I recently visited Dubai on a business trip and found it to be a fascinating place. While I had seen the inside of the airport many times with minimal excitement, I had never really ventured outside to have a proper look around. Here are three things that popped into my brain whilst there:
Number One: It's built with oil money. There is very little in this part of the world that would ordinarily attract visitors from foreign lands, and yet here we have an interesting, vibrant and futuristic city built on nothing but sand and rock. It is a city of lights and impossible skyscrapers, a city where no two buildings look the same, and no two accents sound the same. It is an amazing accomplishment... and all built with oil money. You can understand the strength of the fossil fuel lobby the world over - there is a lot to lose if oil loses significance!
Number Two: There are few electric vehicles on the roads. Apart from a fair few Teslas (although I suspect those are bought more for status than cost effectiveness or carbon reduction motives), I did not see another EV on the roads. And why would you buy one in a land where oil is cheap? Until the economics of EVs makes sense we can't expect anybody to be interested in them. (Australia by contrast is a great place for EV's, but that's a story for another blog!)
Number Three: Humans are amazing. Dubai looks like something out of a sci-fi movie... think Blade Runner or Total Recall. It is super modern and efficient and, dare I say, beautiful in an original way. If humans can build a place like Dubai, then just imagine what other problems we could solve with the right focus and effort and funding.
I didn't think I would enjoy Dubai, yet I could not help but be seduced by its charms. It really does give me hope for the future of our species. I would encourage anybody to spend a few days there the next time you transit through Dubai.
Until next time!
Doug
aka The Regeneralist
Interesting perceptive Doug, glad you enjoyed it.