# Dubai Reality



## Andy Capp (Oct 5, 2008)

Now I've seen bits of this before, but never all of it including the pics.

Salient reading?

Dubai Reality


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## Iron Horse (Apr 10, 2008)

Andy Capp said:


> Now I've seen bits of this before, but never all of it including the pics.
> 
> Salient reading?
> 
> Dubai Reality


It's old. I can remember reading this over two years ago. While it has some factual evidence, it reads more like someone telling a friend about Dubai and they pen a story about it.....................but now, with photos.


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## Elphaba (Jan 24, 2008)

Johan Hari usually writes for The Independent (in the UK) and did a couple of long pieces about Dubai 18 months ago. This one seems familair, so it think it's just a rehash with (stock) photos as iron Horse says.

I have been to labour camps and in most there are usually 3 guys in a room. Not spacious and no privacy, but they don't all sleep on top of each other on the floor. The facilities are basic with communal bathrooms and Kitchen, but most of the guys are actually OK with this, provided they are paid properly and get to go home each year. This may sound surprising, but I have spoken to many at length about their conditions and they just shrug and say they don't mind sharing etc as long as they are treated well and paid. In every case looking after their families is their priority. 

I am certainly not saying the conditions are good (I have photos), but for most labourers they are better than a few years back. AD even has new rules about minimum conditions, which sadly, some employers are complaining about. Some of this new accommodation is called a'construction village' rather than a labour camp in an attempt to improve conditions all round.

There is an insurmountable gulf (pun intended) between how these men live and how the wealther expats and locals live and there will never be parity. Life simply is not fair like that, but what matters is that these guys are given decent accomodation, fed and paid well and are treated properly.

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## sdh080 (Jan 20, 2010)

Andy Capp said:


> Now I've seen bits of this before, but never all of it including the pics.
> 
> Salient reading?
> 
> Dubai Reality


It's an old Johann Hari article that was originally in the Independent if I remember correctly.

Can't say I've ever agreed with much he's written, the tree hugging lefty that he is.


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## Gavtek (Aug 23, 2009)

Stopped reading at this point:



> I go to Double Decker, a hang-out for British expats.


Gauging opinions of expats at a Friday brunch at Double Decker is like going to Burger King for a fillet steak with all the trimmings.

Also, the workers they spoke to are desperate to go home but won't strike because they'll get jailed and deported. Problem solved, no?


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## Mr Rossi (May 16, 2009)

Probably the most (in)famous Dubai bashing article. Whatever points were nestled away in that hefty word count, were soon lost by the noxious diatribe and what are obviously just lies - people living in cars, open ecstasy use and striking workers being water cannoned back to work. 

Print newspapers have seen their revenue decline greatly over the years as the internet has grown. While online sites for newspapers still has the readership, advertising revenue has not translated from print to web. 

They last few years has saw newspapers put any hold rubbish online in a bid to get their hit rate and page impression count up, step forward Jan Moir, Richard Littlejohn and the endless hateful bile of The Mail and Express. The Guardian relies on user generated content and as such The Independent was the last bastion of some proper journalism - until this article.

"The secret of successful journalism is to make your readers so angry they will write half your paper for you - C.E.M. Joad"


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