5 things I learnt from Dubai
While planning our 2015 family holiday, we had three options in mind – the gorgeous Mauritius island or the exotic country of Sri Lanka or the arid land of desserts in the Middle-east i.e. Dubai. Insanity prevailed and we decided to go to Dubai! In hindsight, it was an excellent choice – a holiday that totally relaxed the entire family and also, gave me some food for thought in hindsight.
So, why would a trip to Dubai inspire me to write a blog? Let me share my description of Dubai and the transformation of Dubai to help explain more.. In a nutshell, Dubai is one of the seven emirates which forms the country of United Arab Emirates and the city of Dubai has transformed from an dessert city into a superb mega city in the duration of less than 40 years.
As an analogy, I think of Dubai like a below average-looking teenager who didn’t have the best natural looks given to her at birth. She struggled in comparison with her peers because she didn’t have any charming features to make anyone notice her. But she had three things – determination to look the best, the brain’s vision of how to achieve it and finally, money (lots of money!).
And using this, she was able to transform herself from a below-average teenager into a super-hot lady. She had to do under the knife multiple times to ensure all her body-attributes are not only noticeable also outperforming the others around her. And all these surgeries have given her a tremendous positive change!
So, what did I learn from Dubai as part of my holiday? Here is the list of my top 5.
1. Dream big and invest all that you got – people, resources and money!
30 years ago, Dubai was synonymous to a dessert. The one true resource they had was very hard working people who survived extreme temperatures and lived a simple life. And then, one day, Dubai had a vision – a vision to transform this simple, arid city into a mega-city and they decided to put in all that they had. It might sound simple but getting the citizens to share the vision and also, create the financial capability to do this successfully for multiple decades is no minor achievement in itself.
2. Great planning bundled with a greater vision can transfer a dessert into a mega-city (quite literally!)
No amount of vision can be successful without efficient planning. Following a top-down approach and ferocious planning, Dubai started the journey of transforming itself. Every minor detail was planned – and it was definitely required as they went on to build some of the best landscapes in the world!
3. Don’t stop on your first piece of success. With every success, think bigger, better and grander!
Plenty of times, one minor success can lead to a feeling of achievement which can disturb the bigger pictures and can threaten to impact the long term vision. But with a Dubai, the first bit of success was just a starting point. As years rolled by, their skyline kept growing at a pace very difficult to imagine and with a variety that not many cities in the world can boast about.
Today, Dubai proudly boasts about the world’s tallest building, an artificial indoor ski slope and man-made islands shaped like the world. Dubai’s fleet of police cars includes a $2.5 million Bugatti Veyron and a $500,000 Lamborghini Aventador.
4. Don’t let short-term benefits make you sell out long-term profits – selling vs renting out
As a skyline grew, Dubai had to make a choice – a choice which can be tricky if not thought through patiently. Whether to sell out the new houses and workspaces being build or to simply rent them out. And they made a conscious effort to keeping selling to a minimum.
Only a few constructions are part of the free-zone which means that they can be sold to any foreign investor. All other constructions are owned by the government which means that that is one of the strongest a way of generating revenue for the government for multiple years to come.
5. Don’t forget your past – benefits to Emiratis
With the growth of Dubai, prosperity started coming into Dubai and there was massive growth. And the government did its bit by ensuring all locals, the Emiratis, are given some amazing benefits.
The government benefits that Emiratis have long enjoyed would be unthinkable in most of the world: Tax-free income. Free high-quality health care. Subsidized fuel. Generous government-funded retirement plans. Access to land to build homes with interest-free loans. Free higher education, even when pursued abroad.
