Dubai is a testament to the fantasy creations of millions. It’s a place of beauty that embodies the hopes and struggles of countless immigrants who’ve come looking for harborage and chance. This bustling metropolis, with its dramatic skyline and hyperreal urban landscape, has evolved into a unique blend of tradition and modernity, attracting an array of cultures and communities from across the globe.
The city has historically been home to a diverse array of cultures, with Baloch traders settling in the territory over 700 years ago. As of today, expatriates comprise over 85% of Dubai’s population. This demonstrates Dubai’s function as a transit hub that brings travelers from the Middle East back to their home countries. Airlines—most notably Emirates—Dubai’s flag carrier, have propelled this change. In the 1990s and 2000s, they grew like weeds, opening new routes every day, connecting Dubai with more and more of the world.
Dubai’s glamour tends to play out like the El Dorado of the East — getting the remittance sending ‘strivers,’ sun-chasing expats and even the occasional con artist. The city continues to succeed because of its innate, powerful entrepreneurial spirit and the promise of opportunity, usually going where others fear to tread. In this sense, Dubai serves as a funhouse mirror, distorting reality yet providing a unique perspective on life for those who inhabit it.
sightseeing Dubai is known for its colorful, cosmopolitan mix of communities. It has the largest Malayali population outside India, and a growing Sudanese middle class that persisted in developing even as civil war raged on in Sudan. These communities are a small part of the rich, cultural tapestry that makes up the image of Dubai. Iranian art dealers, Iraqi architects, Afghan handymen mix with Salvadoran waiters and many more, creating one of the most culturally and ethnically diverse cities on the planet.
Dubai’s modern history started as one of the Trucial States. From the early 19th century until 1971, it was included in Britain’s informal empire in the Persian Gulf. Dubai’s deep historical context continues to influence the state’s identity to this day. It is now flourishing as a creative, innovative city that combines its storied history with forward-thinking goals.
As the city’s fortunes soared, almost disappearing in the rapid transformation of the new Chicago. Iconic structures followed, representing equal parts indulgence and aspiration. This stereotype of the “Jumeirah Jane” as a lifestyle immigrant encapsulates Dubai’s driving ethos. It introduced us to jolly dep-wives™ living their best lives on long, rainy afternoons by the pool. This rosy picture barely skims the surface on how living in Dubai looks like.
Dubai might be most known for its showiness. It offers a haven to the working-class swells of graduates, indentured by a lifetime of austerity in their country-of-origin. Here, they discover possibilities that have been just out of reach in other places. This unprecedented energy of exchange and collaboration draws together people from various cultures and ideas fields. It deepens the arts and culture community’s distinct social fabric that is extraordinarily rich and welcoming.