The Dubai bubble may have burst...

[glubglub]

Even the sharks are reeling the economic downturns...
Shark attacks drop, ailing economy cited - World environment- msnbc.com

[wet]

The dark side of Dubai - Johann Hari, Commentators - The Independent

'fake plastic trees'... bet the giraffes and birds don't like them at all!

[cdavis]

Ouch! But it is painfully consistent with a lot of other stuff I've read.

Connor

[Erik]

Originally Posted by wet

The dark side of Dubai - Johann Hari, Commentators - The Independent

'fake plastic trees'... bet the giraffes and birds don't like them at all!

Anything built on greed will consume itself.

[omega3]

The independant article is very revealing

[island_sands]

Originally Posted by wet

The dark side of Dubai - Johann Hari, Commentators - The Independent

'fake plastic trees'... bet the giraffes and birds don't like them at all!

holy moly. i am shocked. i didnt know some of this stuff at all.

I am aware of some it. And its not only Emiratis (some, not all) that don't carry their own shopping bags or push their own prams but many, many expat women are doing it to. It is indeed, a slave society.

[mishu1984]

the article raises some interesting points, but also blows a few things out of proportion. it paints a picture of an entire city that relies on maids, and that everyone else who is not a maid is out patrying and drinking the night away. not true.
i can also tell you from personal experience that there are many, MANY, emaratis who disapprove of the government, yet you wont find any that will speak out about it. freedom of speech is limited.
nonetheless, good article

[wet]

My personal experience in Dubai and in the whole Middle East is limited to an hour stopover at the Dubai airport on the way to Singapore, years before the bubble, all I saw was sandy desert!

[Jon]

Interesting read, but I'm wondering if the water around the city is really as bad as the article makes it out to be. Can you really get sick just by swimming in it? What's the diving like?

I also, recently, read a book called The Geography of Bliss, where the author went to the happiest places on earth and reasoned that since Dubai was so wealthy everyone should be happy. It turned out the poorer places, with a better sense of community, fared much better in his research. I think he also mentioned that it was very difficult to talk to an actual Emmerit for some of his research. There were lots of expatriates to talk to, but very few locals.

Jon

[Spaniard]

My limited understanding with reference to water quality is the amount of dredging that took place to create the 'Palm' and 'World' developments. It was said that the local reefs took a pounding due to the amount of silt hanging in the water but not sure if this made bathing unsafe for people?

[island_sands]

Red tide is a natural phenomenon assisted by the existence of an abnormally high level of nutrients in the water (sewage, effluent...)

We cant stop the red tide process but can certainly stop/reduce the amount of sewage we allow to seep into the sea.

[jay cluskey]

Originally Posted by island_sands

Red tide is a natural phenomenon assisted by the existence of an abnormally high level of nutrients in the water (sewage, effluent...)

We cant stop the red tide process but can certainly stop/reduce the amount of sewage we allow to seep into the sea.

back in 1987/88 northwest water embarked on a project .
they created a waste water treatment works in the sandon dock and built interceptor sewers diverting all sewerage via huge pumps to this dock it was all treated and made safe and then pumped into the river .
since the project all those years back the river mersey has seen the re introduction of many species of fish crustaceans molluscs mammals
bass bream john dory cod coalfish pollack dogfish smoothhound bull huss spotted ray thornback ray tope red crab octopus gurnard sole plaice flounder whiting bib conger porpoise dolphin seals fin whale
all have been spotted in the mersey since the clean up .
i am amazed at the fact that such breakthrough projects in dubai had not foreseen any of thease problems and put in place such measures.

[Spaniard]

I bet that means that there are far fewer sightings now of the Mersey Trout....

[jay cluskey]

you know this

[island_sands]

Hot Air Blog Archive Video: UAE sheikh tortures grain dealer for shortchanging him

And this is where I live? It's worrying...