Photo by Vedika Khanna, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Dubai and the Desert buildings on the Dubai skyline. He can be seen ideas, passionate, alive, discordant, sitting at the striding across the floors, followed by his edge of The Empty Quarter where the Rub’ Al advisers, in steady discussion about his next Khali meets the sea. As I drive down Al Khael bold move for Dubai’s future. What many do road, I look to my right and see the desert and not know is that he can also be found alone can almost hear my name being called on the in the desert, in quiet contemplation as he soft wind. I look to my left and watch my car reconnects with his land. Tourists have roll by, reflected in the gleaming buildings on stumbled upon him out among the golden the other side of the street. I continue down the straight road, straddling both city and desert, dunes and have been asked to stay to share melding, melting, mixing all around me. MG his water, after which the sheikh strolls off, slipping away as the wind sweeps his footprints Editor’s Note: This article was written in May 2010. clear. Sources: Dubai and the desert have not reached Davidson, Christopher M. Dubai: The Vulnerability of reconciliation yet. Perhaps they never will, and Success. New York: Columbia University Press, perhaps they are not meant to. The Emirate is 2008. a swirl of paradoxes, of clashes between ancient Saunders, David. Dubai: The Arabian Dream. London: sand and new metal, old tradition and new I.B. Tauris, 2004.
The Burj Al-Arab Hotel, built in the shape of a sailboat 35