Read Terry's take on yet another racist and sensationlist story on Dubai today over at Wide angles, wine and wanderlust. The Australian media's abysmal coverage on Dubai has stooped to new lows today where a so-called 'investigative' journalist writing for The Age newspaper demonstrates that in the eyes of the Aussie media Dubai is clearly the guilty party after its arrest of Aussies over alleged dodgy property dealings in the city-emirate. I've never read such over-hyped and trashy 'reporting' before. Somebody clearly needs to go back to journalism school. I love the opening: A vision of gleaming new cities in the desert has proved to be a mirage for Australians lured by Middle East riches. Um, not all Australians, thank you very much. On both accounts. Since we moved to the UAE in 1998, we've not seen one mirage, but nor were we "lured by Middle East riches" in the first place. For those of us who came for the cultural experience and quality of life, Dubai has delivered in spades. The Sydney Morning Herald (sister-newspaper to The Age) is no better, with slightly edited story of the beat-up. What I love about this 'report' is the suggestion that 'the Sheikh' (assuming they're implying Sheikh Mohammed) is involved in these shonky dealings. If I was a certain Sheikh I know who I'd be suing. Anyway, take a look at Terry's post...
Monday, March 2, 2009
Ausssie Aussie Aussie! Arrested Arrested Arrested!
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2 comments:
Yes! Haven't the recent international news articles on Dubai been the worst? Amazing. Articles written by "journalist" in the USA and EU make it sound like the global financial crisis started and ends here! Hilarious and pathetic. The UAE, and Dubai especially, does business with the rest of the world, so of course they'll be affected, but don't act as if foolish business practices in the West have nothing to do with it.
(On the other hand, I have seen some more accurate stories that say that laid-off expats are staying on here and looking for a job as long as they can, because there is NOTHING back in their home country. Having move to Dubai from the USA not long ago, that sounds much more accurate.)
Stories about Dubai emptying out and becoming a ghost town have abounded. Some have said that Dubai's normally traffic clogged streets are clear now. I WISH! I tell my concerned friends back in the USA that when that happens I will go out in the street and do a happy dance!
Some of those articles seem to only repeat the stories of some who have tried to get rich quick and failed, as if these people were sensible and level-headed sorts that weren't taking a risk. Foolish.
Fortunately, there seems to be a core of wonderful people here with long term views of life and finance. They make Dubai a marvelous place to live. If others elsewhere are blind to that, then it's just as well that they stay away.
Keep up the great posts!
Hi Daddy Bird
I'm glad you agree!
I'm not in Dubai at the moment (on the road as usual), but my friends there tell me the streets are as traffic-clogged as usual, the malls are full, the restaurants still busy...
And yet I read a bunch of articles in US papers, all seemed based on a syndicated story perhaps, as they all covered the same content - Dubai is a ghost town, the Australians and Americans are evacuating, cars abandoned, and so on. Extraordinary.
There are some fab people there, locals and expats alike, interesting and well-travelled people who've been there a long time and who are there for the long haul... stick with them and you'll continue to love it.
Thanks!
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