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Doreen
Pendgracs |
Kissed
by a Camel
We were enroute from the busyness of Dubai to Al Ain, an Oasis city of green in the otherwise camel-coloured desert of the United Arab Emirates (UAE,) a Middle Eastern country just east of Saudi Arabia on the Persian Gulf. Here, you’re quite likely to see camels off in the distance, just as we see deer and antelope scattered about the countryside in Canada. But all of a sudden we saw a few camels close enough to get excited about. They were no longer just dots in my camera’s viewfinder. For a moment, the otherwise conservative natured, John, became a completely four-wheeling free spirit – despite the fact that we were in a Honda Civic – and left the safety of the pavement, making a short cross-country (or should I say “cross-desert”?) trek over the sand and onto a smaller road, where we could get close to the camels. John and his wife, Mary-Anne, are 50+ Winnipeggers who have been living in Dubai for nearly a year while John works on an engineering project in the Construction Capital of the World. Many professionals are accepting contracts in Dubai because wages being offered are considerably higher than you’ll find in North America. “But I didn’t come for the money,” says John. “I came for the life experience of being immersed in a completely different culture. And it’s certainly helped develop my patience! You really need it here because of the cultural differences.” I am the couple’s first guest from Canada and they are determined to help me see the Best of Dubai (and area) in the short week I have to enjoy it. And what a way to start! As a nature lover, getting this close to free-roaming camels is an incredible rush. At first, we didn’t realize that the camels were under the care of a shepherd. He was nowhere in sight. But as we approached the half dozen or so animals, a sporty little black pickup truck came into view and out of it emerged an Arabian man dressed in brilliant white with an equally white smile. He motioned for me to come closer. And the next thing you know, we were up close and personal with some of the tallest animals that walk this planet. Where else could you enjoy an experience like this, but in the UAE? (I didn’t actually let the camel kiss me, but let me tell you … he tried!) Mary-Anne was right in telling me that I’d be wowed at every turn in Dubai. It has the only seven-star hotel in the world (the Burj Al Arab,) the tallest free-standing structure in the world (the Burj Dubai,) the world’s largest indoor snow park (Ski Dubai at the Mall of the Emirates,) the world’s largest single storey mall (Ibn Battuta,) the busiest airport in the Middle East (Dubai International) and the fastest growing international air carrier in the world (Emirates Airlines.) As if that weren’t enough, it is quite clear that Dubai isn’t satisfied with its current records and intends to continue building more of the biggest and the best. When complete, Dubai World Central (to be situated minutes from downtown near the Jebel Ali Port) will be 10 times the size of Dubai International and will take the crown as the world’s largest airport.
All that hustle and bustle was a little hard for this country girl to take. Even though Dubai does have a lovely and very accessible beach (Jumeirah Beach) on which Mary-Anne and John’s 46-storey apartment tower is located. The beach is beautiful and clean. I was admittedly surprised – at both the beauty and the cleanliness. The dirham is the official currency of the UAE. It cost me an exchange rate of 3.63 to change Canadian cash into dirhams at a money exchanger in the mall, giving me 726 dirhams for $200 Canadian dollars. For the most part, prices are very high in the hotels and hotel restaurants so those dirhams went quickly.
Housing is also very expensive in Dubai. Mary-Anne and John are paying the equivalent of $3,000 per month for rent on a spacious one-bedroom apartment and utilities. Because the sale of alcohol is very limited (the UAE is a Muslim country and Muslims do not drink alcohol) you pretty much have to dine at a hotel restaurant if you’d like to partake in a glass of wine with your meal – and it will be expensive as there is a 30 per cent tax on liquor. There are a few independent restaurants that have liquor licences, but they are few and far between. (The Hard Rock Café is one of them.)
There is now a mosque in Abu Dhabi that you can also tour. No mosque in Dubai comes close to the magnitude and grandeur of the Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Mosque of Abu Dhabi, the capital city of the UAE. This mosque has taken more than 10 years to complete (it’s still not finished, but is now allowing visitors.) Also known as The Grand Mosque, the mosque was named in honour of the founder of the UAE and has space for up to 10,000 worshippers.
That understatedness may soon change, as plans
are underway to create a stunning Cultural City within Abu Dhabi.
A Louvre (the only outside of Paris), a Guggenheim (designed by legendary
architect Frank Gehry), a Marine Museum, an Arabian History and Heritage
Sidebars:
If You Go:
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Have you ever been kissed by a camel? Well, I
have. And let me tell you … those lips are big!
The boom of Dubai is obvious at every turn. You
cannot find a view in the city where there’s not a crane or two (or ten) in sight – even
if you look out to sea! The Palms and The World are condominium developments
that have been built on land that wasn’t there just a few short
years ago. They have been built on and into the waters of the Persian
Gulf. And a new Atlantis Resort (which appears of similar design to
that of the one in Nassau, Bahamas) is currently under construction
on reclaimed land as well. I am told that 25 per cent of the world’s
cranes are in use in and around Dubai, and I’m sure I saw most
of them.
At present, there is a shortage of mid-priced hotels in Dubai, and
most properties are four stars or higher with corresponding price tags.
A night in one of the nicer four-star Dubai properties will run you
anywhere from a few hundred to well over a thousand dollars per night
for a five-star, but there are deals to be had if you check the discount
websites. Plan well in advance, as availability is a factor.
Learning about the Muslim Islamic religion was
one of the pleasures of visiting Dubai. I really enjoyed the tour
of the Jumeirah Mosque – one
of the most beautiful, and authentically Arabian buildings in Dubai,
and until recently, the only mosque in the UAE that non-Muslims were
permitted to enter. 
Abu Dhabi is to the UAE what Ottawa is to Canada,
with Dubai being the equivalent of Canada’s Toronto. One is
considerably smaller, but is the political centre and the other is
much larger and the business hub of the country. Which is probably
why I liked Abu Dhabi more than I did Dubai. It has a more quiet
and natural beauty without all the skyscrapers and congestion of
a metropolis. 
Museum (named after Sheikh Zayed himself) and a state of the art
Performing Arts Center are all slated for development along the city’s
waterfront. That will definitely be worth a return visit. But can
it match the thrill of sharing that camel’s breath?