Why many people say Arabian Gulf cities look "Fake " and "Soulless" ?

[Skyprince]

Fake ? Soulless ??!! For real !!????

In fact- I found that the opposite is true- that Arabian Gulf cities like Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Muscat are the last places on earth you can ever call "Fake"/ Soulless

One of the major reasons why I love visiting Arab Gulf countries like UAE is their traditional charm, which is very wonderfully presented UAE cities are wonderful blend of local Gulf, Pakistani, Indian, Iranian, the rest of Arabs, and many parts of the world get together, extremely full of life and soul ! I haven't seen/been to any such lively, colourful and cheerful country like UAE ( and everyone is so nice , be the native Emirati and expats too ! )

All cities in the Gulf which I visited are overhelmingly traditional , including the hyper-modern Dubai- I found most of the random places I went to in Dubai are full of traditional shophouses, traditional street cafes in Arabian, South Asian and Western style .

Even I found the traditional charm of Arab Gulf countries more attractive than in the rest of Arabia which I visited . The prosperity in GCC makes traditional districts in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Muscat, Doha etc very lively and highly functional filled with tons of traditional shops, restaurants etc selling good quality products.

No where in the world I've seen local people ( Emiratis, Omanis etc . ) wearing their traditional dress whenever they stay out. Including when going to work !

Some people cite the flat barren land as "looking fake", but for me coming from tropical country I found desert landscape and clear blue sky very interesting & exotic sight ! The non-stop sunshine & clear blue sky makes cities look very beautiful and so colourful ! Not to forget Dubai, Abu Dhabi , Ajman, etc have wonderful crystal-clear beaches , located right next to city centres.

So I don't see in what way Arabian Gulf cities especially in UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait etc look "fake and soulless " ?

Take for example ( my own photos ) ..

Dubai, United Arab Emirates
-Dubai is FULL of these such traditional areas








Ajman, United Arab Emirates

[Manila-X]

Cities like Dubai gets these kinds of criticisms because the majority of people here or even outside The Middle East mostly see the new developments including The Burj Khalifa. They do not see the traditional side of the city especially the pictures you have posted.

There are other things. For one, Dubai is one of the few "minority-majority" cities in the world where native Emiratis are part of the minority. The majority are those from South Asia where most of them are blue collared workers. This is not just Dubai but the entire UAE. Another criticism is the "notable" people in the city. Other than of course the sultans, sheikhs and businessmen, how often do you hear known artists, entertainers, scientists, poets, sports-people who are natives of Dubai?

[joshsam]

Lol, to be honest the pics you posted look like crap.

It's those new cities, It's just skycrapers in roads, cars everywhere, no pedestrians and nothing around it. That's why they say that.

the old Dubai is ok, but the new Dubai is hardly what you can call a city. It's just supertalls in a desert, a bunch of hotels and shoppingmalls and 50 highways crossings between them. I looks more like giant office parks instead of a city. That's not the sterotype city people have in mind and it's indeed soulles and empty if compaired to other cities around the world, althoug USA has it's nice share of empty cities too.

But this subject has been discussed so many times, and no-one ever came out. Some people like cities that, others don't...

[goschio]

Originally Posted by Skyprince

[/IMG]

Cheap concrete architecture. Whats so traditional and charming about that?

[RonnieR]

Originally Posted by goschio

Cheap concrete architecture. Whats so traditional and charming about that?

I think Skyprince wanted to show that beyond those skyscrapers , the new highways, modern mass transport system and malls in Dubai, at the heart of the city lies the traditional cafes, restaurants and stores that are teeming with people. It is a proof that Dubai's culture and traditions are intact despite its rapid progress.

[derzberb]

those cities are in particular disappointing.

what could have been done with all that money and work. billions of petro-dollars only for skyscraper-needles. this is so 20th century. its not original.


you can see at masdar-city what is actually possible. economy, ecology, traditio and modernity and phantasy built up in one city. imagine dubai had been built like that.

[CarltonHill]

Muscat City in Oman doesn't look like fake. I found it unique.

[derzberb]

i would like to see a city as megalomanic as dubai and constructed under the same paradigm as masdar. that would be amazing.

[Disturbing Reality]

Why many people say Arabian Gulf cities look "Fake " and "Soulless" ?

because there's a feeling that they're building a disneyland out of it.. don't get me wrong, disneyland is pretty... but..

[Skyprince]

Originally Posted by Manila-X

Cities like Dubai gets these kinds of criticisms because the majority of people here or even outside The Middle East mostly see the new developments including The Burj Khalifa. They do not see the traditional side of the city especially the pictures you have posted.

There are other things. For one, Dubai is one of the few "minority-majority" cities in the world where native Emiratis are part of the minority. The majority are those from South Asia where most of them are blue collared workers. This is not just Dubai but the entire UAE. Another criticism is the "notable" people in the city. Other than of course the sultans, sheikhs and businessmen, how often do you hear known artists, entertainers, scientists, poets, sports-people who are natives of Dubai?

Indeed, but I can hardly name famous artists, entertainers, scientists, pets etc who are originally from say, Amsterdam ? or Seoul ?

Dubai is Dubai... it is simply what it is- a city with small native population and huge number of expats who mostly coming in and out of it. The "newer" parts of Dubai actually feels really small when compared to older parts & districts of Dubai.

Originally Posted by joshsam

Lol, to be honest the pics you posted look like crap.

It's those new cities, It's just skycrapers in roads, cars everywhere, no pedestrians and nothing around it. That's why they say that.

the old Dubai is ok, but the new Dubai is hardly what you can call a city. It's just supertalls in a desert, a bunch of hotels and shoppingmalls and 50 highways crossings between them. I looks more like giant office parks instead of a city. That's not the sterotype city people have in mind and it's indeed soulles and empty if compaired to other cities around the world, althoug USA has it's nice share of empty cities too.

But this subject has been discussed so many times, and no-one ever came out. Some people like cities that, others don't...

Originally Posted by goschio

Cheap concrete architecture. Whats so traditional and charming about that?

They look crap to many but they are highly functional, full of traditional facets, it is what Dubai is about. So what to be shamed about ?

My point is not about how crap/ugly buildings/architecture looks like- my point is Dubai is what it is- a city full of tradition, soul, a mix of different cultures which are well-represented .

Look at Dubai's pics 50-60 years ago, full of such streetshops.

Dubai is a mix of Gulf, Arabia, Iran, Pakistan, India etc. and many other cultures mixed together

And since I've been to Dubai for 7 times so far , I can simply say most of what u said about Dubai is wrong- it is hot with non-stop sunshine during daytime- but at night Dubai is full of street activities, extremely vibrant city with bustling dining and shopping activity.

Originally Posted by RonnieR

I think Skyprince wanted to show that beyond those skyscrapers , the new highways, modern mass transport system and malls in Dubai, at the heart of the city lies the traditional cafes, restaurants and stores that are teeming with people. It is a proof that Dubai's culture and traditions are intact despite its rapid progress.

Indeed Ronnie bro. When I first visited the Gulf back in 2006 I never expected such a vibrant, colourful, hospitable, dynamic and progressive place

[Skyprince]

More "old Dubai " pics ( all my own photos )











The old Ajman

[Mr Bricks]

Sorry but that is terrible.

[Skyprince]

No problem, there is always difference on how people from the West and people from the East perceive things

[Dimethyltryptamine]

It's not something that is reserved only to Dubai. I've heard the Gold Coast labeled soulless, and Las Vegas the same. They are city's that don't have particularly rich histories and the grand architecture that comes with it, instead they have seen significant boom in the modern era (be it the 70s/80s - like the Gold Coast, or the 00s like Dubai). Dubai is probably the best example, though. They built well above their league, but they have the money to do so now, and did so in an attempt to diversify their economy for when the oil $$ runs out.

When you see as many high-rises/skyscrapers as you do, you expect great things at street level. In Dubai, this is not the case. The fact they built these over-the-top shopping malls, which themselves have long been considered sterile and soulless environments reserved to newer and outer suburbs. Then there's the enormous freeway, and mass transit system... until the population catches up and for once the infrastructure (be it housing, public transport, roads, etc) is lagging behind demand, Dubai will be considered soulless. It's a city built for millions more than currently live there.

That's my take anyway.

[Aaronj09]

They are the ugliest cities I have ever seen

[Skyprince]

To everyone: Europe and Asia in average are located at different latitude. Europe is largely temperate, so the buildings/architecture must be well-built to withstand different climates... whereas in many/most parts of Asia, particularly Southeast Asia , lower Middle East etc we enjoy warm weather thus there is no serious need for "weather-proofing". Thus the architecture/buildings tend to look "less solid" than the ones we see in Europe, IMO

It's not only Dubai, but even downtown Singapore, Hong Kong, Manila, Kuala Lumpur, Taipei, Bangkok etc have pretty similar pattern of old district

Originally Posted by Dimethyltryptamine

It's not something that is reserved only to Dubai. I've heard the Gold Coast labeled soulless, and Las Vegas the same. They are city's that don't have particularly rich histories and the grand architecture that comes with it, instead they have seen significant boom in the modern era (be it the 70s/80s - like the Gold Coast, or the 00s like Dubai). Dubai is probably the best example, though. They built well above their league, but they have the money to do so now, and did so in an attempt to diversify their economy for when the oil $$ runs out.

When you see as many high-rises/skyscrapers as you do, you expect great things at street level. In Dubai, this is not the case. The fact they built these over-the-top shopping malls, which themselves have long been considered sterile and soulless environments reserved to newer and outer suburbs. Then there's the enormous freeway, and mass transit system... until the population catches up and for once the infrastructure (be it housing, public transport, roads, etc) is lagging behind demand, Dubai will be considered soulless. It's a city built for millions more than currently live there.

That's my take anyway.

Emm but when I was in Dubai how could I found the opposite ? The whole of Dubai city seem to be crowded with people, its metro is highly utilized, shopping malls are packed especially at night, etc. I didn't get the impression of a sterile, soulless city at all. In fact, I found Dubai to be the most vibrant, the most cheerful and the most colourful major city I've seen .

[Skyprince]

If u go to places like Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Libya, Yemen, and most of Middle East- that's how their older districts look like. Yet why only the ultra-rich Arabian Gulf states get the "soulless" and "fake" potrayal ?

Such architecture is a cultural thing - it's Middle East, so u cannot expect anything Europe. They look really nice to me

[Galro]

Originally Posted by Skyprince

If u go to places like Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Libya, Yemen, and most of Middle East- that's how their older districts look like. Yet why only the ultra-rich Arabian Gulf states get the "soulless" and "fake" potrayal ?

Such architecture is a cultural thing - it's Middle East, so u cannot expect anything Europe. They look really nice to me

Libya also have (or perhaps used to have consider the recent war?) buildings like these too:

Source: http://looklex.com/e.o/tripoli.htm


Source: http://looklex.com/e.o/tripoli.htm


http://content.lib.washington.edu/cd...ISOBOX=1&REC=8

Do the Gulf countries have anything similar (genuine question as I don't know)?

[isakres]

Charming Cities are those that are unique because of their beautiful (mainly traditional) architechture and because of their cultural offer and its livable conditions IMO.


Muscat, Oman and Saana, Yemen are Charming cities with a unique touristic proposal for the visitor.

Dubai, UAE and Benidrom, Spain are NOT.

[De Prodigy]

I think it's cultural.
A Werstern developement in an islamic context just doesn't fit.