We drove along Jumeira Beach and out to The Palm, the palm tree-shaped series of islands that is a huge real estate development. The gold suq was closed for prayer, but we did manage to hit the old suq in the Bustakaiya area on the other side of Dubai Creek. A lot of the smaller shops were open after prayer, but the rug shops remained closed, perhaps because it was a Friday. We watched the water taxis and dhows moving along Dubai Creek. We’ve never seen so many dhows stacked up alongside a quay like that before.
Dubai is a strange place. Upon being processed through immigration and customs and checking into the hotel, we decided Dubai was the gig to get if you want to be stationed in the Middle East. However, after a day of experiencing the place, we decided it had all the charm of some strange “transit lounge/duty-free world,” where everyone is just visiting on the way to somewhere else.
The development is impressive, but it left us wondering where all these people are going to come from to fill the office and apartment space, 50% of which appeared to be about 50% completed. Looks like Dubai is in for an ugly meltdown in this economy.
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