Review of New Book: Dubai: The Story of the World’s Fastest City

Richard Spencer reviews for readers of the Telegraph, Jim Krane’s new book entitled, Dubai: The Story of the World’s Fastest City.

Link
Richard Spencer, Dubai: The Story of the World’s Fastest City: Review, Telegraph, 9 October 2009.

Other Stories and Related Sites
BMW Oracle Objection to RAK More About Light Winds than Iranian Dangers, America’s Cup in the UAE, 9 October 2009.

Said of Obama: ‘He’s Not a Muslim. He’s a Good Man’, Experiencing the Emirates, 7 October 2009.

Thanks to the Many who Serve in Fujairah UAE, Fujairah in Focus, 8 October 2009.

Hugh MacLeod on the Key Element in the Best Stories, Stories for Speakers and Writers, 8 October 2009.

Dr Geoff Pound

Geoff can be contacted by email at geoffpound(at)gmail.com on Facebook and Twitter.

Image: Front cover of Dubai: The Story of the World’s Fastest City.

RAK the ‘Sleepy City State’ and ‘Ugly Duckling of the Emirates’

While Alinghi is in the dock at Al Hamra and BMW Oracle is in the dock at a New York Court journalists are spending the impasse writing stories about anything but sailing and in the process calling Ras al Khaimah names.

A Wall Street Journal journalist calls Ras al Khaimah the ‘sleepy city state’ while a writer for the New York Post gives the northern emirate this barrage of put-downs:

“A little-known, oil-poor sheikdom in the United Arab Emirates….the underdeveloped ugly duckling of the United Arab Emirates, controlled by a heavily perfumed crown prince named Saud al-Qasimi….the tiny emirate….the port of choice for Iranian smugglers to bring in illicit weapon materials and flout UN sanctions.”

Hopefully BMW Oracle will soon have a change of heart and docks so the attention can be focused on the preparation and the racing of yachts.

Ras al Khaimah will then become known as the successful host of the first America’s Cup race in the Middle East.

Other Stories and Related Sites
BMW Oracle Objection to RAK More About Light Winds than Iranian Dangers, America’s Cup in the UAE, 9 October 2009.

Said of Obama: ‘He’s Not a Muslim. He’s a Good Man’, Experiencing the Emirates, 7 October 2009.

Thanks to the Many who Serve in Fujairah UAE, Fujairah in Focus, 8 October 2009.

Hugh MacLeod on the Key Element in the Best Stories, Stories for Speakers and Writers, 8 October 2009.

Dr Geoff Pound

Geoff can be contacted by email at geoffpound(at)gmail.com on Facebook and Twitter.

Image: Ras al Khaimah, home of the 33rd America’s Cup Campaign.

Said of Obama: ‘He’s Not a Muslim. He’s a Good Man.’

How many times will American politicians make this statement?

Speaking last week at a conference sponsored by Atlantic Magazine, South Carolina Senator, Lindsey Graham said of President Obama, “He's not a Muslim. He's a good man.”

To give the Senator credit, he was opposing fringe elements in his party who were casting doubts as to whether Barack Obama was born in the USA. The full quote went as follows:

“I'm here to tell you that those who think the president was not born in Hawaii are crazy. He's not a Muslim. He's a good man, and let's knock this crap off and talk about the real differences we have,” Graham said.

Listen to the Clip (It starts at the 2 minute mark)



But in condemning the so-called ‘birthers’ Graham equated being Muslim with being evil or not a good man.

The same footage was played on Larry King Live (6 October 2009) with Senator Graham making the statement: “He’s not a Muslim. He’s a good man.” (See transcript).

Sadly none of Larry’s guests picked up on this blunder. Would they have challenged the statement if Graham had said of someone else, “He’s not a black [Catholic/Jew/homosexual/woman]. He’s a good man.”

He might say that his two sentences were separate but in stating a negative (‘He’s not’) and then following it with a positive (‘He is’), the Senator is perpetuating a widespread prejudice about Muslims.

Slip of the Tongue or Stereotype?
Was this a slip of the tongue? The issue or a variation has arisen many times before and most publically from the mouth of Presidential hopeful, John McCain, while on the campaign trail in Minnesota (10 October 2008).

At one point McCain passed his wireless microphone to a volunteer who said, “I can't trust Obama. I have read about him and he's not, he's not uh — he's an Arab. He's not — " before McCain regained the microphone and replied:

“No, ma'am. He's a decent family man [and] citizen that I just happen to have disagreements with on fundamental issues and that's what this campaign's all about. He's not [an Arab].”

It was heartening to see John McCain tamping down many of the outrageous outbursts and mistruths but on this issue he left himself with ambiguity and questions about his view of Arabs. The woman said, “He’s an Arab!” to which John McCain said, “No, ma'am. He's a decent family man…”

As John McCain reinforced the view that Arabs are indecent people that you cannot trust so Lindsey Graham has perpetuated a destructive stereotype about Muslims.

Coming from leaders in public office who are speaking before international television audiences this language is unacceptable and must be challenged.

Links
Tom Baxter, South Carolina Republicans Firing Lots of Salvos This Year, Southern Political Report, 6 October 2009.

Lindsey Graham Speaks Out Against Beck and Conservative Fringe Elements, YouTube, 1 October 2009.

Larry King Live, Transcript, 6 October 2009.

John McCain: What is Wrong with Arabs? Experiencing the Emirates, 14 October 2008.

Other Stories and Related Sites
Sheikh Zayed Named by Newsweek as One of the Postwar Transformers, Experiencing the Emirates, 7 October 2009.

Watch First Western Media Report from Ras al Khaimah, America’s Cup in the UAE, 7 October 2009.

Sew Why This Fujairah Resident Has a Smile on His Face, Fujairah in Focus, 7 October 2009.

Ricky Gervais Speaks of Being ‘Born Again’ to the Joy of Work, Stories for Speakers and Writers, 4 October 2009.

Dr Geoff Pound

Geoff can be contacted by email at geoffpound(at)gmail.com on Facebook and Twitter.

Image: Senator Lindsey Graham.

Sheikh Zayed Named by Newsweek as one of the Postwar Transformers

Sheikh Zayed, the ‘father of the nation of the UAE, has been named as one of the ‘transformers’—postwar leaders who radically remade their countries (‘bringing drastic social, economic or political change) during their time in office.

He is associated in this galaxy with Brazil’s Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, China’s Deng Xiaoping, Britain’s Margaret Thatcher, Egypt’s Gamal Abdel Nasser, Poland’s Lech Walesa and South Africa’s Nelson Mandela.

The following statement is made about Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who served in public office for 33 years in the UAE:

“Although he was born in a tent at an isolated oasis on the Arabian peninsula in 1918, Zayed created the blueprint for the United Arab Emirates as a modern, relatively tolerant regional economic powerhouse. Born into the ruling family of Abu Dhabi, he worked with the British overlords of Trucial Oman to depose his older brother and take power in 1966. He then convinced rulers of the other emirates in Trucial Oman to unite after the British withdrawal, forming the United Arab Emirates in 1971. As president from independence until his death in 2004, he liberalized policies on women's rights and religious tolerance, which still lagged behind much of the world but improved on other Persian Gulf countries and which laid the groundwork for the UAE's large population of Western professionals and rise as an international business center.”

Read the Entire Article by following this link:
David Graham, Transformers: When Leaders Radically Remake their Countries, Newsweek, 22 September 2009.

Further
Reviewing Sheikh Zayed by Frances LaBonte, Reviewing Books and Movies, 27 May 2008.

Other Stories and Related Sites
Back to the Future Art Museum in Dubai, Experiencing the Emirates, 6 October 2009.

See Alinghi Settling into Base at Ras al Khaimah UAE, America’s Cup in the UAE, 7 October 2009.

See Why this Fujairah Resident Has a Smile on His Face, Fujairah in Focus, 7 October 2009.

Ricky Gervais Speaks of Being ‘Born Again’ to the Joy of Work, Stories for Speakers and Writers, 4 October 2009.

Dr Geoff Pound

Geoff can be contacted by email at geoffpound(at)gmail.com on Facebook and Twitter.

Image: His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

Back to the Future Art Museum in Dubai

It is hard to imagine Dubai is in a recession when you look at this emerging project.

This image (pictured) shows the futuristic building plans for the Museum of Middle East Modern Art to be located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

The project is being led by the UN Studio, an architecture company in the Netherlands.

Like many other projects in Dubai, this cultural building is defining new modern design ideas in a city that is investing in its future.

The museum will be located in Culture Village near the banks of Dubai Creek (Khor Dubai). With the blossoming wealth of the region one can only hope that its collection will rival that of other modern art museums around the world.

See other pictures in the photo gallery at this link.

Other Stories and Related Sites
See More Photos and Video of Alinghi in UAE Waters, America’s Cup in the UAE, 6 October 2009.

This Will Be One of the Highest Swimming Pools in Fujairah UAE, Fujairah in Focus, 6 October 2009.

Luxury Pen to Commemorate Gandhi’s Birthday is Not Write, Stories for Speakers and Writers, 4 October 2009.

Dr Geoff Pound

Geoff can be contacted by email at geoffpound(at)gmail.com on Facebook and Twitter.

Image: One of the many images of the forthcoming Dubai Art Museum.

Your Business is My Business and My Business is Your Business in the UAE

It happened again this week. I visited a company seeking information and before long I was ushered into the General Manager’s office where the receptionist hoped I would get my answers.

The GM was on the phone speaking animatedly in Arabic. A woman was sitting on the other side of his desk waiting for service and two men were sitting on a couch a few metres back also waiting to be served. I was shown to a couple of leather armchairs to the side of his desk. Everybody could hear the telephone conversation and the issues to do with the female customer even if we all couldn’t understand the lingo.

After the telephone conversation the GM came over and plonked himself in one of the chairs alongside me and asked how he could help. I made gestures towards the other customers and said I did not want to be jumping the queue but he didn’t understand what I was saying and my Arabic wasn’t sufficient to clarify the matter. As a male and a western expat, I was seen to have ‘wasta’ (standing) so I was given preferential treatment.

I then launched into my request with everyone listening in to my business.

It has happened before especially when I have visited banks. I have been ushered into the manager’s office and asked to sit while he attends to other clients. Then when it was my turn, others were welcomed into the room and they sat in the ‘spectator gallery’ and tuned into my affairs that I shared with the manager.

It does not happen every time but it happens often here in Fujairah. My business is your business and your business is my business. I find it different and uncomfortable depending on the privacy and confidentiality of the matters I am seeking to raise.

Perhaps I should not be surprised that this happens in a country where the early dwellers lived in tents but now, in a country of veils, high walls and ‘a land of secrets’ as Michael Palin called one of UAE’s neighbors, I find this issue intriguing.

Other Stories and Related Sites
Americans Claim RAK Unsafe While Alinghi and Locals Highlight Peaceful Haven, America’s Cup in the UAE, 5 October 2009.

Rental Property Update in Fujairah UAE, Fujairah in Focus, 5 October 2009.

Luxury Pen to Commemorate Gandhi’s Birthday is Not Write, Stories for Speakers and Writers, 4 October 2009.

Dr Geoff Pound

Geoff can be contacted by email at geoffpound(at)gmail.com on Facebook and Twitter.

Sheikh Mohammed Riding Dubai Out of the Downturn

Dubai-based, Associated Press journalist, Barbara Surk has written about the downsizing of Dubai’s projects and the vision of its ruler.

The constant unveiling of glitzy, jaw-dropping projects has been replaced by a subdued approach with schemes being toned down and undertaken with caution.

Surk assesses His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, saying that while he has been credited for his city’s boom he has yet to take responsibility for the bust.

In this extensive article many people are quoted who analyze the ambition, confidence and vision of the Sheikh who is seeking to ride his emirate out of the financial storm.

Link
Barbara Surk, Dubai's Ruler Downsizes Ambitions Amid Crisis, AP, 4 October 2009.

Other Stories and Related Sites
Americans Claim RAK Unsafe While Alinghi and Locals Highlight Peaceful Haven, America’s Cup in the UAE, 5 October 2009.

Rental Property Update in Fujairah UAE, Fujairah in Focus, 5 October 2009.

Luxury Pen to Commemorate Gandhi’s Birthday is Not Write, Stories for Speakers and Writers, 4 October 2009.

Dr Geoff Pound

Geoff can be contacted by email at geoffpound(at)gmail.com on Facebook and Twitter.

Image: His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum.

Emirates Pilots Speak of Fatigue and Safety Issues

Today [Sunday 4 October 2009], the Sunday Herald Sun in Melbourne exposes a serious problem within one of the world's biggest airlines:

“Emirates is the airline. Pilot fatigue is the issue.”

“Using US Freedom of Information laws in Washington DC, we have obtained documents that lift the lid on the true extent of this critical safety issue.”

“Among the documents are a formal complaint to US and Australian aviation authorities and internal emails between Emirates pilots and airline executives.”

“In the detailed complaint, dated December 21, 2008, the author says the document is written on behalf of Emirates pilots, stating: ‘There has been continuous pressure from the commercial department ... according to their (the pilots) opinion flight safety is becoming increasingly impaired.’”

“In other words, Emirates' pilots accuse it of putting profits ahead of the lives of passengers and crew.”

Emirates Replies:

Emirates Slams Paper for Pilot Fatigue Report, Xpress, 4 October2009.

Link to the entire article
Listen to the Pilots, Sunday Herald Sun, 4 October 2009.

Other Stories and Related Sites
The National Newspaper Seeks Readers in Fujairah, Fujairah in Focus, 2 October 2009.

Five Reasons Why Dubai Should Bid and Win the Olympics in 2020, Experiencing the Emirates, 3 October 2009.

See Alinghi’s Arrival in UAE while BMW Oracle Wants Valencia Venue, America’s Cup in the UAE, 3 October 2009.

Dying to Work or is Work Killing You? Stories for Speakers and Writers, 2 October 2009.

Dr Geoff Pound

Geoff can be contacted by email at geoffpound(at)gmail.com on Facebook and Twitter.

Image: “Emirates is the airline. Pilot fatigue is the issue.”

Five Reasons Why Dubai Should Bid and Win the Olympics in 2020

Amid the emotion surrounding the selection of the venue for the 2016 Olympic Games, it is not too early to express the view that Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, would be an ideal location for hosting the 2020 Olympic Games.

Here are five rings of confidence:

1. Location, Location, Location
The most compelling reason why Dubai should host the Olympic Games in 2020 is because of its Middle Eastern location.

Leaders of the successful Rio de Janeiro bid for 2016 have demonstrated that location was their ace card as they highlighted the fact that the modern Olympic Games has never been held in the continent of South America.

In its short history, Europe has dominated the hosting of the Summer Olympics with venues such as Athens, Paris, London, Sweden, Antwerp, Amsterdam, Berlin, Helsinki, Munich and Barcelona (with some of these venues being selected several times). The fact that London is hosting the 2012 Games was a negative factor that Madrid could not overcome in its bid for 2016.

North America has had its fair share with St Louis, Los Angeles, Mexico, Atlanta and Montreal and this surely contributed to Chicago’s failure in its 2016 bid to become another host on this continent.

There was a freshness given to the Games when it made its virgin appearance ‘down under’ in Melbourne during 1956 and in Sydney almost half a century later.

The 1980 Games in Moscow was groundbreaking and did much to create understanding after the long years of the Cold War.

The Asian influence on the Olympic Games and thus to the world was significant in host cities such as Tokyo, Seoul and Beijing.

Dubai 2020 would be the first time the Olympic Games would be held in the Middle East and this would be of mutual benefit to the region and to the whole world.

2. Unique Culture
The Olympic Games takes on a certain color and character from the city and the country where it is staged. There would be a unique Emirati, Arabic and Middle Eastern flavor that the 2020 Games would acquire, that the Olympic movement and its global spectators have never yet experienced.

By its charter the Olympic Games are commissioned to “encourage and support initiatives blending sport with culture and education” so this would be a significant contribution to a region that would experience lasting benefits from hosting the 2020 Games.

3. 2020 Vision
The UAE and the Middle East have an ancient and rich sporting tradition but Dubai, with nearby Abu Dhabi, has proved to have both the finance and the flair for the staging of major projects and sporting events in horse racing, the F1 Grand Prix, golf, tennis and in 2010, the America’s Cup.

The city of Dubai has exhibited a ‘can do’ spirit led by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum or ‘Sheikh Mo Mentum’ as he is being called in the USA.

Don’t you think there is a certain ring to ‘Dubai 2020’ when one thinks of the vision in this city that has been caught and converted into many impressive projects?

But Dubai is a young city and there is much more to be envisaged and created. If the IOC is charged with selecting venues according to the potential of the host to be encouraged in its “organization, development and coordination of sport and sporting competitions”, then this would be an enduring gift and impetus that the Olympic movement would give to Dubai, the UAE and the Middle East.

4. Playing it Safe
Much political advantage is being made at the moment by the BMW Oracle Racing team about the safety of the UAE as a venue for the America’s Cup in February 2010. Specifically the question has been raised about the proximity of Ras al Khaimah to Iran. This is a trumped up view and another expression of the acrimony between the defender and challenger.

When residents of the UAE travel to western countries, the first question they are often asked is, “Are you safe living there?” A perception of unrest has been cultivated by the media who for years has forged notions of the ‘Middle East’ with images of war and terrorism. Many UAE residents who have lived in the USA, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom will testify that they have never felt safer than when living in the Emirates.

5. Playing for Peace
It is recognized that the Middle East has its ‘hot spots’ and certain parts have experienced long-standing conflict. To stage the 2020 Games in the United Arab Emirates would make a powerful statement about “the role of sport in the service of humanity” and would do much to promote peace in the region and throughout the world.

Other Stories and Related Sites
The National Newspaper Seeks Readers in Fujairah, Fujairah in Focus, 2 October2009.

It’s a Wonderful World in Dubai, Experiencing the Emirates, 2 October 2009.

BMW Oracle Rejects UAE Venue Citing Consent and Safety Issues, America’s Cup in the UAE, 2 October 2009.

Dying to Work or is Work Killing You? Stories for Speakers and Writers, 2 October 2009.

Dr Geoff Pound

Geoff can be contacted by email at geoffpound(at)gmail.com on Facebook and Twitter.

Image: Dubai 2020—five rings of confidence.

It’s a Wonderful World in Dubai

Dubai’s World Islands tops Web Urbanist’s latest list of 'Amazing Engineering Wonders of Today and Tomorrow'.

Following the successful completion of other offshore artificial island communities like the Palm Islands, Dubai’s World Islands was intended to be even more ambitious, larger and ‘pushing the envelope’ of what can be engineered on earth.

The vision is of a 300-island world in which owners can buy and live on their own country. The talk has been of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie purchasing Ethiopia, Sir Richard Branson occupying England, while Rod Stewart would border him in Scotland.

Web Urbanist signals that The World project has encountered some delays due to the global recession. Two further articles have prophesied that The World is coming to an end—the New York Daily News wondering whether The World is ‘delayed indefinitely’, while The Times of London says the ‘Credit Crunch Signals the End of The World’.

The article in the Times conjectures about some structural problems with the project and safety issues for shipping but it is important to read the comments to this article which indicate that a delay does not necessarily mean a cancellation of The World.

Link
7 More Amazing Engineering Wonders of Today and Tomorrow, Web Urbanist, 20 September 2009. Check out all the engineering wonders in the list.

On Related Sites
Try Out the Harbour Club Bar and Restaurant in Fujairah UAE, Fujairah in Focus, 1 October2009.

Dining in Dubai, Experiencing the Emirates, 1 October 2009.

BMW Oracle Rejects UAE Venue Citing Consent and Safety Issues, America’s Cup in the UAE, 2 October 2009.

Dying to Work or is Work Killing You? SFS, 2 October 2009.

Dr Geoff Pound

Geoff can be contacted by email at geoffpound(at)gmail.com on Facebook and Twitter.

Image: Visual impression of The World, Dubai.