UAEs niceties

Of course there’s a lot more sunshine than in Germany. Unfortunately often accompanied by varying degrees of humidity or dust. Or both. Or just very hot, like two days ago, when the Quecksilber climbed up to 36.5C. At 8:30 pm, wohlgemerkt. All that in a suit.
















But sometimes the weather is just beautiful. As it has been today: 28C, light breeze, sunshine. And a watteroter sunset.

UAE's oddities

permanent shopping mall decoration from the 80ies.
(They're doing better nowadays.)

Traffic in the UAE

in case you wondered why the NCAP rating is the most important feature for me when renting a car...

that's where i'm staying, btw...

Oriental Hotel Apartments in what is generally called the "Pizza Hut" building.
What you can't see: besides Pizza Hut, there's a TGI Friday's, a Hardee's (Carls Jr. for those on the west coast) and a KFC. Everything you need for a healthy diet...

nachtrag

Abu Dhabi System

Your neighbour (Dubai) has two cows. You observe what they are doing, make a vow to create a more substantiated approach and, after one or two years, create a ministry. That ministry creates two secondary authorities, one in charge of milk, the other in charge of cows. Just when the two authorities have come up with an extensive (but in no way coherent or efficient) bureaucratic process that allows the production and sale of milk, the ministry of labour request for an emiratisation. Since cows aren't native to the Emirates, cows subsequently aren't allowed after all. The ministry and its two athorities alter their operations to fit this new situation.

understanding the region

DUBAI SYSTEM:
You have two cows. You create a website for them and advertise them
in all magazines. You create a Cow City or Milk Town for them. You
sell off their milk before the cows have even been milked to both
legitimate and shady investors who hope to sell the non-existent milk
for a 100% profit in two years time. You bring Tiger Woods to milk the
cows first to attract attention.

QATARI SYSTEM:
You have two cows. They've been sitting there for decades and no one
realizes that cows can produce milk. You see what Dubai is doing; you
go crazy and start milking the heck out of the cows in the shortest
time possible. Then you realize no one wanted the milk in the first
place.

BAHRAINI SYSTEM:
You have two cows. Some high government official steals one, milks
it, sells the milk and pockets the profit. The government tells you
there is just one cow and not enough milk for the people. The people
riot and scream death to the government and carry Iranian flags. The
Parliament, after thinking for 11 months, decides to employ ten
Bahrainis to milk the cow at the same time to cut back on
unemployment.

KUWAIT ISYSTEM:
They do not have cows. Milk is imported since no locals can or would
milk a cow.

SAUDI SYSTEM:
Since milking the cow involves nipples the government decides to ban
all cows in public. The only method to milk a cow is to have a cow on
one side of the curtain and the guy milking the cow on the other.

OMANI SYSTEM:
You have two cows. After a huge public speech in which you declare
cow milking as a landmark initiative and appointing a new government
body in charge of cow milking. You first spend a year doing nothing,
then you spend 1 year on planning to milk them properly and safely,
another one year to get the proper ministry approvals to milk them. By
the time you actually get around to milking the cows, the cows are
dead.