HRH Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid al Maktoum Visits the American School of Dubai

My wife works half time as a nurse at the same school my kids attend here in Dubai: The American School of Dubai. It's the oldest American curriculum school in Dubai and they just moved to a brand new campus in Al Barsha. The campus is spectacular.

Today Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid al Maktoum visited (one day notice) to tour the new facility. Flags were handed out to all the students and the day was spent getting ready for his arrival and then in welcoming him.

When we arrived 9 years ago I saw Sheikh Mohammad driving down the road or on the beach several times during the first couple years.

Then as Dubai exploded in growth and Sheikh Mohammad became the countries Vice President, rather than Dubai Crown Prince, he became less prominently seen in public.

Here's a picture my wife snapped with her phone camera this afternoon.

Dubai Muslim Christian Dialogue - Raw Audio

The following is the 3+ hour audio of the recent Muslim-Christian Dialogue held in Dubai on March 6, 2011. The event featured Thabiti Anyabwile and Bassam Zawadi as speakers. Video is being currently produced and will be available in April.

http://www.mediafire.com/?83g6artz4tsp1p9

First 'official' gurdwara in Dubai - Chandigarh - City - The Times of India

First 'official' gurdwara in Dubai - Chandigarh - City - The Times of India

This Sikh temple has been under construction about 200 meters from the church we attended up until planting Redeemer Church in February. They've been working on it for over 2 years I would say. I think it's pretty progressive for the country to allow this temple to be built. And it's kind of interesting that it's been given space right next to the church compound in Jebel Ali where there are about 12 churches meeting each week.

Some might be upset about it but I hope it provides an opportunity to engage some new Sikh neighbors in conversation about who is God and what is true about the world, people, and our eternal destiny.


By the way, I (hope) think this might have been a misquote?... "Sikhs don’t worship idols like in Islam and once authorities were convinced that setting up a gurdwara was not anti-Islamic, things quickly started falling in place. My dream is to make Guru Nanak Durbar the best, second only to the Golden Temple in Amritsar," adds Kandhari."

New Video Game Set in Dubai

Below is a new video game trailer showing us the storyline and scenes from an upcoming game set in Dubai.  The city seems to have been hit by a cataclysmic dust storm and the gameplay takes place among the wreckage of all the amazing buildings of Dubai.  Pretty interesting for those who see the buildings everyday we drive from home to work and back.  The game is a first person shooter.

Local Dubai Opinions on the Economic Downturn

Over the last year I've been informally polling various friends in business and industry here to ask about the economic downturn and whether things are changing; getting better or worse.  Sometimes it's difficult to tell from the local media reports.

Here's a quick and brief sampling from friends...

Experienced Safety Engineer

"Our company is very precarious financially..."
"(The Dubai economy) will not get better... it cannot."

Experienced Industrial Designer

"Many companies were trying to hold on until after Eid to see if business picked up but there's just not enough to go around.  There are some 'big players' in the market that are going to go under soon... or just pull out."

Higher Education Administrator

"Enrollment is down significantly this year"

Taken together, these opinions paint a pretty bleak picture.  We'll see what happens.

Newsweek Article on Dubai: Is the Party Over?

From Desktop

This very interesting article showed up in December's Newsweek. It was the cover story on the edition that was released in the Middle East and Dubai. I saw a whole rack of them at the Geant store in Ibn Battuta mall a month ago. The downturn has just been hitting Dubai in the last two months. Seems that we're hearing of layoffs almost every business day. Projects are being cancelled. A friend who runs a job search coaching business is having business boom for him; not a good sign for the economy in general here. A number of friends have noted that the slowdown has visibly effected the number of workers you see on job sites just driving down the road. I talked to a construction safety engineer this morning who told me that his company was instituting mandatory salary cuts starting with 2% for laborers and up to 40% for top level people. It will be interesting to watch and see how Dubai weathers this 'storm'.

Ancient UAE Church and Monastery Discovered Dating from Pre-Islamic Times

There is a fascinating article in The National, a newspaper published out of Abu Dhabi. The article describes ancient ruins of a Nestorian church and monastery discovered on an island off the coast of Abu Dhabi. The ruins could date to the 4th century which is pre-Islamic (7th century).

The article is fascinating enough just when considering the finds but it's doubly interesting that the authorities are allowing the discoveries to be published and preserved. These kinds of finds are particularly sensitive in the Kingdom "next door" where freedom of worship is not allowed and the idea of a pre-Islamic "other" religion is not discussed much. The UAE is to be commended for their openness and honesty about the Christian church findings.

Here are some interesting findings related to ancient churches discovered in the countries around here...

Here

Here

Here

What do you think about the idea that Christian churches and communities existed on the Arabian Peninsula before Mohammad was born?

Beams of Light on the Burj

Oh man, I have so much to blog about but have not been able to get it up here. So, to whet you're appetite for some interesting posts I thought I'd throw up an interesting picture to hold you over. I went to the Dubai Mall the other day for the first time. It's the largest mall in the world and has an amazing aquarium which I"ll be posting about soon. On the way home I stopped at signal and looked out of my window up at the Burj. Great shot with the sun beaming out from behind the cloud (clouds are rare here). Look for more good posts coming soon.

From 2008-11-16 Phone Pics

Synchronized Spotlights Show Up on the Burj Dubai

The Burj Dubai, currently under construction near my home, has added quite a few lights and moving synchronized spotlights on several different floors. My 'point and shoot' digital camera couldn't get the video adequately but I did manage a few lowlight shots from my rooftop. Enjoy.

From 2008-11-7 Volleyball & Musical & Etc

From 2008-11-7 Volleyball & Musical & Etc

GulfNews Report on Speeding Bus Drivers

The GulfNews featured a report on construction labor bus drivers and the racing they engage in while transporting workers to and from work. They did some semi-undercover video to show what it's like riding in one of these buses and they've interviewed some workers.

I (like all Dubai drivers) pass these buses every day on the roads. It's hard to tell if and when they're racing each other. They are imposing vehicles and they're almost almost always packed to the "brim" with workers. You'll notice the the buses have speedometers that go to 100 kilometers per hour. The speed limit on the faster roads is 100 km/hr and up to 120 km/hr. Cars are supposed to go this fast but I often see cars passing me going at least 150 to 170 km/hr. I think these cars are the biggest danger on the roads.

One other issue. The government should penalize the companies for drivers who break the law. Unfortunately, I think it's usually the drivers themselves that get the full punishment and the companies go free. The companies need to be the ones that 'police' their own drivers. (Maybe they should check out the signs in the post office that I posted below :)

Dubai Metro Test Run

Bear with me... we're in the final two weeks before traveling for 2 months. Things a little hectic. Here's something interesting to click on in the meantime - a test run video of the new Dubai Metro. The Metro will hopefully relieve some of the traffic problems in Dubai. And boy do we need that! Let's hope the Metro is up and running sooner than they say it will be.

Church Compounds Get Extra Security Before Easter

The weekend before Easter we were on our way to church and when we got to the two access roads that led to church there was a big traffic jam. Traffic jams are normal in Dubai but not on the way into church on Friday morning. Both roads had been blocked by police cars and they were telling people that they couldn't drive in a park.

There was a great deal of confusion and many people turned around and went home thinking that the police were completely blocking the roads. Instead it turns out they were setting up additional security that lasted through the week and through the Easter weekend as well. Thousands attend church in our compound where there are approximately 8 church buildings used by probably 16 different churches.

That morning we parked out car and caught a city bus to the church compound. They provided the buses in the end and they also set up frisk points leading into the building. I heard that they had metal detectors at another church compound in Dubai as well.

Later in the week the news reports came out. The authorities claimed there had been no explicit threats of violence made. I have my doubts. But regardless, I'm grateful for the additional security despite the slight inconvenience. Much thanks to the Dubai Police Department!

Here are some pictures of the makeshift parking lots about 400 yards from the church compound on Easter weekend. The compound is on the other side of the pictured buildings.

Dubai to Build Museum Honoring Prophet Mohammad

This was announced earlier this week as an initiative by Sheikh Mohammad, ruler of Dubai. It is hoped the museum will convey the "message of eternal love and peace" that was brought by the Prophet, so the official sources say.

Upon hearing of it I suspected this was, in part, Dubai's response to the ongoing Danish cartoons issue simmering throughout the Muslim world. And if it is, I think it's the better response than flag burning, threats of violence and economic boycotts.

Then today this article came in the GulfNews. Sure enough, there is a vague but not so subtle reference to the cartoons uproar.

"This is a well-timed and gratuitous gesture from Shaikh Mohammad who has surprised us ... it has come to heal us [Islam and Muslims] from the sufferings we have sustained due to blasphemous campaigns against Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) in the West.

It's also interesting that the Sheikh Dr. Kubaisi notes that Sheikh Mohammad has "surprised " them. Kind of makes you think they didn't expect help from Sheikh Mohammad on these kinds of religious issues.

Interesting.

UPDATE: Someone in the comments asked about the picture of Mohammad on a journey in this post. Read more about it here.

Rare Sight... Little League Baseball in Dubai

I took this picture a month ago. It's particularly interesting to me because baseball is not a popular sport in Dubai... it's particularly American. And the Burj Dubai is so clearly visible in the background. My oldest daughters work the concession stand at the ballpark.

Replay of October 2007 CBS "60 Minutes" Report on Dubai

This is a very interesting report on Dubai and it's visionary... Sheikh Mohammad. I've not completed both parts but it's a great summary of what's happening here in the city.



The CBS website won't let me embed the part 2 video. So here's a link to it:

CBS 60 Minutes - Dubai Inc. Part 2

Burj Dubai Reaches 158 Floors... 600m... Highest in the World

This picture was taken on December 7, 2007 by a friend of mine (thanks to Paul).

Burj Dubai Update:

The Burj Dubai reached 600m and 158 floors in early January. That is the tallest and most floors of any building in the world. Here is some interesting info from a recent GulfNews article:

"Cladding work of the tower is now ongoing at an accelerated pace with 58 storeys already wearing the shimmering sheen of the high-performance cladding system," the statement said.

"The primary materials used - reflective glazing, aluminium and textured stainless steel spandrels and vertical stainless tubular fins - accentuate the tower's height and slenderness to the eye."

Burj Dubai is now taller than Taipei 101 (508 metres) in Taiwan and CN Tower (553.33 metres) in Toronto, Canada.

When completed, the tower will have used 330,000 cubic metres of concrete, 39,000 metric tonnes of steel rebar and 142,000 square metres of glass - and 22 million man hours.

More than 5,000 consultants and skilled professionals workers are employed on-site at the tower.

Incredible Palm Island Views!

A couple of weeks ago I took my daughters to babysit the child of some church friends. They live in one of the new, super-tall high rises in the Dubai Marina. And their view is directly overlooking Palm Island and the beachfront of the Marina. I snapped some pictures and a video as well. Leaning over the railing to get the best camera angle was a little unnerving. But worth it :)

Looking down the coast you see the trunk of Palm Island and the Burj Al Arab faintly in the distance

A more direct view of Palm Island and the coast. That's the beach for the Ritz Carlton

Closer view of the Palm Island Trunk and the 'decorative' island just off the end of the pictured marina

The Ritz Carton Beach and if you look closely you can see the para-sailer just off the beach!

Looking down on the Ocean Beach Hotel

Zooming in on the para-sailer

The tower I was in was on the right

Again, the towers from the beach

The Creek Extension through my Neighborhood... It's coming :(

Well, it looks like it's really going to happen. A local tabloid is reporting that the final phase of the Creek Extension project is about to begin (December) and unfortunately it will be run by the Road and Transport Authority (RTA). This department in the government here is not too popular right now and they seem to be hitting new lows by denying significant problems with traffic especially having made promises to clear things up with a new toll system.

Also, you'll see below the pictures in the paper representing current construction and it's proposed route. It is not scheduled to be finished for 3 years so I don't know when or exactly how it will affect life in my neighborhood. But I am sure it will and it won't be pleasant.

Three major roadways will have bridges built over them to accommodate the path of the waterway. That should be absolute chaos. And it looks like my running track around the park will be cut into pieces as well.

Bummer.

Here are some facts about the extension:

* 10 kilometres of the man-made Creek have been completed at a cost of Dh484 million
* The construction of the final 2.2-km stretch of the Creek extension will begin in December
* The Creek should be completed by November 2010
* The new channel is 100 metres wide on average and 500 metres at its widest point
* The Creek will be able to host yachts up to 60 metres in length

But life is good in spite of this major inconvenience... :)

Dubai Marina Photos

I went for a business lunch in the Dubai Marina area last week and I snapped these pictures as I waited for my colleague. The Marina is still growing at an astounding pace.

Dubai... of 'Travel Channel' fame

One thing that struck me this summer in the U.S. was how much more known Dubai is these days as compared with when we moved here 5 years ago. Back then people still didn't know where the country was or anything about the culture or landscape. Now it's different largely due to television exposure. Shows and newspaper articles describing the latest construction project or tourist spot have been popping up rapidly over the past couple years and this past year they seem to be everywhere.

As a resident I have mixed feelings about the notoriety. The shows give the impression that I might live in a high priced hotel or hang out at expensive tourist spots regularly. Or they give the impression that Dubai and the UAE are a first world country. It's not true of course. The country has made enormous strides in the past decade but it's just all that the marketing makes it out to be. But perhaps I'm just being defensive because I don't want to be seen as a person who lives in opulent luxury all the time... driving expensive cars, spending half the day at the spa and the other half shopping at upscale stores.

As I reflect on these things it reminds me of how much the media shapes how we think about other places and peoples in the world. And unless you've been there yourself it's difficult to get an idea of what places are like. But it does remind me to be careful and thoughtful as I watch or read popular media. Everything isn't all that it seems to be when it's coming through the television.