Five lessons from Dubai
Carrying a total of about 300 passengers and crew from the Kotoka International Airport in Accra, Emirates flight EK 788 touched down at exactly 6.12 a.m. local time, ahead of my much-anticipated training programme with The Trainee Bee consultants based in the Arabian Peninß∑sula.
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The tales of the Dubai Airport being one of the biggest, busiest, and most modern came alive to me with surprise and shock.
The frequent traveller in me was totally lost in the efficiency and precision that greeted me from the grand airport to my hotel in the Wyndham Dubai Deira. These five lessons have left an indelible mark on my memory and will resonate with me for a lifetime.
a) Transportation system
The Dubai Metro, unarguably one of the best and most efficient in the world, is organised with the precision of the goldsmith.
Moderately priced to accommodate the pockets of everybody, including the millions of tourists who pour into this city every year, the Metro operates until midnight every day of the week.
The taxis are operated with luxury ultra-modern vehicles that make the supposedly rich visitors from other countries soberly reflective and humbled. I will give the Dubai City Transportation Department 100 per cent score for efficiency!
b) Dubai Mall
I have read a lot and watched documentaries on the Dubai Mall, but as the sages say,'seeing is believing’ so I told myself that I had to experience the Mall. I set out from my hotel room in the Deira City Enhancement Project enclave to the mall with the expectation of a pregnant woman induced for delivery.
I got in at about 3.00 pm local time, and my desire to try to feast my eyes on everything from the bookshops, Dubai Cinema, Dubai Aquarium, and all the world’s top brands at one square made me forget on my first visit that the Dubai Metro was going to close by 12.00 midnight.
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The vastness of the place made me conclude that every visitor needs at least three to four full days to fully explore all the shops and brands in the Dubai Mall.
c) Burj Khalifa
I know you have heard of the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, but this architectural masterpiece is one of the highest heights of human conquests.
Standing in the quiet elevator that whisked us to the 125th observatory floor of this world-beating building is an out of the world feeling that every tourist must experience in a lifetime. I leaned on all the glass cladding on the 125th floor to have a panoramic view of the whole Dubai City. It was breathtaking and awe-inspiring.
d) Dubai Fountain
The cinematic view of the ambience created by this man-made beauty of glamour totally made me lost in my thought for the few hours I spent in the Pizza Hut restaurant at the foot of the fountain.
It was an experience worth repeating, so I decided to visit the fountain again and again just to condition my mind that it was neither a dream nor a fairy tale.
e) The people
With what I saw in my short business visit here, I have come to one conclusion, and that is summed up in one sentence. Arabia and China are leading the way with futuristic advancements, evident in their infrastructure and technological innovations, surpassing the global pace by years.
It feels like they are living in the year 2036 while the rest of the world are living in 2024. Don’t listen to the stories you hear on traditional media.
These people are taught just to ‘do it’, and they are applying their all, building a future that is secure and safe for their citizens and attracting the best from the world, guaranteeing a prosperous future for their nations.
It is important to note that Dubai is home to a staggering 14 million residents, with 11 million being expatriate workers and only three (3) million being indigenous Emiratis.
The writer is a Ghanaian-based banking professional, journalist and politics enthusiast. He can be reached @ maximus.attah@gmail.com.