Today was the day I fell in love with Dubai.
The UAE industrialized their region in a span of 50 years and it’s truly impressive. Today we learned the history of Old Dubai, which in reality is not really that “old”. Dubai relied on trade for many years but then in 1966 oil was struck and instantly made the United Arab Emirates rich. Oil is a scarce resource and will eventually run out, which is why they decided to quickly invest in the infrastructure and technological advances. Once oil can not support them economically, hopes that the new, quickly growing city of Dubai and the UAE can. Today we visited Old Dubai and its museum, which was very interesting, seeing how people lived in this region not many years ago and comparing it to what it is now is mind blowing and overwhelming. Learning the history made me extremely proud and thankful to be here today, this culture and the ambition is amazing.
The world expo 2020 will be held in Dubai, and this is when I realized. I.Love.Dubai. My negative perception on the UAE quickly changed after I was educated on exactly what the world expo was and Dubai’s plans for the expo and post-expo. The UAE is not “dangerous”, it is not “conservative”. These people for many years were uneducated and lived simple, until they discovered resources to thrive. Now they are able to flip the switch and show the world what they truly have to offer. The educator at the expo today said that they want to “bring the glory back to the region”. Bringing the glory of the early days when the Arabs were responsible for many early ideas, innovations and advancements. The Arabs are capable of that again, and want to prove the world and media they are much better than what is portrayed.
Below is a picture of Dubai’s new technology they will introduce at the World Expo.
The UAE and Dubai shocked me and left me overwhelmed. The UAE is a region that had nothing, barely any resources for themselves, survived centuries by trade just boomed. They haven’t stopped booming and show no signs of stopping. Truly inspirational.
Sophia, I would have to agree, this educational experience of learning more about the World Expo 2020 (an exhibition I have never heard about before this day) was indeed eye-opening in so many ways. Not only were we brought into a world of technology, sustainability, culture, and modern living, but the presentation was highly engaging! We all seemed genuinely in awe of the display and goals of this expo for Dubai. Our presenter had a lot to do with this because not only was she relatable, she did speak so eloquently and passionately about this initiative, it was contagious not also to be excited!
ReplyDeleteSitting in that conference area, I realized at that moment what a shame I was so naive before this trip on how I thought of the Middle East and how unfortunate it is to know the real negative stigma of the region is back home. So shout out to World Expo for the impressive presentation and breaking down those barriers for us right from the start of our trip!