Dubai is the most open city to visit in the Middle East, and is home for millions of expats from across the world. The diverse population of the city is a reminder for us that no matter where you come from, what color of your skin is, how much money you have, we’re all one in our deepest core. We’re all one searching for our dreams, finding our happiness, and making the most of our lives.
Despite the mixed and different cultures that exist in the city, Islam is still the main religion practiced in the country. Their policies and regulations are strongly influenced by Islamic Law.
I’ve heard stories of people who were sent to jails for petty violations. I read how strict their rules are for both expats and locals. I knew that the uncharted territory I was about to embark upon was different from where I grew up. And so I was frightened when I first set my foot in the city.
But as I spent the next seven days walking around on my own, occasionally high-fiving children I came across on the streets, and smiling to strangers I didn’t know a thing about – I learned that the world is actually a safe place.
READ: The Important Things Backpacking Solo Has Taught Me
I learned that a lot of people have big, soft hearts. I learned that the media was setting me up to be scared about the world for no reason at all, while growing up. I learned that everyone has a kind, gentle soul regardless of our differences in language, in lifestyle, and in upbringing.
It was how Dubai changed my perspective about the world, about us.
I was inspired by so many hard-working people who helped build the city from nothing to be one of the most famous cities in the world.
I felt brand new whenever I walked below these shiny, tall, futuristic-designed buildings. I was in awe of their efficient train system. I was impressed by how clean the major parts of the city are. I was amazed by their record-breaking infrastructures such as “The Burj Khalifa,” which is known as the tallest city in the world, “Dubai Mall,” which is the biggest shopping center in the world, and “Burj Al Arab”, the only 7-star hotel and tallest one in the world.
It’s hard to imagine how a city that was originally covered in dessert turned into a modernized haven that almost all people in the world are intrigued to see and experience. But they did it. They worked day and night, and they never stopped until they turned their visions into actuality.
Whether it is skydiving, scuba diving, skateboarding, snowboarding, mountain climbing, desert trekking, Dubai has got you covered. You don’t even have to travel to different parts of the world to experience adventure. The city has an indoor ski/snow park that is open all year long, even during the summer season when the weather can go as bad as 52.1 celsius.
My Dubai tourism slogan low-key screams, “We make everything possible”— which they have proven when they created their man-made islands, and now a man-made river. Dubai is the kind of place that will allow you to grow, to change, and to discover yourself. It is the city that even if you go back to your own country, you know you will never be the same again.
So if you’re like me, who still can’t find a home I can call as my own, Dubai is a great jump-start for you to know yourself more. Allow yourself to get lost in this city that promises to turn your fantasy into reality.
–
For more of my work, you can like my Facebook page Angelo Caerlang – writer at https://www.facebook.com/Angelo-Caerlang-Writer-976410532504009/
