Faithful readers will know of my obsession with Dubai, first occasioned by my meeting a man with a name tag that said Sultan who turned out to be the Crown Prince of Dubai. Honest!! So I did look to the City State to see how they were handling the virus outbreak. IMPRESSIVE, particularly compared to this stupid country as reported in yesterday’s blog. This from Gulf News, who commented that there is a lot of negativity from Western sources for some unknown reasons. I quote from the article that challenges that we Americans and the stance taken by others (not by me by the way.) Dubai is doing a great job but instead they are being attacked. Excuse Me.
“That job has become even more challenging due to Dubai’s status as a global travel hub, attracting millions of people from every corner of the globe through the world’s busiest international airport. It’s therefore commendable that Dubai has demonstrated utmost transparency in dealing with the ever-evolving situation around the coronavirus outbreak – sometimes at a significant cost to its immediate commercial prospects.
Some milestone events and conferences have been cancelled or postponed with people’s safety and health being the topmost priority for the leadership. Health authorities continue to work with international bodies and experts round the clock to offer the maximum levels of care to all communities.
From exploring viable solutions with Bill Gates for a cure to setting up the humanitarian city in two days, the UAE and Dubai remain ever vigilant of their shared responsibility in the war against coronavirus.
Of course, Dubai is not alone in facing up to the disastrous impact of the coronavirus. From Los Angeles to London and Lombardy, San Francisco to Seoul and Milan to Malta, iconic images and video clips of supermarket raids, empty shelves and long queues of panic-buying have taken the world by storm.
Meanwhile, in Dubai, malls continue to attract shoppers. Public transports are full of people. Google Maps still turns a deep red for the evening commute from Dubai to Sharjah.
eople still jostle for space on Karama sidwalks and queue up for karak tea in alleys of Jumeirah. The humdrum of daily life continues mostly unchanged.
And that’s not good news to some vested interests in the Western press, who routinely revel in spreading fake news and smear campaigns about the UAE and Dubai.
That viral picture of an empty Dubai creek without any vessels? That’s as dangerously fake as the systematic smear campaign against Emirati products last year. Both Deira Wharfage and Al Hamriyah Port continue to function as normal with additional precautions in place.
Those whispers about the lack of any thermal checks at Dubai Airport? That’s also equally irresponsible – since Dubai Airports has put in place extremely unobtrusive measures in place for thermal scanning of every traveler since the beginning of the outbreak. It’s so discrete that many people perhaps never even realized they were being screened.
Dubai has always stood out for its resilience in the face of adversity – whether in facing global financial challenges or natural disasters. Its journey from the desert to one of the world’s most awe-inspiring cities was built on a bedrock of resilience and integrity.
Today, faced with the unprecedented battle against a virulent virus, this cacophony of vile rumours only serves to strengthen Dubai’s determination to be a responsible partner in the global war against coronavirus while protecting the health and safety of its residents.”
Compare that with the absolute mess that exists in this country. The worse response to this crisis of any nation in the developed world. So perhaps dictatorships, or perhaps monarchies, are not a bad idea. Dubai has gotten things done, despite the fact they are ruled by the Ruler of Dubai who has been proven not to be such a nice guy. But he does not appear to do anything, the Crown Prince of Dubai does everything, and I do mean everything. The ROB said in his defence, not showing up in the UK High Court, that he was busy ruling his country. I see no evidence whatsoever of that, none. The Crown Prince does everything. ROD shows up for horse races and ceremonial event. And unfortunately, I have become an expert on what goes on in Dubai. I do laugh at this point.
But those who love my light-hearted self will be amused at this true story. I am in my London hotel, sitting on my bed with the 14 year old sister of the Crown Prince of Dubai and the child of the ROD. She seriously says to me.
She: Granny Alexis. You have to do this. 1. Stop swearing
- Stop drinking 3. Wear a head scarf and, perhaps, become a member of the Islamic faith.
Me: Ok, I guess.
But this is what makes it funny. I relate this true story to CPI who has great wisdom.
She: But even if you did all of those things, what would be the reward or the eventual benefit to you? Being asked to give up part of your identity in many ways.
Me: You are so brilliant yet again. I never asked! I guess I assumed but I never asked. Why give up things – which I readily could, by the way, for the promise of nothing.
And as things have recently shown, since the publication of the allegations against the ROB – I do not think I want to be a part of that family. Well, be a woman in that family.
So there! So there! So there!
I have been declared by a certain individual to be the strongest person he has ever known. The Royal Family of Dubai desperately needs a strong female presence but major and drastic changes would have to be made.
