Dubai World Cup 2009

Dubai World Cup is one of the biggest international sport events in the UAE.

This annual horse racing event of course comes with a world record: it is 'the world's richest horse race', with the winner taking home US$ 6 million. The latest took place last weekend, and more or less by accident, I ended up there - braving the occasional rain.

It certainly is a huge thing for people here - drawing a big crowd, generating extensive media coverage and maybe the biggest collection of B 8, C 1 or similar high-ranking number plates of any given event of the season. Of course, Dubai's leader was present as well (third from left in this picture), honoring the winner. In fact, he created the event in 1996 and owns Darley Stud & Godolphin Racing, which has a reputation as one of the world's leading breeding and racing operations. This team produced the largest number of World Cup winners (four) so far.

To me, it seemed there were a lot of British in the area called Apron View - one for general access, which was apparently made to please people from the island (no offense!), coming complete with a so-called "Irish Village" and ample fish & chips supply. And indeed several specimen (joined by any nationality imaginable) behaved just like in their natural habitats - some women wearing extravagant hats, and many appreciating a steady flow of beer and other drinks.


During the day, there were several other races, which kind of built momentum for the big event in the evening. One race was interesting for me in the sense that the winner was determined only by the breadth of a horse hair in a photo-finish - see the 11th photo here.

I have to admit that, in my ignorance, I totally fail to appreciate the beauty and excitement, as well as the achievements and the shared long tradition of this proud sport.

Not being involved emotionally, it's just horses running in a circle for me. And Lucky Luke's Jolly Jumper is about the only horse I ever felt something like sympathy for. Otherwise, these animals are more in the camel category for me: big, hoofed, large-teethed beings I can never quite classify and which I'm usually happy to observe from a distance. From start to finish, the races only take a couple of minutes, and one looks just like the other for my undifferentiating eye. One is on lawn, another one on dirt, and they vary in terms of distance, sponsors, and price money (and probably all sorts of factors which I totally fail to appreciate). And the shouting of the people is always the same, even though the excitement clearly built towards the more important races at the end of the day.

Maybe the biggest attraction about such events is the social aspect: seeing and being seen, and a lot of socializing and networking going on.

Yes, it does rain in Dubai!

One of the things people come here for is the sun. And indeed, the typical Dubai climate is sunny throughout the year. In summer, it can even be extremely hot, and air humidity can make going outside almost unbearable. Apparently, many people try to spend a part of the summer months outside of the country.

That is the big picture. Now look at the small picture to the left. To win the virtual prize of 10,000 Dhs, answer the following question: "What, in this picture, is actually missing?". The right answer, of course, is "The sun". Now, if you look at the figure for rainfall in March here, you will see it says "10 mm". I had clearly more than that in my shoes after only walking to my car last Thursday evening. What I'm experiencing right now is the third day in a row with cloudy sky, and at least one period of rainfall every day, with a true little storm including some hail last week. And it's supposed not to change much till about April 2 (see also the weather forecast at the end of this page). I'm told this is becoming a regular weather phenomenon around March. But, I'm reassured, the hail is something special! Great. Lucky me.

Time to make alternative plans for spare time activities. Good there are things like Cirque de Soleil in town, which I'm going to see this Wednesday. Who wants beach all the time anyway! Sigh.

Secret of the Numbers

Number plates in Dubai tell you something about the car's owner. And may indeed help you decide how to behave in some traffic situations.

Usually, as you see on the left, the number plates in Dubai carry a letter as well as a number - anything from single-digit to at least five figures (maybe even more, I'm not sure). The number communicates two things. First, the lower the number, the higher up in the public hierarchy the person will be. Second, people with a special number such as, for instance, "A 1111" are most probably rich. Because it costs to have your special wishes catered for. The number plate pictured in this post was supposedly sold for $850,000.

So, if you have started to feel comfortable in Dubai's traffic, pushing and honking your way through the congested roads, you may take that info into consideration. Because it may even get you in trouble if you don't. What I was told is: It might well be that, if you flash your lights at someone driving way to slowly in front of you, it could happen that this person deliberately brakes hard, so that you crash into his car. And if it's someone high up you hit, you will be considered guilty and will have to take care of the damage.

I'm not going to test this. Anyway, I'm more on the slow-but-saf(er) driver side anyway.

The Rulers of Dubai

Every now and then, one is reminded of the rulers of the emirates' key role.

And not just because you see their pictures on certain buildings or on posters, or on the front page of Gulf News - which is, by the way, owned by a ruling family; and it is only recently that a law was passed according to which you don't go to prison anymore if you publish a story against the governments' opinion in that paper. However, I've been told, you would be fined 1,000,000 Dhs. And if you can't pay that, you go to prison anyway. That's at least what I heard, I have no confirmation for this and I am not judging here, I have to emphasize. This, after all, IS a different culture even though one might easily forget this when we marvel at the latest record-breaking projects in Dubai or enjoy ourselves in the countless bars, malls, or beaches of this city.

One powerful reflection of the rulers' importance which I saw just recently: A company, celebrating its 50th anniversary, had booked a full page advertisement in a major daily paper. Half of that page showed all the emirates' rulers. And the text below praised their leadership and vision at length, making the anniversary itself an apparently secondary thing. This told me just how important it is to be liked by those people.

Another example: The other day, when I was zapping through the TV channels in the evening, I saw the screen you see in the picture on City7 - Dubai's local TV channel. Apparently, a member of the ruling family had died. So the program was interrupted, and, along with the freeze image, a prayer was broadcast in Arabic and English.

By the way, if you want to know: Dubai's government operates within the framework of a constitutional monarchy. It has been ruled by the Al Maktoum family since 1833. The current ruler, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, is also the Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and member of the Supreme Council of the Union (SCU).

Serving the Flow

Today, I met Lew Kling, CEO, and Lars Rosene, head of global communications, from Flowserve again - more than two years after I had supported them at trade fair Achema in Frankfurt. It was great to say hello again, and to see them well and the company prosper! Indeed, they inaugurated today what they call a Quick Response Center in Dubai's Jebel Ali Free Zone Area (JAFZA), having just opened another one in Abu Dhabi last Sunday. We helped them with coordinating a few media interviews on-site.

Jafza, by the way, is a 49 square kilometers area in Dubai where it's easier for foreign companies to set up shop and where they enjoy more rights and more freedom. It's located close to Jebel Ali Port, which is the world’s 7th largest seaport. Since Jafza was founded in 1985 (making it one of the first free zones in Dubai), the number of mainly industrial companies there has skyrocketed from 19 to over 6000 in 2007, according to their website. Driving along the dusty roads, I saw many well-known brands from Siemens to GE, and many I had never heard of before.

Flowserve had planned for more than two years to come here. Responding to a Dow Jones question how he felt about the project's timing (due to the current crisis), Lew said: "We feel very comfortable. This facility shows our dedication to support our clients globally as well as locally, and not just in good times."

Al Ain Impressions

Some additional impressions from my past weekend. On Saturday, as I mentioned earlier, I took a bus (which waited until it was full before leaving) to Al Ain - a city in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, which is right at the border to Oman.

Behind this fortress (the picture shows part of the courtyard), they have a famous museum showcasing many fine exhibits from the country's past, ranging from 4000 BC until the early 1900s. Amazing to see the many trading links the UAE have had thousands of years ago, and also how similar some reminders of that era are to what we find in the Mediterranean or even wider Western European region (early weapons, pottery, coins...). Great to see there is a lot of history here, behind the glittering surface. I wonder if maybe even locals sometimes forget that.

Later that day I visited the incredibly green oasis of Al Ain - one of the things I was particularly keen on experiencing here in terms of natural phenomena, along with having a closer look at a desert. The oasis covers a huge area, and the climate is noticeably gentler in there, not as dry, not as hot as outside. They mainly cultivate dates here.

An Omani who showed me around a bit, walking here (picture) in one of the thousands of water channels that form a sophisticated system to supply the date palms with water.

Another highlight - visting the UAE's largest camel market. There must be hundreds and hundreds of these animals, in many shapes, sizes, even colours. Some are meant to be racing camels, some for milking, some for breeding, and some are sold for their meat. Meeting these animals eye to eye is both a great and slightly unsettling experience - as I could not in any way anticipate how they would act the next moment. And they do have big teeth. And one snorted saliva over my guide, with me just barely being able to duck away...

1001 Weekend Drivers

The past weekend was like the essence of Dubai: a lot of variation, a combination of the old and the new, many encounters, full of contradictions.

I spent lazy hours on the beach, had a (mostly) good time with people and live music both Western and from the Middle East, and went on a trip to Al Ain (at the border to Oman) where I saw a lush oasis, old fortresses and the famous Al Ain Museum as well as the biggest camel market in the UAE.

Let me try to take you through the weekend along the numerous encounters with people I had - maybe I start with the drivers. As you may know by now, taking a taxi in Dubai is never boring. Either you have a good personal story or taking you from A to B turns out not as simple as it may seem at first.

One driver said I should not go to the place I intended to Thursday evening (he may not have know the way, who knows?) instead suggesting a place with live music from Lebanon, Shisha at every table, single men all sitting in one area away from families and women, and no Western people at all. For the first time here, I understood nothing at all and felt quite exotic. Though no urge to go and buy Lebanese music, even though I found it culturally interesting.

The first taxi on Friday took me to the beach. The driver - like countless others in Dubai - was from Pakistan. Coming to the UAE because there are not enough jobs in his home country, he's been in Dubai for four years, earning in one month what he would get in ten at home. Like others, he is saving up to go home - hoping to get married.

The next driver was supposed to take me to Slob Fest at Le Meridian Village after a few lazy hours on the beach. Slob Fest is a series of gigs of local and minor international bands outside of a big hotel where you can just go dressed as you are. The driver had no clue where to take me. So I called Time Out Magazine who had failed to give exact information. But nobody there on Friday afternoon. So I called one of the Le Meridien Hotels - and they could help me. Sheezh. The ride back late at night was one of the few without anything memorable.

The next day, Saturday, I went to the Deirah bus station to take a mini bus to Al Ain. The bus has no set time table, instead the driver simply waited until it was full. Which was faster than an Asian woman apparently had hoped: When she arrived, all of the 30 something regular seats had already been taken. And, screeeming, she demanded that a seat be ceded to her from one of the men sitting on places labelled "ladies only" (there are always a few on the buses, at the front near the driver, for convenience). But the driver insisted, quite reasonably, that he couldn't well throw out one of the passengers; so screeming geisha had to make with a small emergency seat, which she only accepted after making it known to anybody within earshot how much she disapproved of that.

Arriving in Al Ain about 1.5 hours later, I first headed to the museum with an adjacent fortress. Maybe I tell you about this another time, as this is now about the drivers.

The next one took me, after a nice stroll through the lush green of the Al Ain oasis and some slightly bizarre encounters with Omani people, to the camel market. As in every other taxi I used in that area, he had no working taximeter, so I had to agree on a price beforehand. And he was also the first to introduce me to a strange local fashion - that of having carpet-like covers for the dashboard. Yiks.

After a tour of the camel market, I wanted to visit the Al Khandaq fortress across the Oman boarder in Buraimi. At first all seemed fine, the price was agreed, we went on our way - not without giving an old friend of the driver a lift. But then I was told that I would not be taken across the boarder, but instead only to Al Ain, where I was to take a taxi from a different company. Ok ...

Finding out the fortress was closed this Saturday, I bought tea and some fresh dates before travelling back. Which was easier said than done. The first taxi stopped - but when I opened the door, someone already sat there (so why did he stop?!); the second didn't want to cross the border (is that fashion here?); the third asked for 100 Dhs, which is four times the usual price for that distance. The fourth finally took me, and for a reasonable price. In the end, I even paid him more, because we got stuck in traffic and seemed so unhappy about his decision to take me across the boarder that I felt I wanted to compensate him a bit. Ah yes. No receipts anywhere here in Al Ain - sorry Carsten!

Late at night I drove back, realizing that my guide book had failed me several times today: the ride to Al Ain had been more expensive, the live stock market had moved to a different place, the fortress I wanted to see was closed - but luckily, there were buses taking passengers back to Dubai, contrary to what the book said I did not have to rely on a shared taxi.

Another weekend full of experiences.