Dubai legend won't fade into the Gulf sands

• Source: Global Times
• [22:25 February 03 2010]
• Comments

Illustration: Liu Rui

By Ding Gang

Dubai, the "Pearl on the Gulf" built by petro-dollars, can be called the world's most luxurious city. It has the first so-called seven-star hotel, the world's largest shopping mall, the largest indoor ski field and the largest man-made island, Palm Island.

Arriving at Dubai on a 4 am flight, I looked down at the city from the plane. The bright and straight street lights made the entire city look like a large, tidy chess board.

Obviously, this is a city strictly built in accordance with modern planning. Even in the bright and spacious airport lounge, you can feel the delicately produced luxury of green trees and run-ning water. Unlike Beijing, Paris and other traditional famous cities, Dubai does not have a long history to display. But its ability to create a modern city has won worldwide admiration.

I had to transfer twice at Dubai during a recent trip to Africa. I only stayed in the airport for five hours, which was, of course, not enough to get to know the city. But the airport is always the first impression any visitor gets of a place. The size of the city, the level of wealth, and its position in the global trade chain can all be seen through the airport.

I still remember the feeling of being lost when I first walked into the John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City, one of four major airports serving the city.

Two years ago, I went to Mongolia for an interview. Landing in Ulan Bator airport, I found only one urinal in the bathroom.

My impression of Dubai airport was that time seemed to have disappeared. At 4 am, when the city was supposed to be asleep, people were coming and going at the airport. There were people from all over the world, including businessmen in suits and ties, European blondes in shorts, African boys carrying large backpacks, and Arab women in chadors.

On both sides of the long corridor of shops, there were franchise stores selling world renowned brand products. Looking outside from the windows of the waiting room, another new terminal building was about to soar above the horizon.

In the mall, I bought a recent copy of a local magazine, The Gulf Today. Opening the front page, I immediately found it internationally-oriented. Among six pieces of front-page news, only one was local. Clearly, this newspaper is tailored for international travelers.

Five hours later, I took a flight to Tunisia. On the way from Beijing to Dubai, there were Arabian, European and Chinese flight attendants. On the way from Dubai to Tunis, I thought that there might no longer be Chinese-speaking flight attendants. But I was wrong. After I was seated, a Chinese-looking flight attendant greeted me in Putonghua.

Dubai Airport can be seen as an epitome of the city on the gulf. Over 25 million passengers pass through every year, compared to 17.15 million at China's largest airport, Shanghai Pudong Airport. Nearly 10 million people visit Dubai annually. Official data also suggest that 80 percent of Dubai's permanent residents are foreigners, who are from more than 150 countries and regions.

When a city is determined to be a trade and financial center, it actually chooses diversity and openness. Of course, in the process of globalization, it also means that those infectious diseases that accompany trade and finance, such as debt crisis and housing bubbles, are unavoidable.

Due to the debt problem, young Dubai has had a bad fall. It was painful, but it would not represent the end of Dubai's legend. Because for more than 20 years, the city has not only built taller and taller buildings, but also made the desert blossom and created the "Dubai Dream."

As long as an environment that mixes multiple cultures still exists, the investors of the world will still return like plants seeking the sun.

International trade has created this metropolis in the desert, while globalization endows the city with great vitality. After spending five hours in Dubai airport, I became sure that Dubai has not died. Even in such difficult days, it was not monotonous at all. Communication, understanding, and discoveries still continue here.

In fact, the growth of all cities might meet problems. However, as US urban scholar Jane Jacobs said, "Even the most difficult questions shall not defeat a vibrant city."

The author is a senior editor with the People's Daily. globaltimesopinion@yahoo. com