WSJ Blogs

Real-time commentary and analysis from The Wall Street Journal
Baghdad Life
Journal correspondents report on evolving conditions in Iraq

Dubai Trip Brings Iraq Into Focus

By Gina Chon

In the recent past, some Iraqi officials have talked about how they want to make Baghdad or the southern city of Basra into the next Dubai. Well, I just returned from the glamorous hotspot in the United Arab Emirates and I felt like I was in the geographic equivalent of the Bizarro world of Baghdad.

au-fiskerkarmab_it_20080115161227.jpg

A camel caravan passes the Burj Dubai. (Photo: Associated Press)

Dubai is filled with glittering skyscrapers and ostentatious materialism. Famous for the man-made islands that are being built off its coast, Dubai seems to have the attitude that, “If we don’t have it, we’ll pay to make it. And then other people will pay us even more to use it.” I visited the Mall of the Emirates, which is known for its snowy indoor ski slope, lift and sledding hills. The night life is buzzing, and many restaurants and bars are still packed well after midnight. I marveled at how many Bentleys and Ferraris I saw on the road.

Baghdad was only a two-hour flight away, but it seemed like it was on another planet.

Dubai also seems to lack soul and a sense of tradition, but I didn’t really mind that during my week there. I savored the chance to walk around freely, without having to wear body armor or worry about mortar rounds. I didn’t have to go through checkpoints or wait in line to get the car searched or deal with guards wielding rifles. I saw a few helicopters, but they were carrying tourists, not soldiers.

And then I was brought back to my reality.

On the morning that I was scheduled to return to Iraq, I felt like I was already back in Baghdad even though I hadn’t left the UAE. When I arrived at the main Dubai airport terminal, from where all the mainstream airlines fly to mainstream places, I was told that my flight was taking off from another terminal. I headed back to my cab, passing women wearing Nicole Richie-esque sunglasses and carrying Prada and Versace shopping bags.

That was not the scene when I arrived at Terminal 2. There, I saw working-class people in rumpled clothing headed to Afghanistan and security contractors going to Iraq. When I looked at the airport screen to find out information about my flight, I saw planes at this terminal were headed to Tehran, Basra, Kabul and Baghdad, among other places. I was definitely not in Kansas, or Dubai, anymore.

Add a Comment

We welcome thoughtful comments from readers. Please comply with our guidelines. Our blogs do not require the use of your real name.

Comments (4 of 4)

View all Comments »
    • [...] هذا ما ذكر على WSJ لصحفية Gina والتي تغطي الشرق الأوسط وبالتحديد العراق، وتواجدها في للنزهة وذكرت أن المسؤولين في العراق يتمنون أن تكون البصرة كدبي. [الرابط] [...]

    • When will the dollar rebound??? The weak dollar is making it very expensive to travel to Dubai.

    • According to the picture, the city looks like it may have a problem with air pollution. It may just be the way the picture has been taken, or it may be the time of day. I don’t know, but I think the city would be beautiful if the skies wasn’t so hazy.

    • there are some many you need to go and see in dubai, you only visited the famous places.

      Dubaisession.com