Standard Dubai Photo of the Day

Yes, yes, yes the city is growing quickly, something new every day, blah, blah, blah.

But sometimes, all the chatterers have a point.

Sydney Bridge Climb

I climbed to the very top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge yesterday morning. One can only do this through an arranged tour (a rule enacted for safety and mercantile reasons). Very cool.

(click for a larger image)

note: the photo isn't of my group, but we were in the same spot as part of the same tour.

People are Idiots.

At least many of them. I still hold out hope for a few.

This is even dumber than the cashmere sweater knitted to feel like a cotton sweatshirt. At least Franck Muller's crazy hours watch does actually tell you the accurate time, if in a somewhat jumpy fashion. A

The $300,000 Watch That Doesn’t Tell Time

A $300,000 watch? Luxury. A $300,000 watch that doesn’t tell time — and that sells out? Pure genius.

According to several news reports flagged by my friends at Luxist, Swiss watchmaker Romain Jerome just launched the “Day&Night” watch. The watch won’t tell you what time it is. That’s so yesterday. But it does tell you whether it’s day or night — helpful, I guess, for billionaire types who can’t afford windows.

The Day&Night watch (Romain Jerome)

As the company’s Web site boasts: “With no display for the hours, minutes or seconds, the Day&Night offers a new way of measuring time, splitting the universe of time into two fundamentally opposing sections: day versus night.”

What’s most impressive about the Day&Night is its complexity, given its absolute uselessness. The watch features two tourbillons — devices that overcome the ill effects of earth’s gravity on a watch’s accuracy — connected by a differential mechanism. Instead of hands, the watch has a “contemplative tourbillon operation whereby the ‘Day’ tourbillon operates for 12 hours to symbolize working life, while the ‘Night’ tourbillon takes over afterward to represent an individual’s private time.”

Like other Romain Jerome watches, the watch is made in part with steel salvaged from the sunken Titanic, along with material from the shipyard where it was built. That sounds creepy to me, but maybe today’s buyers prefer morbid metals.

The company’s chief executive, Yvan Arpa, cited statistical studies to explain how the watch better reflects the time-philosophy of today’s wealthy.

“When you ask people what is the ultimate luxury, 80 percent answer ‘time’. Then when you look at other studies, 67 percent don’t look at their watch to tell what time it is,” he told Reuters.

He added that anyone can buy a watch that tells time — only a truly discerning customer can buy one that doesn’t.

And here’s the best part: The watch sold out within 48 hours of its launch.

Dubai as Metropolis

Everyone likes to compare Dubai to SimCity (plant some residences here, throw down a few business areas there, all close to instantly), and hail the creation of a shining city from the desert in a relatively short time. I see their point. I write this in just such a shining tower in an area that was empty air and hot sand less than 10 years ago. But I still maintain that the more apt comparison is Metropolis in Fritz Lang's classic film of the same name. I enjoy the views, the ocean, the nice cars, (almost) tax-free income and generally not having to lift a finger for anything, knowing that someone, somewhere is taking care of it. But I also know that there is another side, and life for the underclass is very different. The work camps might as well be in a different country as my Marina-based existence. They aren't a secret, as in Metropolis, but they are invisible (at least one sprawling workers' area doesn't appear on any maps), and they definitely live different lives.

My view while eating dinner tonight
(click for larger version)

Work area outside of Dubai taken the same day
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Perhaps not only in Dubai

but not in very many other places.

I am flying on four trips between New York, Sydney and Dubai over the next few weeks. Business class is full in three of them, but economy is mostly empty. This is not the first time that business class sold out before economy, which is very aggravating as I am not always able to plan my exact travel dates way in advance. But still interesting, as there are not many places where business class sells out before economy.

A Tip for Flying Emirates (and avoiding lazy service)

On more than one occasion, Emirates has messed up my seat. I like to wait to the last minute (or rather, my schedule and lifestyle is such that I'm always trying to buy tickets at the last minute), and use miles to upgrade a lot, which means ever so often there aren't any seats in business class and I get stuck in economy. This is fine when flying from Dubai to Bahrain, or even Yemen - then I'd rather save the money than pay to fly business. When flying to Sydney or New York however, both a little over fifteen hour flights, that extra leg room becomes a real issue and a full business class is a painful thing for my long-legged self.

I am a gold member at Emirates, which basically means that I fly a lot. I get preferential requests for bulkhead and emergency seats through this, which is nice. However, on three I have been given the seat behind the bulkhead, which is actually the worst, as the space underneath the seat in front of one (the actual bulkhead seat), is full and one can't even put one's feet there. One time I was traveling with a friend (who turned out to be a rather nasty person, but that is a whole other story and unrelated to our seating requests), who was rather injured falling off an elephant, and they messed up out seating, causing her significant additional pain on the Sri Lanka Dubai route and her return to the states Dubai to New York flight. When we complained, the stewardess said "it is easier for them to lie and tell you what you want to hear, because when you get on the plan it isn't their problem."

The last time I got stuck in economy was in March, but they were able to give me the bulkhead, which was good. However, there was a rather irate (and tall) Englishman in the aisle who had the same problem. He booked the bulkhead and got the seat behind. In his case, the stweardess was telling him that the reservation staff generally know which seats are the bulkheads, but they tend to vary by one number for different aircraft, but that said staff doesn't always check before reserving the seats. So apparently this whole "we reserve you a seat" thing is a bit of lie. Its more like "we promise you we'll get kind of close, but we also promise we won't make the full effort."

Which is why I have now started using the online seat reservation tool. One accesses this through a link on the confirmation email, and it shows a map of each plane, as well as your seat. I did manage to upgrade three of the four legs on my upcoming marathon trip (almost fifty hours of flying total), so I did that online, and then I went on to check that I did indeed have the bulkhead (and the window for the business class segments) I reserved. Which was good, as I also checked that the vegetarian meal I requested was confirmed, and it was not. This also happens quite a bit on Emirates.

Russian Govenrment Cracking Down on the Internet

First the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs established the Россвязьохранкультура, or Rossvyazkhrankultura, which roughly translates as the Russian Online Culture Protection Service. Among other things, the Rosokhrankultura will eventually use data mining (now it is still done manually) to identify sites which carry “extremist” material (which is already illegal in Russia).

Note: in Russia, the definition of what is extremist is somewhat open to interpretation. The news and human rights site Ingushetia.ru is currently fighting the Moscow courts to avoid being declared extremist and closed. In November 2007 the site was closed more directly, when local ISPs blocked access and redirected visitors to a p*rn*graphic site). Their court case, which is was set for April 11 in a Moscow court (the government appealed after the Supreme Court of Ingushetia refused a request by the Ingushetian Public Prosecutor's Office to close the site), but that court refused to hear it on the grounds that the case was not within its juridiction and instead directed it to the Kuntsevo District Court, where Magomed Evloev the owner of the site in question, is registered. That it in the courts at all instead of just closed is because of timing; the case predates the creation of the Rosokhrankultura, which can simply declare sites “extremist” without any court involvement. The entire investigation is reported to have been initiatead by the FSB. The English news articles I could found about this have since been taken down, but here is a cached version of one. The same applies to coverage of the hearing itself.

The role Rosokhrankultura is not purely cultural of course (otherwise it would have bee formed as part of the Ministry of Culture, as opposed to the security-minded Ministry of Internal Affairs), but technically it has no power beyond identifying the sites. Enter the General Prosecutors Office; they were just given the power to close “extremist” sites. This is not the most important part, however. They were also given the power to suspend operations of Internet Service providers (ISPs) that host such sites. The option to shut entire businesses if they do not cooperate is a strong incentive for cooperation, as well as for ISPs to self-police.

Within days (on April 8) of gaining those powers, the General Prosecutor’s division of St. Petersburg temporarily suspended the operations of ten Internet Service Providers (ISPs) operating in that city, although the exact sites for which they were being punished for hosting is unclear. Even the exact companies are unknown. The police stated that they closed the ISPs only very briefly, which looks more like they did it as a warning to ISPs across Russia that their operations could and would be damaged should they choose to host such sites.

Should ISPs not police themselves as well as the state would like, there is a back-up plan: Deputy General Director of the Russian general Prosecutor Alexei Zhafiarov also called for legislation mandating such involvement if self-policing is not instituted. According to his reasoning, it is not always possible to determine who posted extremist materials, but it is possible to determine who is hosting it, and as such they should be held responsible.

Another review of the Palm

One of the things people in other countries often ask one about Dubai is the Palm. Not all know that there is more than one, but the concept is certainly famous enough that people are curious. While parts of it are nice, there are less-appealing aspects, including the questionable environmental impact and less than fully reliable real estate arrangements. Add rumors of sinking sections causing damage, the fact that even palm Jumeirah is still a construction site (we rented a place out there a few months ago when some of my elephant polo team met up in town en route to a tournament, and our apartment door was labeled"occupied" to distinguish it from all the rest. I went swimming with the dear sister, and felt more than a little guilty swimming under the gaze of the near-by construction workers. The trunk road is also a pain; in order to minimize traffic, it is all one-way. If your place is on the left side of the trunk as you enter, you must drive down it to turn around to et to your building. This gets old. Even the larger, more expensive villas are pretty close to one another as well, making privacy difficult), my own concerns about traffic (the trunk connects to the road at one point, one future serious traffic choke point), rumors of sharks out near the end fronds (there are sharks in the Gulf, but far out. But the Palm is far out) and the general kitchiness question.

Now the mainstream press, often so positive (with the exception of some articles devoted to the plight of laborers and domestics) is starting to notice as well. The Guardian ran an article titled "Pitfalls in Paradise: Why Palm Jumeirah is Struggling to Live Up to the Hype," first brought to my attention by Grape Shisha.

To be fair, only roughly 4,000 people of the 65,000 who will eventually live there (plus the 40-odd hotels) have already moved in, so you can't say that the Jumeirah Palm is "done," so some of these issues may be fixed in the future. But some may also be exacerbated.

Among the issues detailed by the Guardian:

- Multimillion-pound villas squeezed together "like Coronation Street" (a British soap opera including a street of that name, full of tight houses). This is also apparently the result of deceptive construction practices ala the metro line. The article quotes Rachael Wilds, 42, an exhibition organiser from Surrey who moved in with her family to a palatial villa on one of the Palm's "fronds" a year ago, who complained that she found her £3m property squashed against a neighbour's and set in a barren, almost treeless, landscape. "It was absolutely nothing as it was depicted in the brochure," she says. "There was a massive gap between the villas and it was full of lush tropical gardens. We were totally shocked at the closeness of the villas." What is true elsewhere is doubly true in Dubai. Caveat Emptor.

- Air-conditioning bills of £800 a month (roughly 1600 USD). This is just poor engineering. Its not like the weather would be a surprise. Could they not make the houses more efficient? This is also the buyers' fault too though - they should have paid attention to such things.

- Overly-pushy PR. The villas were built by state-owned Nakheel Properties, and their is omnipresent on flags all over the island. For some residents, this is a little much. Again to be fair though, flags with logos and slogans are all over Dubai, especially along bridges and main roads. So complaining that the Palm is doing this may also fall under the "well, what did you expect" rubric.

- Intensive irrigation is necessary to maintain the landscaping, but uses tremendous amounts of water (note: most of the water will come from desalinization plants, which themselves use tremendous amounts of energy)

- Tallest trees actually mobile phone masts dressed up to look like palms (I didn't notice these, so they must be at least OK. There is one across from the entrance to Madinat though and it isn't bad for what it is)

- Guilt over the quality of life of the migrant construction workers. This is a real concern. But again, this is a pan-Dubai issue and one people should consider when purchasing anywhere here. Problems mentioned in the Guardian include low salaries of 200 USD per month, debts to agents in their home countries who paid for their passage with interest rates as high as 120% a year, increasing alcoholism and debts accumulated to pay for said drink, unpaid salaries, poor living conditions, rising suicide rates and separation from families at home.

Some numbers from the Guardian:

13m: The number of liters of desalinated drinking water the Palm Jumeirah uses when at capacity (they didn't say in what period. It may in one day).

28: Bottlenose dolphins have been flown in from the Solomon Islands to populate Dolphin Bay, an 11-acre lagoon

94m: The cubic meters of sand used to build the Palm Jumeirah

84: The site has doubled the natural 42-mile coastline of Dubai

4: The Palm is four times the size of Hyde Park in central London

More Taxis Please. And Possibly a Traffic Policy.

It used to be that getting a cab in Dubai wasn't that difficult. They were usually just "around." then more and more people came, the numbers of taxis did not increase

The other day I was unlucky to find myself in need of a taxi in Deira on a Friday night around 530pm. It took 45 minutes (I even saw several empty, on-duty cabs that I know saw me, but chose to drive empty to another location rather than pick me up in Deira). When I finally did get a taxi, I was almost beat out by a trio of men who were slightly faster, and the cab only gave me a ride faster much begging for him to chose me as I had been waiting so long and really had to leave. Prior to getting that cab, I tried getting one at a near-by hotel, but they told me that they had two groups of guests waiting for cabs they called over 30 minutes ago, and that I would have to wait for them first.

The driver that ultimately did pick me up was really, really nice. In fact, the nicest taxi driver that I've ever had in Dubai, and possibly the nicest I've ever had, ever. There are a couple others that also qualify, but still he went above and beyond in a few ways and I was very impressed.

Anyway, said driver said that the reason I couldn't get a cab in Deira is that drivers don't like to go there, and avoid it whenever possible. This is because traffic is so bad they don't make any money - they would rather take fares in other parts of the city where they cover kilometers quickly.

Which brings me to my Question of the Day: Why can't they just add a fair amount to the "waiting in traffic timer" to the meter? Then drivers would be paid for their time, and therefore more willing to pick people up. Passengers might complain, but they would at least get service, which is more important to me, anyway, and really, if they are spending time in traffic driving a customer around, then that time is part of the service, and passengers should pay.

The real problem of course is traffic, but solving that requires massive infrastructure programs and thoughtful long-term urban planning. In the mean time I would just be happy if I could get a cab in which to sit in said traffic.

Update: I took a taxi today where the driver, very newly arrived from Pakistan, did not know where the Marina is (the large neighborhood, not one of the actual places for docking boats). Fortunately I knew, but he clearly couldn't read English (he thought the Westin hotel's sign said Ritz Carlton, and he pronounced the latter Ride Car), and had difficulty understanding my directions, initially setting out towards Jebal Ali (another, far area in the wrong direction). Now of course, given the reliance on foreign labor to fill such positions, there will be drivers new to the city. But a basic course in the geography of the city should be required, and (as this I already technically required), enforced. I'm sure its cheaper and easier to just send the new drivers out and let them learn while the meter is running, but it isn't very helpful to the passengers. I at least knew where I was going. Dubai's many tourists will not, and will end up lost, frustrated and overcharged.

UAE Community Blog Temporarily(?) Blocked by Google

The UAE Community Blog, is blocked for being a spam blog. How Google's automated tools got that idea, I have no idea, especially given the age of the blog and type of traffic it attracts. I review of the block was requested last week, so hopefully the Powers That Be will remove the block soon. Bizarre.

An Unforeseen Benefit of Hajj

Slate has an interesting article detailing the affects Hajj had on Pakistani Hajis. Researchers David Clingingsmith, Asim Khwaja, and Michael Kremer surveyed more than 1,600 Pakistanis, about half of whom went on the Hajj in 2006. The other half applied for visas, but were denied (in the face of literally overwhelming demand, Saudi gives each country a quota of how many Hajjis they can send each year. Pakistan holds a lottery for these visas, and the participants all took place in this lottery). Each group was roughly similar in terms of the distribution of various socio-economic groups, and all were Hajj-minded Pakistanis; the only difference was that some got to go and some didn't.

The researchers found that returning Hajjis expressed more moderate views on a range of issues, both religious and nonreligious (although mostly religious, which is really not that shocking), possibly as a result of seeing so many different peoples united in what they view as a holy and important event.

Some highlights:

- The Pakistani Hajjis were more likely to follow mainstream Muslim practices, such as praying five times a day, and eschew traditional and tribal practices related to religion, such as the veneration of local saints' tombs.

- The Pakistani Hajjis expressed more tolerant views of other Muslims. Just over half of the Pakistanis who didn't go on the Hajj told the survey team that they had a positive view of other Muslim countries. This figure jumped to nearly 70 percent among Hajj survey respondents.

- The Hajjis were 25 percent less likely to believe that it was impossible for Muslims of different ethnicities or sects to live together in harmony

- Hajjis were more likely than non-Hajjis to hold the opinion that people of all religions can live in harmony.

- Hajjis were also less likely to feel that extreme methods—such as suicide bombings or attacks on civilians—could be justified in dealing with disagreements between Muslims and non-Muslims.

- Fewer Hajjis thought that men are intellectually superior to women, and a greater fraction expressed a concern for crimes against women in Pakistan. (The authors hypothesize that this is "because in Mecca, men and women pray together. By contrast, women in Pakistan rarely attend religious services, and when they do, they're relegated to a separate part of the mosque from the men. Familiarity seems to breed tolerance and respect.")

Go Hajj!

Those Terrible, Terrible Maids

First of all, let me start of my saying that I love maids. Particularly my or my family's (even you, Sussana, who would tell my mother on me when I came home late or was even up and about the house after hours while I was in high school). But, something, anything, must be done to combat the scourge that is foreign domestic workers! Human Rights Watch clearly has no idea what is really going on.

First they abuse the poor Saudis by making unreasonable demands and running away en masse if they aren't spoiled by decent pay and a day off each week. They even had a dedicated series of "Be Nice to Maids" public service announcements.

Now they have turned their vicious eyes to the poor Kuwaiti men, tempting while they work and occasionally inveigling them into marrying them. Fortunately, the Kuwaiti government may step in to protect their boys. Nawal Al-Muqaihit, a third district candidate said that if she was elected to Parliament she would submit a proposal forbidding Kuwaiti men from employing attractive maid-servants in order to prevent them from getting married.

In a more serious tone, she has a point, only in that high rates of out-marriage can threaten a culture, particularly one that is already surrounded by a large number of foreigners. But I doubt attractive maids are the primary cause. If anything, such a measure may be in the attractive would-be maids wishing to avoid h

High Divorce Rate Among Nationals Due to Second Wives

I just saw this older article discussing the high divorce rate among Emirati men. Apparently 31.9 % of all divorces among UAE Nationals are due to the men taking a second wife. According to a study published by the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs magazine, 28% of all marriages registered by Emirati men are to foreign women, and most of these are second marriages.

I'm not sure what the cause of this "second foreign wife" phenomenon is, but a few years ago I heard a story about a phenomenon amongst the Taliban, whereby the already-married Talibs arrived in Kabul (sans village wife) and married again to a more sophisticated and exciting city wife. These cases could be the same; "first I married, the socially-acceptable choice, now I marry the one I really like/hot on." Or it could be a case of expenses; marrying within the community costs tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of dirhams, something that a man may not want to do twice. Or it may simply be the lack of good local options for a second wife; clearly bigamy is upsetting to the first wives; perhaps unmarried women also find it upsetting, and chose not to marry already-married men (original story here).

Alternatively, if a man would marry again over what are clearly his wife's strenuous objections, then maybe she just doesn't want to be with a man who could do something that upsetting to her.

Anyway, it's an interesting statistic.

PS In case you were wondering, 23.7% of divorces stemmed from financial problems, 34.4% childlessness (trying again with a different spouse. are there no fertility doctors to work out what is going on? Or are these divorces the result of people who have been, and are are seeking a spouse without confirmed fertility problems?), while 21.4% were the result of parental intervention.

Save the Honey Bee

I love bees. They are friendly, cooperative little dears that are quite willing to be tough when necessary and work in incredibly complex networks throughout their lives. I also like honey, flowers and agriculture (honeybees and their hives are actually trucked from field to field in many places to maximize their pollination services throughout the growing season of various crops).

Which is why Colony Collapse Disorder is so concerning. The term is used to describe a mysterious phenomenon whereby what entire colonies of bees just disappear and die, and it is spreading fast enough and wide enough to threaten the millions of farms that depend on them to pollinate their crops (as well as the bees themselves) on a massive scale.

And which is also why I'm glad someone is making a public effort to improve the situation. Yes, it's Haagen-Daaz ice cream, and yes, they have a commercial/PR angle, but the money raised goes directly to research at the University of California and Davis and Penn State universities looking into causes and cures for this disease.

So take a minute, learn more and help the honeybees if you are so inclined.

The Hype is Moving West-ward

A few years ago, it was not uncommon to see ads for Dubai real estate in the US, specifically the DC and New York newspapers (those being the two US cities in which I spend the most time). There were even quasi-fraudulent "get rich investing in Dubai real estate" weekend seminars held in hotel ballrooms. Now that the market has stabilized (and may even go down a bit as more buildings are finally completed and go online, the marketing fury has moved on. I initially assumed it had just died down a bit to more rational levels, but my recent extended stay in Moscow suggests otherwise. There, ads for Dubai real estate about, with even flashing neon billboards and banners hanging from high rises touting apartments (sometime it is villas, but mostly apartments) here in DXB.

The advertising has even gone a step further. I am currently considering purchasing an apartment in Moscow (I would have done so already, but spending 1,300,000 Euros for a one bedroom, even a nice one, seems a bit much, and there isn't a lot of real estate that isn't either over budget or poor quality, which means I'm still looking), and I am starting to get annoyed by the number of listings, officially in Moscow, that are really for units in Dubai. I guess the idea is that anyone with money to buy real estate in Moscow could be tempted to spend instead in Dubai. The tactic must work, as these listings are everywhere, enough so that real Moscow sellers stopped using them and I've basically given up on independent listings and am sticking to Moscow real estate agencies and their own vetted listings. It's a real pain though - Moscow agencies don't usually cross list, which means that I have to work with several agencies to see a good range of places.

Ships Impounded for Middle East Internet Cable Cuts

Although Egyptian authorities said that satellite imagery showed no activity around the cable that was damaged off of their coast, Dubai disagrees.

It looks like last week Dubai authorities impounded two ships who were spotted in satellite photos near the damaged cables around the time that they were cut. The ships were identified by Reliance Globalcom, whose FLAG Telecom unit maintains the cables, and which in turn notified the Dubai Port Authority.

Officially, the two ships, the MV Hounslow and MT Ann improperly dropped anchor near the cables and accidentally severed them. When they arrived in Dubai on February 19, the Iraqi and Korean ships were seized. Reportedly, the Korean ship paid 60,000 USD in compensation to FLAG Telecom for repair costs while the Iraqi ship is sitll being held.

Whether other ships accidentally cut the other three cables serving the Middle East and caused a loss of power to a sixth is yet ot be determined. ;).

I don't get (fully) the Burj (Al-Arab)

The building is really quite special. It is attractive, distinctive, and has done much for Dubai's international profile. Tom Wright certainly earned his commission (attractive photos follow). However, the furniture is a bit overdone/tacky (even in flashy Dubai) and the food really isn't that great, especially for the price. Friends visited from out of town last weekend, and we had a better dinner at Buddha Bar than at Al-Mahara (although the aquarium is very cool. I really like fish and fully intend to install quite a serious installation if I ever stop traveling and moving round so often). At this point I think it gets a lot of mileage as a landmark, and I'll continue to take curious visitors form out of town there, but otherwise, I'm much happier looking at it from 360 (when that's open) than going inside.

Weekend in Turkey, Faces from the Past, Current Religious Tensions and the Nika Rebellion

Having left Moscow, but missing some of the people I left there (one in particular), I ran off to Istanbul for a bit. I mostly went to meet them, but also because I was tired of people saying "you haven't been to Istanbul? You have to go!" and of course because I am quite in love with history, and after having read so much about the region and the Ottoman Empire, I didn't want to miss an opportunity to see some of these famous sites(Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace,the spectacular Cistern and the Hippodrome, now a small plaza, which was the center of the Nika Rebellion) firsthand.

In addition to a lovely first morning sitting on my balcony and watching the seabirds dart about as the sun rose over the mighty Bosporus and its many ships, and a peaceful evening at a nargile (shisha) bar on a bridge above the water and spamming the two continents, there were quite a few spectacular sights.

Hagia Sophia was particularly interesting, not only for its own beauty, the architectural presence (Isidore of Miletus and Anthemius of Tralles have my profound respect), and clearly visible history, but because I was there with the Dangerous Russian (so called not because he is a dangerous person, but rather because he is dangerous to me), which gave the visit a very different perspective. To my liberal eyes, Hagia Sophia is currently in a good situation; first for Christians, then Muslims, she is now open to all. The DR thinks quite differently, however. He is a true (Orthodox) believer and was quite upset over the imposition of Islam over so holy a site. His argument was that Christians should not desecrate Moslem sites and Mosques, while Mehmet the Conqeuror should never have made Hagia Sophia a Mosque, and remaining Islamic items, most notably the large calligraphic shields a desecration that should be removed out of respect to the Church.

Some of the Byzantine mosaics are in very poor repair as well, a situation exacerbated by the recent uncovering of many, which were beneath later Islamic plaster and decor. Exposed to the air, the grout crumbled and the mosaics imperiled. The Dangerous Russian was of the opinion that it might be deliberate, in order to eradicate Christian elements, an idea which I initially thought was a bit paranoid, but which I have since heard echoed in some calmer, more academic circles. Apparently the new, Islamic, government is making a few people nervous and whereas the elimination of rival religious or ethnic symbols is one of the first signs of impending conflict, the tragedy of the mosaics' loss (if they are not restored) is viewed by some as a sign that difficulties may be ahead. I'm not sure if I believe this, but it is an interesting perspective.

On a more secular front, also bought myself some highly secular Attatürk collectors' cards, each with a photo of Attatürk looking alternatively paternal, vigilant, visionary, caring, military, intelligent, hard working, etc and with an inspirational quite from the Great Man (alas, in Turkish only, which I don't speak, and which means that I must slowly accumulate translations from my few Turkish-speaking acquaintances), on the back.

It was also interesting to see how many traces of the Nika Rebellion remain. Such a short incident, almost 1500 years ago, and it is still visible. Which makes me wonder what other stories are still there, if one only knew what to look for.

The Aforementioned Shields in Hagia Sophia

One of the Remaining Christian Mosaic in Hagia Sophia

The Cistern. Originally built to hold water for the city, it is still elegant and graceful, an ambiance only enhanced by the cool temperature, alternatively ornamental and funky-looking fishes and the slow, soft Turkish music echoing throughout.

First of two large Medusa's heads used as bases for two columns in the northwest corner of the cistern. The heads (already Roman antiques when the cistern was built in the sixth century) were deliberately placed upside down and sideways, respectively, and would have been underwater when the cistern was full. The exact reason for doing this is unknown, although superstitions regarding the role of representations of Medusa in protecting buildings is documented.

The second, sideways, Medusa head/column base

Peaceful garden adjacent to a Mosque by the Galata Bridge

The Story of the Nika Rebellion

The story has it all - intrigues, violence, great philosophical and legal debates and changes, proud empresses and loyal, brilliant servants.

Wikipedia's take.

War and Game's Overview.

A More Personal Approach from Catholic Men's Quarterly

A section of the Second Hagia Sohpia (the current incarnation, built 532 and 537 AD, is the third), destroyed during the Nika Rebellion (more here and here) on 532 AD. The Church had a wooden roof, and it burned along with much of the city. There are 12 lambs total, representing the 12 Apostles.

The hilltop prior to the Nika Revolt (including Hagia Sophia, the Hippodrome and the Palace (now occupied by the third Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, a park, a plaza and stores, shops and cafes. The Cistern is still below.)

The site of the Hippodrome. now a small plaza with two obelisks. Also the site of many pigeons, who may not understand the theory of circles, but in maintaining their "attack distance" (or, in this case "flight distance") have created one anyway. (Attack distance being the minimum distance at which an animal will attack/flee. It is roughly the same for all member of a species, be it pigeons or tigers, which is how one gets circular pigeon line-ups.

A Very Bad Sign or Marketing Genius?

I'm going with both, although I'm glad to hear it will soon be illegal (who would let their child do that?)

My Very Thoughts

The Bush Family and American Fiscal Discipline

China and the Olympics

The Environmental Impact of All Those Islands

A gold star to the Economist for discussing something that has bothered me for a long time. While swimming at the (Jumeirah) Palm beach for the first and only time last November, I noticed a few troubling things. The first of course was the ongoing construction - we were swimming on the trunk's beach, while a few hundred meters down the trunk construction workers toiled away on a new building, which made me feel a bit guilty/unwilling to get out of the water to avoid being looked at (even if they were far away). The other was the amount of shells on the beach. Being still mostly a construction site, the Palm didn't have that many people on it, and we were one of a few to have used the beach. It was covered in shells, some really good ones (large, colorful, etc), but almost all broken. At first I was thrilled, as I like shells and marine life in general, but then I realized what was going on; these were all of the shells dug up and crushed as part of the process of building the island. The water was crystal clear, and we saw a few fish (the emptiness of the beach meant that they were quite willing to come up to the waters edge, darting away only when my shadow fell on them), so clearly someone is enjoying the new islands, but I was quite worried by the sheer numbers implied by so many broken shells.

I also wonder about the sustainability of the islands' marine life. If the islands' fronds and coves are to stay clear, dredging and cleaning operations will likely be necessary. If this is the case, then they will be forever disturbing the "new life" these formations are to support. Not to mention the role played by the many boats, jetskis, swimmers etc that are sure to come.

PS The World, Universe, Palms, etc aren't the only islands. Apparently the wife of Sheikh Mohammed has one (although I'm not sure which wife - Hind, the first wife, has her own, Princess Haya, his more public junior wife, or the rumored Moroccan middle wife, who may or may not exist, may or may not really be his wife and/or may or may not be the mother of some of his children), and someone else has been making a reverse-island, i.e. custom waterways.

ECONOMIST

How green is The World?
Evaluating Dubai's island-reclamation project

ITS DEVELOPERS call the three hundred islands laid out in the shape of the world map just off Dubai’s coast the “most innovative real-estate development on Earth”. These new artificial islands, known as “The World”, are just part of a plan to create hundreds of kilometres of new waterfront for Dubai, attracting visitors and wealthy home-owners from around the (real) world.

The World’s developer, Nakheel, built its first artificial-island chain in Dubai in 2001 in the shape of a palm. By 2007, Palm Jumeirah, as it was called, claimed to be the world’s largest man-made island. Construction of two more giant islands, as well as other projects along the coast, are well underway. In January of this year, the last rock was put into The World's breakwater, which stretches for 27km and uses 34m tonnes of rock. Buyers have already started to move in.

AP

ds are built the same way. Masses of sand are gathered from the seafloor of the Arabian Gulf. The sand is then brought to Dubai and sprayed in a giant arc onto the shallow (10.5 meter) seabed off the coast. The sand piles up until it breaks through the surface of the water and forms an island about 4.5m high. Then a massive breakwater is built around the islands to protect them from the stiff local sea currents. It is expensive work: each development typically costs billions of dollars.

The short-term environmental consequences of this reclamation are clear: the intensive construction of Palm Jumeirah created vast plumes of sediment that turned blue seawater milky and temporarily damaged marine life. It also destroyed turtle nesting sites and the only known coral reef along Dubai’s coast.

But Nakheel contends that the new rocky breakwaters of all these projects are creating vast artificial reefs, habitats for reef fish and meadows of sea grass in between the “fronds” of the Palm Jumeirah. They promise to build new turtle nesting sites. Furthermore, they say that the sandy, seafloor habitat held little marine life—and this habitat is common in the region. On balance, they contend that the environmental impact of the project is positive.

Already, the older reef around the Palm Jumeirah is starting to thrive, it says. Nakheel's website says of Palm Jumeirah's breakwater: “As the island was reclaimed, the fine sediments that were created by the reclamation eventually paved the way for a biologically and organically fertile soil on the sea bed, on which turtles and a variety of fish are living. This will lead to a highly oxygenated water, with excellent visibility for divers and snorkelers.”

But Milton Love, an expert on artificial reefs at the Marine Science Institute at the University of California, poses an interesting question: “Clearly, if you were a worm living in the soft sediment and someone dug your home up and replaced it with rock to form an island, you would be out of luck. On the other hand, if you were a butterfly fish and only lived around reefs, and someone changed the sand bottom to a reef, you might like that. But which view is the ‘right’ one? Strictly speaking, neither one is; it just depends on what a person’s philosophy is”.

If one's philosophy, for example is that the ocean should be largely left alone, then whether reclamation provides homes for more fish will not matter. Others, though, may take a more pragmatic view, thinking that the development has essentially created something from nothing. Indeed, many artificial reefs—scuttled ships and aircraft, sunken tyres and shopping trolleys—house marine life in otherwise empty waters.

That conclusion, however, risks oversimplification. While there may be more substrate for coral to grow, the question of whether there is actually more marine life is complicated. Do artificial structures in the ocean actually promote more life, or do they simply attract it? Dr Love reckons some reefs do one, some do the other and some do both. So while the artificial reefs have certainly created new habitats, it isn’t clear whether this is as a net benefit for the region.

That doesn’t give The World and the other islands a clean green bill of health. And focusing on what goes on under the water risks ignores a bigger question: where is all the fresh water for this paradise coming from? Dubai is famous for a number of things; not among them is a plentiful supply of water. So where do they get water for the swimming pools, spas, gardens, dishwashers and hotel laundries? Most of it comes from desalination plants, which expend a lot of energy and release plenty of carbon dioxide.

Anyone in the market for one of the Dubai islands might want to consider the contradictions inherent in their investment. As our climate continues to change, thanks at least in part to the addition of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, sea levels will probably keep rising, turning low-lying islands into something less than a paradise.

It was recently the Dear Sister's half birthday, which is a bit of an inside joke/holiday for us. So, in honor of the great, now six months older, Queen of the Moon, I dedicate the following (translation):



Poor girl, she has a problem with too many shoes and too many floors in her house (which divide her, standing at the garage exit on the bottom floor, from the shoes she prefers to wear, which are stored on the top floor. It is very sad and unfortunate). From now on I think I will call her MC Versailles.

Russian "How to Be a B*itch" Training Manual

A little over a year ago, the Western press got itself in a tizzy over Russian "Bitch Schools," which basically teach women how to go after men and get them. For the woman unable to attend such classes or seeking additional advice, there is now a book, as seen in what was supposed to be a new-age, peace-and-love Orientalist shop near my Moscow apartment called "The Way To Yourself." The real issue at hand is how women are expected to act, and what their are expected to achieve themselves, combined with a lack of good prospects and an obsession with becoming "elite."

Translation:
No longer bogged down - the way to go
Be Happy
and Rich!
Bitch -Training
For Love and Money

I Get the HIjab (a bit anyway)

I like Facebook. I joined it over five years ago (I am so very old ;)), and it is a useful little thing, mostly for getting/stay in contact with people. I also like to play ATTACK, which is a Risk-clone Facebook application. This is usually also a good thing. However, on occasion I get really harassed. ATTACK players can see your profile picture, and up until yesterday mine was rather flattering. It is isn't racy, or provocative (its me sitting at the kitchen table in a cowl neck sweater). I got hit on, friend requested, poked, complimented (heavily and oppressively) and just generally bothered. I don't know why, but every single time it was a Turk or Egyptian (with the exception of two times, once when it was a man named Manooj and once when it was a guy from Croatia). Yes, I can say I'm not interested, but it is a real pain. I even told one guy who is 7 years younger than me my age, as in "I am too old for you go away," and he told me I was lying and still kept bothering me. I wasn't, but if I were lying to divert his interest, wouldn't that be a sign to leave me alone? I want to be polite and nice and not hurt anyone's feelings , but in most cases they don't listen if I try that tack. Usually at that point I'll tell them to leave me alone more stridently, and often one of the other players tell them to shut up even less politely, and that often works, but not even always. In one case another player was typing STALKER STALKER into the chat window and the guy in question was still telling me he loved me and that I he wouldn't attack my pieces in the game if I would accept his friend request.

I thought about just not playing, but avoiding something I like because of there's bad behavior doesn't sit right with me. I have now changed my profile pic to one of just my shadow to avoid this fuss. It just wasn't worth it, and my friends can still see my pictures on my profile page.

So I get the hijab, at least a little more. I still think it is the men's fault for behaving so disgracefully, and their bad behavior should be controlled, not the women's, but I would much rather have a shadow profile pic than deal with that stuff or restrict my activities.

Facebook hijab

Obamania Theme Song

Don't get me wrong, I'll vote for the man, but the who Obamamania (an actual word in use in the US) is a bit much.

The Growing Credit Market in Russia

I am a strong supporter of mortgages, as for many families they are the only means of ever building any real equity in anything; trying to save and invest money while also paying rest is just too hard. I've never had one, but I get car loans, as in many cities (including Dubai) the lack of option in getting around by any other way make cars are a necessity, although some aspects are more distasteful, including higher interest rates, the tendency to sell cars according to the monthly payment rather than total cost to the buyer, and the willingness of dealers to extend credit to people who really can't afford it, long-term (just like mortgage brokers, they resell the loans while getting a commission for making it, so long-term default rates don't really bother them). Credit cards and other consumer credit programs are another story; they are quite often deliberately usurious and use tricks to make it difficult to pay the bills or avoid additional hidden fees.

All of this is a real issue in the US, where poor mortgage decisions and high debt (credit card and otherwise) have made it very difficult for some families to live solvently and spend any money in the economy. The Russian economy is still growing, but I see worrying signs that credit is about to Reach Russia in a big way. Car loans are widely available, at least here in Moscow, and credit cards are promoted everywhere. The waiting couch at my neighborhood travel agency even had fake credit cards pushing debt as a means of paying for vacations. The small room also had a large banner offering up to 600,000 rubles with no interest for 90 days. On the metro I see little paper ads promising credit in one hour for up to 3500 rubles for all citizens of the Russian Federation, while the magazines, television and the two fashion channels on TV promote a lifestyle 95% of the country can't afford. Hopefully things won't get too out of hand, but the way things are looking now many Russian consumers are heading down the same credit-abuse path of the US, if not planning to exceed it.

Environment Not a Priority for Airlines

Surviving is. If the EU passes stricter regulations, this may change, but for now it's still all about the benajmins.

My Ancestress Came from Atlantis

Through my American grandmother, I am part Mohegan. It is a very small part and I have little to do with the actual tribes, but I'm still proud of my long family history in the US (as well as in Europe), even if it is a small one. Now it appears that this connection may be older than I typically think; new research suggests that nearly all (95 percent) of Native Americans are related to six women who came over roughly 18,000 - 21,000 years ago, most likely to Beringia, a piece of land now submerged beneath the Bering Strait which divides the US and Russia. Which is pretty neat, I think, although its hard to picture actual family doing things like crossing the land bridge into a new continent that long ago.

Middle East Falcon Trade Threatens Russia's Birds of Prey

Just as I was reading Samurai Sam's Interesting Links of the Day on the UAE Community blog on Dubai's falcon hospital, the Russian news started to run a story on falcon smuggling from Russia, which is a cruel process during which many birds die. Even if they do not, the process poses a very serious threat to several of Russia's birds, which are taken out of the breeding population while they are young or at prime breeding age. All of this got me thinking as to where the UAE's birds come from. I know there are nurseries in the UAE and Saudi, but I also know that smuggling is a serious issue (the first case of bird flu in Saudi was actually detected in eagles smuggled from Kazakhstan), and in the case of some species (including the aforementioned Kazakh eagles), threatens their very survival.

Once in the UAE, I believe that most people treat their birds well. An acquaintance 's family even has their own falcon medical center, while every falcon that I've seen, in the UAE or Saudi, looked well-cared for. I'm also glad to know that there is a free hospital for owners who want to ensure that their birds get the best care without worrying about how to pay for it. But I just can't see it all as a feel-good story; these birds come from somewhere, and in many cases, it really hurts their species and their homelands.

Politics versus Safety in Nepal

I was lucky enough to visit Nepal last November, and to begin with, I must say that I recommend it highly. I wouldn't have gone if I weren't playing elephant polo, and I can't say enough how glad I am that I did. We encountered no security or political problems (if you don't count a man on the street in Kathmandu trying to sell me marijuana in front of my mother, which I don't. I told him that I wasn't interested and he moved on), and everyone, in the city and the country, was really friendly.

There was one security risk that I did see, however, although it wasn't to me or any other tourists. Motorcycles are common in Kathmandu, and often they have passengers. In almost all cases only the driver worse a helmet, however. At first I thought that this might be due to financial issues - helmets are expensive so maybe a family only bough tone for the primary user of the motorcycle. My mother thought it might be due to lack of consideration for the wife and children (it is the husband who is the driver, and the sole helmet-wearer), while Felix thought maybe it was just that safety wasn't that big a deal.

Daniel knew the real reason however, which makes me think that despite the pleasant tourism environment there may indeed be security risks, if only to Nepal's rulers. By law, only one person per motorcycle may wear a helmet. This was due to drive-by assassinations carried out on motorcycles, with one man driving and one shooting. Lawmakers couldn't bad safety helmets altogether, so they made them illegal for the passengers.

Maybe they thought that people just wouldn't share motorcycles, but most families don't have cars and have no other way to get around, and for the nervous lawmakers, their own security against a few potential attacks is far more important than the safety of the millions of Nepalese motorcycle riders.

Don Giovanii Coming to the UAE

This just in: Don Giovanni is coming to Al Ain. The Dear Sister's favorite opera (my favorite is Don Quichotte, ever since I was in it) and the first one I ever saw. It is sometimes easy to complain about the lack of real cultural events in the UAE, so I'm especially glad to see that this may be changing.

Where My Girls At?

I and some of my more risk-seeking associates will be spending part of next summer in a car race from London to Mongolia. The whole this is a charity fund raiser and more of an adventure than an actual race (the goal is to finish in the car you started with, something which roughly one third of the cars do). This is going to be fun. However, with the exception of my sister, all of my teammates are men. This is not deliberate; I invited all of my friends, but it was only men that were interested. There are four female members of my polo club, and maybe five female elephant polo players (I am one of two female captains). The only female helicopter pilot I know only signed up for classes because she was involved in some weird effort to stalk me/copy my life at the time My office (IT) is mostly men as well.

Which makes me ask, where are all the women? My female friends are a generally cool group, and are certainly well-traveled, well-educated and generally un-timid, but they just aren't interested in such "outgoing" challenges. I'm not a tomboy, and get along in everything else, but when it comes to adventures, its mostly the men who are interested. Why is this? Some of this is just plain sexism or mixed up gender roles - in elephant polo for example the women come, but cheer or serve as "stick chicks." They get a ladies game at the end but not even those ladies think of playing on the team itself, they just think how nice it is that they also had the chance to play (and it is). But a lot of it doesn't make sense.

Any ideas?

Top U.S. Commander in Mideast Resigns Early

Respected military official has a differing opinion, which, once this is made public, resigns. I am disappointed, but not surprised.

An excerpt...

WASHINGTON - The top U.S. military commander for the Middle East resigned Tuesday amid speculation about a rift over U.S. policy in Iran. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said that Adm. William J. Fallon, whose area of responsibility includes Iraq, had asked for permission to retire and that Gates agreed.

Ga tes said the decision, effective March 31, was entirely Fallon's and that Gates believed it was "the right thing to do."

Fallon was the subject of an article published last week in Esquire magazine that portrayed him as opposed to President Bush's Iran policy. It described Fallon as a lone voice against taking military action to stop the Iranian nuclear program.

"Recent press reports suggesting a disconnect between my views and the president's policy objectives have become a distraction at a critical time and hamper efforts in the Centcom region," Fallon, who is traveling in Iraq, said in a statement issued by his U.S. headquarters in Tampa, Fla.

"And although I don't believe there have ever been any differences about the objectives of our policy in the Central Command area of responsibility, the simple perception that there is makes it difficult for me to effectively serve America's interests there," he said.

A Thoughful Russian Mindful of His Country's Reputation

I was running late this afternoon to meet a friend for coffee, so I took a taxi, and at the end of the admittedly short trip, my driver (not a taxi driver- just a regular citizen who picked me up for the fare - a common phenomenon in Russia. You just put your hand out, cars stop and you negotiate the fare) told me that the ride was on the house, the gift of the Russian people to their visitor on Women's Day (really yesterday, but its become a de facto three-day event starting on Friday). Seriously. He would not take payment. It was a very nice, generous thing to do and was also appreciated. Thank you, Respected Driver!

My First Hawala Transfer

Being in Moscow, but without a Russian bank account, and wishing to transfer money from Dubai to here, I have a few options. I could put it in the account connected to my debit card, which is fine as long as I don't mind paying 0.5% and a daily withdrawal limit, which is is good for security reasons but bad for convenience reasons. I'm sure I could work out a way to wire oneself the money here, after a day or two of forms, faxes and arguing, but I decided to try something new, partially for convenience and partially because I'm interested to see how it works.

I am trying hawala, the traditional system of money transfer in the Muslim world (technically not just the Muslim word, but that is where it is the best known to Decadent Westerners such as myself). An Afghan friend of mine in Dubai graciously set it up, and this morning he called me with a man's first name, a phone number and a code. I called, gave that man the code (we spoke in Russian, but I have an accent that screams "Decadent Westerner" and I got the impresison that he is just as curious to see me as I am to see him), and we are going to meet tomorrow morning at a major metro station landmark to hand over the amount, all in cash. It would be today, but today is Women's Day, a major holiday in Russia, and we are both too busy to work out a schedule when we can both meet. My friend in Dubai is keeping an eye on it all (he asked me to call when we arranged on a meeting time, and was quite unimpressed that I have to wait until tomorrow), and asked against that I confirm when I have my money, which may be speeding the efficiency along, but I have to say - in less than a day, it transferred money from Dubai to Moscow with much less fuss of bureaucratic hassle than if I did it the more official way. If I weren't busy today it could have been even sooner.

I can also see how this system could be the bane of any law enforcement operation, as there are no official records and no way of tracking it (it even has a scandal named after it in India for this reason), but I can also see how attractive this would be, especially in places where banks are not reliable or the recipients and/or senders are unbanked. Money transfer services such as Western Union also do not have universal reach (and should sometimes be avoided for other reasons - I saw on in Sri Lanka with a gold shop in the same office as the Western Union, ready to take the remittances before the potential spenders made it out the door), but because it relies more on informal connections and less on official ties, it seems a lot easier for hawala to find a guy who knows a guy.

I will provide an update once I actually have the cash.

Update: I have the cash and it worked quite well. I arrived early and stood outside the metro station entrance where we agreed to meet. A Russian policeman came and stood directly in front of me about 15 feet away, which confused me a little until the next train load of metro passengers started to exit and he picked out a few Caucasian (in Russia this doesn't mean white, it means form the Caucuses), and Central Asian passengers and asked to see their documents. The station serves the largest outdoor market in Moscow where a lot of people form those regions work, and given prejudices against them here and the fact that the markets do provide work for many illegal immigrants, it would make sense for a policeman to choose that point on the morning before the big Sunday market operations.

Hamid eventually showed up. Officially I was supposed to give him the code but I was clearly not there to work at the market, nor shop there, and once I started speaking with my Decadent Westerner accent it was pretty obvious it was the same person he spoke to on the phone. It turns out he is Afghan so I tried out my basic Dari which surprised him even more (Decadent Westerner hawala users who speak Dari, no matter how bad, are rather rare I think). We walked to a small Uzbek cafe (Uzbek and Georgian food in Moscow are what Chinese and Lebanese food are in many other wares) called Bishkek (actually the capitol of Uzbekistan's neighbor Kyrgyzstan), ordered some Central Asian tea, complete with small tea bowls and the proper Central Asian ritual of using steaming hot tea to rinse the cups three times before using them while listening to a rather cheezy English-language ballad about the troubles in Belfast while a documentary on marmots played on mute on the TV over the cashier's corner.

He then provided the cash and asked me to count it, which I did as unobtrusively as possible. It was all there, as I expected. I'm getting good at counting cash - my goal is to be able to flip through it quickly with just three fingers, and I'd say I'm about a third of the way there.

We chatted a little more about life in Moscow and the operations of the market (in addition to being the cash delivery man Hamid also runs a store in the market selling sneakers, mostly knock-off Nike and Pumas. He came to Moscow from Afghanistan last year, has been learning Russian ever since, and after working for another store selling ladies handbags until his Russian improved, his family lent him the money to open his own stall, and he trusted as well enough to be the cash delivery point). His brother has a similar store in a Petersburg market.

Hamid also told me he knew my Afghan friend in Dubai (I know him from Afghanistan, where he performed a Very Good Feed and earned my gratitude ever since) who set the whole thing up, and that he himself was a friend of a friend, and that the typical transfer fee had therefore been waived. Which was appreciated, but was also a little disappointing from the true hawala experience side of it. I could see he was dying to ask me how exactly I was involved, but he didn't, and I figured that they really were good friends, my friend would have told him (as the perpetual solitary decadent (female!) Westerner I really am a very odd case in Afghan society, and as such don't invite any more gossip about myself than isn't already coming), and so didn't volunteer.

The Unforeseen Hazards of Construction and Real Estate in Dubai

I have seen quite a few advertisements (including one flashing billboard) to buy real estate in Dubai during my stay in Moscow. Part of this I'm sure is just going farther afield efforts to prop up the real estate sales, but the fantastic promises made by advertisers here bring to mind some of the issues that are involved. I am also in the early stages of shopping for a new residence myself, which probably accounts for why these issues seem so fascinating and hazardous.

The first real issue for foreigners such as myself is the type of land. I am only interested in freehold, which means property which I can purchase and own, as opposed to leasehold, which is property that I own, but on land which I am only leasing from the government. This lease can be for 99 years, but it does increase restrictions on what I or any heirs can do with it. It was the introduction of widespread freehold property that really sparked the beginning of the property boom/bubble a few years back. That the offer of a residency visa (and the banking privileges that includes in the tax-free USE) with a purchased residence.

For starters, while a growing number of completed villas and apartments are available for sale throughout Dubai, many are still under construction. They tend to cost a little less than comparable ready-made residences, and there have been many cases where buyers could sell them at a great profit once they were ready, but there are also risks. I am only looking at completed housing, however, mostly because of the first two of the following concerns.

The first is the most obvious. An image which looks good in an artist's rendering may be put together with poor quality finishings, or not even look that way at all. I've seen ads showing grass and trees where there were none, and even ads which erase neighboring buildings, to give the building being sold the appearance of being in a more spacious area, or, in one case, on the waterfront where in reality and entire row of buildings stands before it (alas I misplaced the ad in question, but it was for a building in the Marina area and the ad is in the In-Flight magazine for Emirates, among other places). You buy now, and when you move in your wall could be cracked, the faucets super cheap and unattractive, the playground non-existent and the wide green lawn a small bricked over terrace. This is enough of an issue that there is an ad on the radio for one development using the promise that the completed development would match which was promised as their "hook."

New topography. One of the cooler things about construction in Dubai is the ability and willingness to change the topography to suit the building. The Palms are probably the most famous cases of this, but they are by far not the only ones. While the Marina was first being built, buildings that were on the water when first showed and sold later became a few rows away as the land was filled in. On the Jumeirah Palm apartments that had a canal view when sold now have a view of earth (a filled-in canal) which supports the elevated metro platform, and will one day be a view of the elevated metro itself. One person I know purchased their apartment across from the actual Marina because they were pretty sure that the Marina would be left alone and that his Gulf (and Palm) views would be preserved.

Financial risks. These aren't so terrible, but they exist. I do not mean that the prices of your purchase could go down; they could, and although a workers amnesty reduced the number of construction workers in Dubai, which reduced the number of construction sites that could run 24-hours cycles, or just extended-schedule cycles, which in turn slowed down how quickly they would all be on the market and increase supply, they will still be finished one day, which will increase supply, which will have an effect. The whole market could collapse entirely for that matter (I don't think it will, but it could).

The financial risk that I am talking about is the one borne when you put money down. This is of course a standard practice if you purchase an apartment or villa still under construction. I did the same when I bought an apartment in the US. The difference is that when I put my money down in the US it went to an escrow account, where neither I nor the developer could touch it. When the building was finished and we went to settlement, that money was added to the rest of my payment to pay the entire amount. In Dubai the developer gets the money immediately. They could save it, invest it conservatively, use it to fund the construction of your development or give it away for all the control you have. They tend to invest it. This became a problem a while back however, when one of Dubai's two major development firms gambled big and lost a lot a large portion of their assets on the Dubai stock market. The company could have gone under and everyone who made deposits would have been out of luck. The good part about an authoritarian government and (semi)managed economy, however, is that this was not allowed to happen; that company's leadership was ordered to save the company using their own considerable personal assets, which they did.

An ad for yet a tower in the marina area. The area looks like that, only the buildings are surrounded by many others, there is no water in the background, and the trees (clearly photoshopped in in the original photo) occupy area occupied by more buildings in real life.