been no more than a two-lane road with sand and acacia bushes on the side when we were working in Dubai all those years ago. Now with six lanes on each side, this road connects to all the emirates from the blue Arabian Gulf to the golden desert in Oman.

The traffic is less congested than a few years ago since many businesses went bust. The word on the street is that more than 6000 work visa have been canceled and hundreds of cars have been left at the airport with keys still in the ignition - their owners couldn’t even be bothered with having the cars sold. Such is the ruthless impact on this artificial paradise that the rumor is circulating about closure of and compulsory unpaid leave at several top end hotels.

Despite its modern image, workers on their Sunday best can still be seen on the curb of the highway hoping to flag down the rare bus to take them to the city. Bangladeshi and Pakistani maintenance workers with shovels and brooms on the highway wear their traditional turban and long tunic under the safety vest, while their Indian supervisor waited in the safety of the car with nothing but a clipboard and a bottle of water in his hands. The faces in crowded buses that ferry manual laborers between construction sites and their accommodation are mostly brown, weary and lifeless.

In many ways Dubai hasn’t changed. The rich carry on living in majestic villas built by immigrant workers who work mostly at night to avoid the searing heat during the day. The laborers continue to pour into Dubai to earn about $100 a month because they cannot find a job at home. The locals in their flowing robes never cease to jump line in supermarkets and at taxi stands, and no one dares to argue with them. The numerous America-style mega malls still consume gazillion-watts of electricity to keep the neon signs lit, the air cool and the appearance of utter luxury.

I wonder if the bubble of Dubai will finally burst with the current economic crisis. Their oil reserve has long been on the brink of depletion hence the development into this man-made attraction. Despite my lack of fondness of Dubai, as the plane lifted off and the wounded concrete jungle faded into view, I wish Dubai all the best of luck.

Burj Dubai photo as of Jan 21st, 2009 from Wikipedia.com