Danish in Dubai: emirates

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Hair pick-up service

UAE National Day - Car Celebrations

Every year on 2nd December it's UAE National Day to commemorate the date of the signing of the union between 6 of the 7 Emirates (Ras Al Khaimah joined a bit later). It's a public holiday and it is marked in different ways, i.e. by fireworks, posters and decorations throughout the emirates and laser-light displays on prominent landmark buildings. It's all very nice.

In the month prior to the occasion, the supermarkets, car dealers and petrol stations are full of UAE-branded merchandise to dress up one's vehicle for the event. That seems to be what most locals and some expats really do on their own: pimp their ride Emirati style.

For a nation that has come such a long way since it was founded only 42 years ago, it seems that it is the car that best symbolises the wealth and prosperity of the Emirates. Some would even say that the UAE went from camel to Cadilac in 25 years, so perhaps it is indeed very appropriate that patriotic affection for one's country be shown through the appearance of one's means of transport. One thing is certain: cars mean the world to most people in the emirates.

Some people and companies do it modestly: a flag mounted on a pick-up or a poster in the rear window. Others go the full monty and spend thousands of Dirhams doing their car up with everything from complete body wraps to posters of Emirs and Crown Princes to really show their love for the ruling royals.

So elaborate are some of these festive decorations that Dubai Police has found it necessary to issue a Decree to ascertain that road safety is not jeopardized too much by the bling.

Congratulations UAE on this 42nd anniversary of the union - and have fun with the celebrations. Just be careful, please.

It's real, It's from Karama

I reckon everyone who has ever lived in Dubai or been out seeing friends will know just why this is funny.

Dubai awarded World Expo 2020

Today, Dubai has won the World Expo 2020 after a vote in Paris.
Congratulations to Dubai and its people on the win.
The venue will be located near the Jebel Ali Equestrian facilities and a huge, purpose-built, sustainable exhibition centre will be constructed to house the event.
By orders of Sheikh Mohammed, all schools are closed for the next 6 days from tomorrow to celebrate the World Expo award and the UAE NAtional Day on 2nd December.

Bringing the Dubai Expo 2020 theme to life | GulfNews.com

Signs in the UAE - Part 2

For years, I have had it as a hobby to collect photos of funny and/or strange signs whenever I came across one. Dubai and the rest of the UAE is one of the easiest places I have been to spot them. The multi-ethnicity and cosmopolitan nature of the city and its inhabitants from literally all corners of the world makes it difficult not to loose things in translation from time to time when trying to convey an otherwise appropriate warning or message in English.

Here are some examples from different parts of Dubai and a couple from Sharjah too:

No public, straight parking.

Tecom Area.

Sharks not allowed either.

Dubai Metro.

Nudes only.

Union Coop Hypermarket, Al Barsha Mall.

No flashy cameras.

DWTC.

Meet the birds up for sale

Sign on Al Rashadiya Road.

4991.5 graduates later...

Exiting Dubai Emirate on Sheikh Zayed Road.

All you need for furnishing the tent of your nomadic bride.

Al Khan area, Sharjah.

Poor lift!

Sharjah Aquarium.

Frisking coming your way.

Near Jebel Ali Club.

The company returns in 3 days.

Al Noor Tower 2, Tecom.

"Waste" clothing charity collection bin.

Discovery Gardens.

You can see more strange and funny signs from around the UAE in my previous post:

Signs in the UAE

Construction of Dubai Frame to begin

The latest of the long range of ambitious, Dubai-build-projects will soon be launched.

The Dubai Municipality announced on Wednesday that it will start construction-work on the iconic Dubai Frame project adjacent to the Stargate theme park in Zabeel Park next month. The Director-General of the Dubai Municipality, Hussain Nasser Lootah, said: “We have opened tenders and will be giving the assignment to the apt contractor according to our plan.”

The implementation of the Dh120 million project, a window-shaped structure that will give panoramic views of old and new Dubai from a 150 feet-high glass bridge, was ordered in July 2012 with a plan to complete it by this year end.

In May this year, the municipality said the project would be completed by the end of 2014. However, the civic body on Wednesday said the unique structure was expected to be ready by the second half of 2015, after a one-year delay from the last announcement made six months ago.

In the latest statement, the municipality also gave the exact location of the tower at Zabeel Park. Lootah said the Dubai Municipality conducted extensive studies and research to identify the most ideal location for the project. “It was after an (intense) study and extensive consultation that the (location) was decided — near the Stargate of Zabeel Park — which is a famous point for visitors and tourists,” he said in a media statement.

Stargate, an edutainment theme park, is located near the Gate 4 of Zabeel Park in the heart of Dubai. The image released by the Dubai Municipality on Wednesday showed the tower with transparent glass walls in dusk bronze colour.

"Dubai Frame will become one of the most attractive tourist destinations of Dubai, which will bring around 2 million visitors per year from across the globe. We are looking forward to a unique architectural landmark that matches to the global status of Dubai. We expect it will bridge the past and future of Dubai and may become a name linked to Dubai like Burj Khalifa and Burj Al-Arab,” Lootah said - although it is a bit unclear how that number has been calculated, i.e. compared to the number of visitors who go to Burj Khalifa yearly.

The conceptual design proposal of the tower by Fernando Donis of the Netherlands was among 926 entries for the 11th ThyssenKrupp Elevator Award and had won $100,000.

As Dubai awaits a positive result for its bid to host the World Expo 2020, it is observed that projects like the Dubai Frame will boost Dubai’s status among other global cities. As the Frame is a unique concept with splendid aesthetic and architectural charm, it is expected to contribute to the tourism economy of the emirate.

- from Al Khaleej Times

Relief efforts underway as UAE hit by worst storm in years

It's the season in the UAE where you can expect a bit of rain, which, due to lack of proper drainage can cause some disruption of traffic. Like every 5th year or so. People might have to take their car to the car wash an extra time when the drizzle stops.
Boozy Friday brunches may even have to move indoors.

Our thoughts are with you all in this dark hour...

Read more about this breaking news story:

Relief efforts underway as UAE hit by worst storm in years | The Pan-Arabia Enquirer

Miss Camel 2013

A dusty track in the remote western region of the United Arab Emirates, on the verge of what is known as “The Empty Quarter” of the country is one of the last places you'd expect to find a beauty competition.

But the leggy, doe-eyed lovelies on parade here are of the four-legged variety.

The Al Dhafra Camel Festival held every year is a celebration of the ancient bond between humans and the "ships of the desert," which have traditionally provided Bedouins with food, clothing and transportation.

The highlight of the event, which draws more than 1,500 camel owners and 25,000 camels from all over the Arabian Peninsula to Al Dhafra, about 150km west of Abu Dhabi, is the Camel Beauty Contest.

The judges in this high-stakes contest rate the animals - the females of which are considered better looking - on criteria including firmness of ear, straightness of leg and the size of their toe cleft.

“The big size of the bones, the big foot, the height of the camel, the neck," explains one of the judges, listing the most desirable attributes.

"The smoother the neck the better, the longer the neck the better."

It's a job he takes seriously, as the spoils of victory can be significant.

The festival is an important auction market for purebred camels, and as well as commanding high prices, award-winning specimens can confer immense prestige on their owners it’s a competition between tribes as well. Everybody wants the prettiest camel to be owned by their tribe – preferably by themselves.

According to the rules laid down in the festival program, owners are required to swear religious oaths that the stated age and lineage of their animals is correct.

As well as the beauty contest and auctions, the festival also has contests in traditional pursuits such as camel racing, camel milking, falconry and date packaging. There is also racing of purebred Arabian salukis, the slender sight-hound that is one of the world's most ancient breeds of domesticated dog, as well as handicrafts displays.

While the SUV has replaced the camel as a means of transportation in the modern Emirates, it's clear the animal retains an important place in the nation's heart.

In a country about which it is often said that it went from riding camels to driving Cadillacs in 25 years, the younger generation seems aware of the importance of preserving the culture of their forefathers where camels were equal to wealth and status.

May the most beautiful camel win.

Licensed to Speed

New dedicated high-speed road suggested in the UAE

In spite of countless empirical studies over the years finding that speed kills and regardless of most other countries having put a maximum speed limit for road traffic, the head of Dubai Traffic Police has suggested making a specially dedicated road in the UAE for cars that want to drive at 200kph.

The force said the luxury highway is just an idea at this stage but a study would be conducted to see how viable it is. The road would be between Abu Dhabi and Fujairah and only those wanting to drive at high-speed could use it. General Mohammed Saif Al Zafeen said: “The idea can become a true reality. Maybe we need a road for motorists with powerful cars who want to drive 200kph. It would also be good for people who drive on a daily basis between UAE cities.” - he was quoted as having said to 7Days.
He added: “There are studies saying that high speeds can’t make accidents unless there are other factors. Accidents can happen when a car driving with 140kph and then surprised with a car in front of it with 60kph.”
Al Zafeen’s suggestion came during the launch of the second year of the white points system which rewards drivers who have not committed any traffic offenses during the year for their good behaviour.
He said that the highway would need certain specifications and four lanes in two directions.
The speed-savvy Police General was also the driving force behind the recent acquisition by Dubai Police of a number of Lamborghinis and Ferraris to join the force's fleet of patrol cars for high-speed pursuit purposes.

"All these lights and nothing to display"

I get as offended as the next person by senseless vandals smearing their ugly tags on every wall, bus stop and fence around town. That's disgraceful lack of respect for the public space and private property alike. However, real street art can be beautiful and sometimes incredible one-liner statements can make your day.

In the UAE, rare is the voice raised in protest, least of all in the public space. So what is the point of home grown street art? "The meaning of graffiti," explained aerosol artist Sya One in an interview conducted by the Virgin Megastore blog last year, "is marking any surface with a trace to show that you were there." Graffiti is generally the domain of "writers", who spray words-as-image, most frequently their own names. Street artists, less concerned with their names (some don't even sign their work), usually juggle text and imagery, injecting them with sharp social commentary. "It's no longer about proving my existence with graffiti," claims Safe, an Abu Dhabi street artist whose highly visual work packs some hard punches against big enemies like consumerism. For some, marking one's turf comes second to crafting a message.

If, as media pundit Marshall McLuhan proclaimed, we become what we behold, then most Dubai residents are likely to be some form of outdoor advertising.
One tag, at the foot of a mammoth Sheikh Zayed Road billboard, stingingly spotlights the hollowness of this ad saturation: "All these lights, and nothing to display." The handiwork of prolific yet discreet artist Arcadia Blank, this is just one of the many pungent morsels he has used to turn heads and provoke thought in Dubai neighbourhoods since early 2011. Aesthetically, his work may be scratchy, speedily-sprayed text, but reactions to its bold simplicity have been widely favourable. Many nod in approval of his targeting temporary structures ("he's an artist, not a vandal"), while claiming to be momentarily lulled into a mindscape away from the Dubai rat race. He has been active in many parts of Dubai, but especially in the Tecom and Al Barsha areas. I have made several walks around these neighbourhoods to spot his musings.
I must admit, I am a fan.

Arcadia Blank wants simply to inject a voice into what is perceived as a voiceless place. Opposed to the stranglehold of Dubai's commercial art galleries, he fights to shift the focus towards the public realm. "I hope my public text work has helped plant seeds in the local art community's minds regarding public space," he modestly admits. "Art has a place in the city. It fills a very prominent void."

Not all “graffers” have such honourable civic intentions. The tagger Al Afghani, working in the newer parts of town, favours rants (“I hate pretentious arts”). Elsewhere, a gang of Emiratis’ signature is three dots forming a triangle.

But what of street art that, well, is not on the street? Brands, eager to don an edgy aura, are busy courting graffers. Perrier, Adidas, and the Aloft hotel in Abu Dhabi have all commissioned works from the likes of Sya One and Steffi Bow. Event planners, too, are quick to jump on the graffiti bandwagon, with live art "gigs" becoming increasingly commonplace.

Galleries are notoriously reticent in welcoming street art into the inner sanctum of the white cube. The Beirut Art Center's 2012 White Wall show sensitively struggled with the slippery issue of bringing an inherently outdoor and accessible art form indoors. But one street art insider mistrusts these intentions. Break DJ Lobito is the founder of Deep Crates Cartel, a collective comprising local street artists and other urban talent. "Part of the function of street art," he asserts, "is to deconstruct the institutions that have created the art industry."

Municipalities also want their piece of the street art pie. When asked about Dubai Culture's recent efforts to nurture public art via themed initiatives like "The City is Your Canvas", most artists fall politely silent. Does local government involvement and municipal messaging sap the power out of street art, domesticating its untamed spirit?

Whatever the future of the art form, it seems inextricably linked to the rise of public art. Deep Crates Cartel is lobbying hard to obtain legal walls where artists could let loose without fear (Saudi Arabia already has one).

As commissioning public art garners greater attention, the street artists see an opportunity: their art can keep its bite, but evolve in a fully legal, even civic, context. With one catch: no corporate promotion or municipal hidden agendas. Only then, they imagine, will we have the kind of art powerful enough to bring tears to our eyes.

- With inputs from The National. Thanks to Arcadia Blank.

Rents on the rise in Dubai

It's history repeating:
Rents in Dubai have shot up sharply in the last six months, in some cases leaping more than 50 per cent, leaving many middle income expats in a bind.
Annual average rents for a 1-bedroom apartment in Bur Dubai have risen to Dh40,000 –Dh65,000 (up to £10000) from Dh30,000 to Dh55,000, while in Discovery Garden they rose from about Dh40,000 to over Dh50,000 now and even in the relatively affordable communities like International City, rents for a one-bedroom apartment have risen from Dh25,000 to more than Dh40,000 in the last six months.
Sharjah has always been a magnet for middle income expats who preferred to stay there and work in Dubai, braving maddening traffic bottlenecks and long travel hours. However when the market dipped in 2008-09 and rents in Dubai plummeted, many of these expats began moving to areas like International City, Discovery Gardens and JLT in Dubai.
However, their joy has been short-lived. Many of the residents moving back to neighbouring emirates now say they do not mind extra commuting time if it meant huge savings in rents.
With the current spikes in rent, it's like traveling in time back to 2007 when rents were becoming almost unaffordable to even quite well-paid expats. Being relatively new to Dubai at the time, rents were horrific and it was difficult to even find a place to live. For more than a year, my only option was to rent a room in a house sharing kitchen and bathroom with several other tenants. A practice that was illegal, but there was no other choice for me at the time. I paid Dh5,000 for a room with a bed and a cupboard not even 100 sq. ft. Renting a villa in - say - The Meadows would set you back 250-400K a year.
Traffic was horrendous back then, especially if you were traveling to/from Sharjah or Ajman which could easily take a couple of hours during rush hour - and you can begin to see it coming back to a similar situation now.

My latest rent was Dh60.000 for a two-bed in Tecom in 2012. The landlord is now asking Dh85.000 for it - much more than the maximum allowed annual increase, but he can easily get that kind of money for it. It may soon again come to a point where expats may have to consider if staying in Dubai paying atrocious rents is really worth it or if they should move to one of the other emirates - or away from the UAE altogether.

Footprints in The Desert

Time resolutely continues its rhythmic and precisely measured circular motion and is only scarcely depicted in its presence on the clocks of the world; the treadmill of time. It is already late in the summer. August relieves July in a few days and I can tear-off another page of the calendar, add another month to my expatriation. It´s been ages since I left Denmark, but I do not quite get it. It really feels as if it was just a few months ago. My sense of time has deteriorated proportionately with my time spend abroad. Where did time go when it went? Was it brutally sucked out through the ventilation ducts of eternity? Was it carelessly flushed out through dubious drains of infinity? Did it voluntarily jump down the rubbish chutes of transience?
Whatever happened to it, one thing is certain: time passed is gone for good and it has no intention of coming back to me. Time is fragile. Time is precious. Time is fleeing. Time rapidly erodes like footprints in the desert.

Ideas are like stars; you cannot reach out and touch them with your hands. But as for the seafarer stuck in a wilderness of water, they can show you the way and if you follow them, you will meet your destiny.

The idea was to move far, far away from Denmark, go for a new adventure, challenge myself and start all over again in a foreign place. Sometimes I feel that I am still at the beginning, that I have only just arrived here and that I am far from being established properly yet. Other times, I catch myself out having actually established some kind of normal life here – I have even gotten used to most of the things about life in Dubai, which are far from normal for a Dane. I find myself having established new trade patterns, paved new roads and established a new, steadily growing network of friends and people that surround me and help keeping me alive.
It is my everyday life, it is my everything and I love it, my life here in Dubai.

So, who am I? What am I? Which are the terms I would use to define myself in light of my age, my background, my years spend here in the UAE with all it has brought me?

Change is my passion, progressive and creative thinking my style, insight my ability, openness my way of communication, travelling my desire, experience my drug, kindness my philosophy, understanding my process, performance my talent, experience my result.
I appreciate people with real and decent behaviour and I respect talent and wholesome attitudes.

I love our world, thrive in most places, I love to write, read books, cook, make photographs and listen to music.
I embrace good, healthy and close relationships and friendships and I yearn earnestly for proper cheese when I am in foreign countries.

Paradox is my answer.