Crushing on Dubai

For what it’s worth, watch this video before you read this blog for it answers a long-standing question about Dubai and the importing of culture: If you build it, will they come?

Go Around Twice If You're Happy


What directors Vincent Fichard and Matthew Jones have managed to do with this short film is answer that question with a resounding yes.

Shot on the streets of Dubai, this film seeps into the nooks and crannies of the city and brings to life not only people’s attitudes about living there, but it takes one of Dubai’s greatest headaches -- traffic -- and turns it into an endearing project.

Any local commuter or a hapless one from another emirate (Abu Dhabi) such as myself dreads getting lost on the highways of Dubai. One wrong turn and you find yourself behind an endless cue of liquid waste trucks waiting to unload. And given how long it takes to get back on track, you could spend up to an hour, bored out of your mind, picking the ones that say, “non toxic” from the “toxic” and wonder at the vast expanse of humanity who inhabit what has, in such a short time, joined the the rank of world cities.

But first, its cheeky nod to the labour force that is building Dubai. Even though the first few minutes of the video runs through some of them constructing boards, it is a gentle nod to those who are often forgotten in Dubai’s rush to modernise. Then there is Dubai’s skyline in the background, that stands on its own in a distinct way that is awesome (if you can admit it).

After all, Dubai is building more than an expansive infrastructure. It is building a tourism hub that will attract travelers the same way that perhaps London or New York inspires one to visit. But often when faced with miles and miles of construction, one wonders whether all this will be worth something in the end? Will an upper middle class family in India give in to the demands of their children to ride a water slide at Wild Wadi or will a North American family feel comfortable on their vacation, where Dubai will feel just like another western city, but in the East?

I love the inside jokes too. For anyone who thinks only the rich and richer live in Dubai, there is a scene with a sign that says: Flash your lights if you’re broke.

However, tackling traffic is not always as beguiling as one feels after watching this film (although I suspect this came out of many traffic jams the directors may have found themselves in). In fact, this week, my friend who writes for the business section and lives in Dubai couldn’t leave the Dubai Marina to get to Abu Dhabi. Traffic was so backed up on the highway that she retreated to her apartment and worked from home.

Of course, Dubai faces a number of challenges when it comes to growth, but this short makes it all evaporate, for three minutes, and 52 seconds, exactly.

Ends