What Would Mohammed Think? May 26, 2006
Posted by TimTheFoolMan in Fun, Humor, Race and Prejudice, Stupidity.trackback
Last year, while I was in Dubai, I snapped this picture:
If you zoom in, you can see a note at the bottom:
Authentic taste? I’ve got to call FOUL on this one. If it’s really a grilled kofta, then I have a hard time believing that McDonald’s is capable of producing an authentic tasting version (particularly when it’s accompanied by a large french fry & a coke).
On the other hand, if they’re providing authentic tasting McDonald’s to the Middle East… haven’t we done enough to destroy their culture already?
A Fool and his Words are Soon Parted 
FYI, there’s a long, fascinating article about Dubai in the June 2006 issue of Vanity Fair magazine (http://www.vanityfair.com). Abstract: “In little more than two decades, a mind-boggling metropolis has risen from the sands of Arabia—the ever expanding, hyperkinetic swirl of towers, theme parks, mega-malls, luxury hotels, and enterprise zones that is Dubai. In the swankiest restaurants and darkest corners of the tiny emirate, Nick Tosches discovers what has fueled the unparalleled growth of this Las Vegas on steroids: the royal house of Maktoum’s version of the American Dream.” I wonder what it’s like to stay at a 7-star hotel and go skiing inside a shopping mall?
I found it a facinating place. Less than 10% of the current population are Dubai nationals. Of the remaining population, approximately 70% are from India, and there exists a “worker class” demarcation that I found truly offensive, having been conditioned to respond this way in the US.
At the same time, crime is ridiculously low, and the safety of the streets is such that a mother need not worry about walking down a city street with her children late at night. Such is the power of a kingdom to make sure things go the way the King wants them to go, I guess.
They’re also building the Burj Dubai, which is a 1 kilometer skyscraper. They are going to have rental apartments available around floor 110 or so… higher than the highest public occupancy space in the Sears Tower.
If you go to the southwest side of town, down along the gulf, there is more commercial construction going on than (in my estimate) most of the large cities in the United States combined. You have to drive around in the middle of it to believe it, but availability of raw materials (concrete, steel, wiring, etc) is a significant issue. – Tim
burj dubai
Interesting post. I came across this blog by accident, but it was a good accident. I have now bookmarked your blog for future use. Best wishes. Dubai Prevailing Wind Website Team..