Well, the Dubai residency was certainly a surprise. And in more ways than one! The pace was certainly not as hectic as London, and for the most part the group was able to go out and actually see the city, find time to know more about each other, and ourselves, appreciate some not so obvious things, and welcome if not tolerate some of the more confusing aspects of living an international life. I’ve mulled over a whole lot of new things from the course of that week, and as the whole experience has left me with a rather dense collection of inner musings, I am left with little choice than to split up my next few blog posts.

This is Part 1 of a series of 5

The Burj now rates as one of the most awe-inspiring views I’ve seen in my life. Set against the backdrop of a Persian Sunset, this incredible edifice stands as testament to the government’s progressive, forward-looking policies, if not the overwhelming efficacy of royal caprice.

MBA-hearsay has it that the Burj, much like every other high-rise in the city, was only meant to last 25 years, part of a government plan to keep the economy afloat on nothing more than giant construction projects. In “fact”, it already has cracks in its foundations.

The same graduate grapevine would have me believe that the “mast” for this giant sail-shaped building is actually in the shape of a Christian cross – directed towards Mecca.

Dan Brown, eat your heart out.

Conspiracy theories aside, one of the hushed undertones of this whole trip was economic sustainability. Can this Middle-East miracle last? In the words of one of the speakers – No. That’s probably why everyone is coming in for the gold rush. Make as much money now, while it lasts. And this is probably why the government is bending over backwards to attract as much non-oil big-business as possible. They’ve only got another 30 years or so before the wells start drying up.

And this is the chip on my shoulder.

I feel that Dubai, by the nature of its success and existence, is making a mockery of what we’ve learned so far about Markets and Institutions. The long run might prove it unsustainable but then again the Sheiks’ wager might just be a winner. All I know is that for the moment we can answer the following questions:

Is democracy necessary? No
Is transparency necessary? No
Are human rights (whatever the Western definition) necessary? No
Are moral obligations and social contracts necessary? No

My lesson from that trip is that all you need basically is a piece of land that makes it easy for a bit of money to become a lot of money. You don’t need culture. You don’t need history. The only purpose you need is to make sure that finances flow. It kinda reminds me of another small patch of real estate somewhere by the Straits of Malacca.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m all for this economic and social model. In fact, I’ll go out on a limb and say I envy this system. If ever there’s another World War, I’m going to sequester myself a nice coral atoll somewhere in the South Pacific and declare myself king. What I’m worried – but perhaps worried is too strong a word – what I’m wondering about is how easy it is for people and corporations to flock to some new economic destination even if there’s literally nothing there. It’s like when people put into their bodies stuff that has no nutritional value whatsoever.

Like Diet Coke.

And you know what? I’m dying to learn why people drink Diet Coke.

Related Posts:

• Dissecting Dubai – Part 5: Epilogue
• Dissecting Dubai – Part 4: Output, O = ƒ(K,L)
• Burj Khalifa opens today – Too much, Too late?
• Dissecting Dubai – Part 3: Muslim Disneyworld
• Minnesota Girls Don’t Get the Munchies