Lying south-west of the Strait of Hormuz, a city of glass emerges above the oil-rich desert landscape of the United Arab Emirates. Over the past three decades, Dubai has become synonymous with wealth, boasting hundreds of thousands of British ‘expats’ eager to swap drizzle for constant sunshine. However, since Trump launched the first of many airstrikes against Iran on February 28th, I cannot help but wonder if the oasis has perhaps emerged as somewhat of a mirage, losing its appeal as an escape from the world at large.
The draw that holidaying in Dubai seemed to hold over so many Brits has, I must admit, always been lost on me. Popular for its crystal-clear beaches and a cityscape optimised for maximum consumerism, with its many malls and high-end shops, I suppose the city offered everything those wishing to withdraw from reality could hope for. Plus, the almost-guaranteed sunshine and balmy—if an average of 41 degrees can be called such a thing—weather does at least mean you can pack with certainty.
That dream, however, appears to me to be fundamentally in jeopardy. As the war has expanded beyond Iran’s borders, the city has now witnessed two weeks of strikes, with the UAE’s authorities reporting to have dealt with 285 ballistic missiles and 1567 drones. On landing back in the UK, the panic of many holiday-makers and returning expats would almost lead you to think that they had no sense that the city might be a target in the conflict.
If anything, with an economy built upon oil wealth in a nation that has largely allied itself to the west, I would argue that the vision of the city as an oasis, a utopia into which the outside world does not impose, has never been anything but a cleverly-crafted construction. As the struggle for control of the Strait of Hormuz has demonstrated, only through an extremely well-managed balancing act can the image of stability support itself.
I have to question, therefore, whether we have become so adjusted to watching wars unfold in places that the west has deemed undesirable, that the vision of a booming, wealthy city impacted by war strikes us as somehow more objectionable. Why when the media shows bombs falling elsewhere in the Middle East is the public less horrified? Is it more upsetting to the west to watch a city optimised for the wealthiest among us be drawn into conflicts which have dominated the surrounding region for decades?
In a nation where 88 percent of the population are migrant workers often working in abusive conditions involving wage non-payment, passport retention, and illegal outdoor labouring, I suggest that we move our attention towards those who do not have the capacity—legally or financially—to simply get on a flight back home. While those in Dubai during the conflict undoubtedly experienced something harrowing, instead of mourning the loss of a utopia for those who could afford it, perhaps we consider whether such a place has ever existed at all for those who cannot.
Image by Ijaz Rafi on Unsplash
Like this:
Like Loading...
Related
Dubai: Too Western for War?
Lying south-west of the Strait of Hormuz, a city of glass emerges above the oil-rich desert landscape of the United Arab Emirates. Over the past three decades, Dubai has become synonymous with wealth, boasting hundreds of thousands of British ‘expats’ eager to swap drizzle for constant sunshine. However, since Trump launched the first of many airstrikes against Iran on February 28th, I cannot help but wonder if the oasis has perhaps emerged as somewhat of a mirage, losing its appeal as an escape from the world at large.
The draw that holidaying in Dubai seemed to hold over so many Brits has, I must admit, always been lost on me. Popular for its crystal-clear beaches and a cityscape optimised for maximum consumerism, with its many malls and high-end shops, I suppose the city offered everything those wishing to withdraw from reality could hope for. Plus, the almost-guaranteed sunshine and balmy—if an average of 41 degrees can be called such a thing—weather does at least mean you can pack with certainty.
That dream, however, appears to me to be fundamentally in jeopardy. As the war has expanded beyond Iran’s borders, the city has now witnessed two weeks of strikes, with the UAE’s authorities reporting to have dealt with 285 ballistic missiles and 1567 drones. On landing back in the UK, the panic of many holiday-makers and returning expats would almost lead you to think that they had no sense that the city might be a target in the conflict.
If anything, with an economy built upon oil wealth in a nation that has largely allied itself to the west, I would argue that the vision of the city as an oasis, a utopia into which the outside world does not impose, has never been anything but a cleverly-crafted construction. As the struggle for control of the Strait of Hormuz has demonstrated, only through an extremely well-managed balancing act can the image of stability support itself.
I have to question, therefore, whether we have become so adjusted to watching wars unfold in places that the west has deemed undesirable, that the vision of a booming, wealthy city impacted by war strikes us as somehow more objectionable. Why when the media shows bombs falling elsewhere in the Middle East is the public less horrified? Is it more upsetting to the west to watch a city optimised for the wealthiest among us be drawn into conflicts which have dominated the surrounding region for decades?
In a nation where 88 percent of the population are migrant workers often working in abusive conditions involving wage non-payment, passport retention, and illegal outdoor labouring, I suggest that we move our attention towards those who do not have the capacity—legally or financially—to simply get on a flight back home. While those in Dubai during the conflict undoubtedly experienced something harrowing, instead of mourning the loss of a utopia for those who could afford it, perhaps we consider whether such a place has ever existed at all for those who cannot.
Image by Ijaz Rafi on Unsplash
Share this:
Like this:
Related