Comment on The Real Damage of Vanity Fair’s Attack on Dubai by CR

I’ve lived here for almost 5 years, my wife for nearly 10. Whether people want to accept it or not most of what he said is true to varying extents. When you read the article, look past his rather bitter tone to core of the it. I admit he is making rather broad generalizations, but the core of his article is pretty much on target. Emirati’s have lost virtually all their own culture, most of them live in an economic fairy tale, this entire country would COMPLETELY FALL APART without its poorly paid and extremely mistreated Asian labor force, there is most definentely ” a generation of kids who expect to never seriously work—but do expect secure jobs” ( I have met or have friends who have met way to many for it to be untrue and alot of the early 20’s and younger actually laugh about the way their parents or grandparents lived before the money), most expats (not all) are “single, greedy, and insincere” living lives that “revolve around drink and sex and pool parties and barbecues with a lot of hysterical laughing and theme nights, karaoke, and slobbery, regretful coupling” (go to any friday brunch to meet them). Not everyone (Emirati and expat) can be defined by the above,some are actually “normal”, but they are the exception not the rule. Don’t get me wrong though, most days I like it here (wadi’s, dunes, beaches, camping, variety of restaurants, endless sunny days) and at least Dubai really tried to be a fun place to live and a tourist mecca . Abu Dhabi waits to see how something works in Dubai, then does a cut rate, waste of money version of its own.