Dubai dreams: inside the kingdom of bling

Prologue: The Kingdom of Bling

In the prologue, Barrett points out the various ways in which Dubai differs from its Arab neighbors, particularly hotspots like Iraq, Lebanon and the Holy Land. For all its problems, Dubai and, to some extent, others of the Emirates have distinguished themselves in many positive ways. He also mentions the ambitious building projects, noting that much of this growth is in trouble these days (Barrett, pp. 203). He ends this section by alluding to the sheer diversity of Dubai, preparing us for the chapters to come which discuss the various foreign communities which make up the modern city of Dubai including Iranians, Indians, Filipinos, Bengalis, Westerners, and others.

Starting from ski hills to marketplaces, seven-star guesthouses to émigré employment, Dubai is a metropolitan state of extravagances. Raymond Barrett has been there, perceived it and inscribed about it in this charming and revealing portrayal of the factual Dubai. The book gives fascinating insights into the unique intersection of politics, business, religion and culture in the region, all told in a creative nonfiction style through the personal experiences of the author and his intriguing encounters with a motley cast of locals and ex-pats (Barrett, pp. 203). The most significant aspect of the book is that, the author's eloquence and gift for gripping story-telling, which made the book an instant page-turner. By the end of it, not only did the reader feel like he had learned a lot about Dubai and the Middle East, but also that he had been thoroughly entertained.

Chapter 1

Dubai has developed as the catchphrase for everything thing novel, impressive and very bling - a millionaire's dream world and a sanctuary for international emigrants auspicious a fictional terrestrial of untaxed entertaining, sun and wickedness. In under a peer group, this small city-state on the Arabian Gulf has been converted from a somnolent smuggler's harbor to a comprehensive monetary and entertaining center base to a quantity of international archives, comprising the world's highest structure, the principal artificial isle and the largest shopping mall. Moderately than just desert Sheikhs and designer-clad Emiratis, Raymond Barrett also comes upon a faint combination of expats - Iranians, Ethiopians, Indians, Afghans, British and Chinese - all existing in their personal dream of Dubai (Barrett, pp. 203).

Chapter 2

With a host of -somehow wistful- characters, this book takes us through the author's unique perspective of the myriad dreams that shape this complex city. Dubai residents - Pakistani taxi drivers, Emirati Sheikhs, enterprising Persian businessmen, Ethiopian sisters, South Asian construction workers and former Dubai historians; flood into and mingle across each other's "narratives" easily, and yet with unflagging curiosity. Raymond Barrett investigates these intersections, highly successfully, I might add, to answer in a way, his own question -posed earlier in the book who has experience is essential, whose life to talk about? Falling into conversation with just about all kinds of dreamers, Barrett paints a compelling mosaic of a city old and new, constant and changing, familiar and different, localized ...