Look at a photograph of Dubai four decades ago and you wouldn’t be able to recognise it. Far from the contemporary image it vaunts today, the emirate state was all dusty topography and uninhabitable vastness; a virtual desert. But the sands erupted. No longer marked by modesty and blankness, Dubai’s horizon is now outlined with skyscrapers and hotels, and investment continues to feed the ever-growing metropolis.
No one dreamed of this; Dubai isn’t by design. There were no riches, no indoor ski mountains, no tallest buildings, no shopping emporiums, no world-famous Dubai hotels. No – there was rural living, thriftiness, fishing, sea trading and goat herding. Dubai, literally, struck oil and went commercial overnight. If you look hard enough, you can still see the seam: the delicate meeting of east and west; the balance between historicism and futurism.
Dubai is one of the few places on earth where only ten percent of its people are indigenous. The rest showed up either to help write the fairytale or simply become a part of it. This really is visa country. You could say it’s more western than the west; a refinement of our proclivities and architecture, only with a better climate, jungle-green waters and ashen sands. True, there are certain laws which must be abided, the most affecting of which is a restriction alcohol consumption (the rest are cultural hangovers from across the region), but nothing that will discernibly detract from the experience.
Dubai truly is a place with no equal – bar the Las Vegas aesthetic – and with last month seeing the start of its fortieth anniversary celebrations, there’s never been a better time to visit. Shop wisely and you can find some great hotel deals too. Festivals and events are commonplace in Dubai, not least on National Day, December 3, but things were really pushed out for this year’s anniversary. The annual celebration is one of independence: Dubai was formerly under British protection, but in 1971, along with Abu Dhabi and five other emirates, unified to create the United Arab Emirates. The “Spirit of the Union”, as the bloc is romantically called, is celebrated patriotically, with flags, face paint and street parties; a sign of solidarity to honour those who helped shape the UAE into what it is today – the region’s second largest economy.
And if there’s one thing we know about big economies, it’s that they work harder and faster, creating more businesses, more opportunities, more middle class people, more entertainment, and more expenditure. And round the cycle goes. This kind of DIY prosperity took just forty years from scratch. However, looking out from the windows of the plush hotels, you wouldn’t have a clue. Instead, there’s horse racing, formula one, Michelin-starred restaurants, a gold souk, champagne breakfasts, man-made islands, golf courses and beaches. It is rags to riches; a blank chequebook.
Be sure, though, to not miss that forty-year-old photograph. Because through the awe and spectacle, tucked away behind the future, is the past. Bastakia Quarter is a must-visit, if only to understand where Dubai came from. Original, timeworn structures still stand, maze-like in parts, simply converted for modern use. Here you can imbibe the spirit of the past, and wonder how on earth it transformed into one of the most inspiring and innovative locations on the planet.