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Party like it’s 1999
by This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it on Friday, 21 November 2008Posted on Thursday, 27 November 2008
Arrogance & pride blind people
Posted by A.L.S at 08:54 UAE time
Saeed , A good citizen can realize when something had been done wrong! You just said that Niger or Somalia have real problems - yes its very true! They suffer from poverty and war but Dubai having a lavish party in Millions does not help them does it!!!!! You are blinded by your own arrogance, greed and pride! Dubai is nothing spectacular when the money is gone! The Atlantis in the Bahamas had to fire +-800 staff members because of the financial crises = 800 people could have still jobs to feed their families and remove them from poverty!!!
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Posted on Wednesday, 26 November 2008
Atlantis
Posted by sid at 22:30 UAE time
You're not actually getting paid for writing this nonsense, are you?
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Posted on Tuesday, 25 November 2008
Journalists in Denial
Posted by Hamza Nihal at 13:25 UAE time
I think youre in complete denial. As is the govt and the resort. Journalists expose, they don’t cover up.
I hope to see better quality emerging from GCC websites and I am sorry to say I am utterly disappointed with your synopsis.
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Singapore....Dubai no comparison
Posted by FooBoy at 09:44 UAE time
Saeed I've lived in both Singapore and Dubai - no comparison I'm afraid. Dubai is a Singapore wannabe!
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Devil's advocate
Posted by Shahida Qusaiss at 08:38 UAE time
I don't mind someone taking a contrarian view - sometimes it can make you rethink an orthodoxy. But it's got to be well done.
This column really lowers your otherwise very high standards.
FYI Shaheed - we all support Dubai - we are living here, it is our country. That does not mean we have to be slavish and blind and agree with everything 'positive' we read.
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Posted on Monday, 24 November 2008
Atlantis Opening
Posted by Colin Addison at 13:54 UAE time
The cost of this excess far outweighs, feeding millions without food
I wonder how much good $20,000,000.00 would have gone feeding
those with nothing, i will think of that next time i buy a packet of fireworks?
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It's not if you spin or lose...
Posted by Fahad at 13:26 UAE time
"This though would be missing the point. The cost of the world’s most lavish hotel opening party was not just an ego trip for the resort’s owners, or even a marketing stunt to push up its revenue per average room."
Seriously? Does the author expect us to lay down our logic and accept that this was anything other than a 6 hour ego massage session?
The fireworks were impressive, I am glad I got to see them. But, and I am sure that this was repeated on beaches and balconies across Dubai, every time another globe of sparkles went up, someone said, 'there goes another job'. Or something to that effect.
Just because you put on a great pantomime, doesn't mean the people don't realise that it is just an act.
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WHAT?????
Posted by Tani at 13:01 UAE time
Saeed, I think it is commendable that you support Dubai, and believe me I have lived here for a long time and I am in no way being deliberately negative, but the launch has generated more bad press than good, which is not a good thing, Rob what are you going on about? I actually laughed when I read this article, it was a joke right?
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Thanks Rob
Posted by Saeed Ali at 09:39 UAE time
Thanks Rob for a wonderful article. A huge section of foreign media is trying to undermine Dubai by reporting on negative things. Even the real estate market was targetted by them which led to it being affected. They are all envious of Dubai's status as possibly the best city in the world.
We need more journalists like Rob who know the truth about Dubai, rather than negative ones who try to report on real estate and market problems in Dubai. I read a wonderful letter today which said; those who want to criticise Dubai should go to Somalia or Niger where they will find real problems.
Dubai has such a high standard of living that its "problems" are all miniscule and negligible compared to problems in other cities like Singapore or London.
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marketing masterstroke
Posted by richie rich at 09:02 UAE time
Build $1.5 billion
Party $20 million
Average room rate $545
Number of rooms 1,539
If my calcuations are correct - the hotel has to sell every single room out on every single day for the next FIVE AND A HALF years to earn the cost of build and launch back. Genius.
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Posted on Sunday, 23 November 2008
what does this represent?
Posted by Ali at 01:55 UAE time
this party was nothing more than a display of how people in dubai dont value money! Spend! but on things that are worth it... This is was the first and last party for dubai as i dont see anyone here throwing money around as we come into a credit crunch!
whoever thought that this party was taken positively is completely out of this world! i watched coverage on various tv channels and websites and the one thing that was certain... this portrayed arrogance & waste! people around the world looked at this as a display of arrogance...
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Wow reality check PLEASE
Posted by T Crowe Semler at 23:50 UAE time
The Global Economy is interconnected...we will ALL share the pain to some degree...reality..."check please"
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Do me a favour!
Posted by Paul King at 20:53 UAE time
Rob Corder is another Dubai cheer-leader who is only adding to the ever increasing problems this emirate faces. Just like most problems in life, the cure can normally start when you face up to them with honesty. The "masterstroke" worked so well, i think my local Premier Lodge back home in Essex had higher average room-rates than the $1.5b "super resort" last week! The hotel will become Dubai's first big "white elephant." The original Atlantis comes with a "real" beach and has been around for some ten years, so this is just another Dubai attempt at trying to convince the fantasy fans that all things biggest & highest reside right here. Unfortunately the ingredients Dubai needs to fight this economic crisis are best quality, best value and best customer experience and i think these have already left town!
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You are having a laugh!
Posted by Jeff at 18:25 UAE time
I'm not one to spoil a party, but Dubai has real troubles ahead. Costs are escalating, services are falling, bureucracy is increasing and no one smiles at all anymore. The lavish expenditure on a celeb party which:
1) The majority of residents could not afford to attend - and I don't just mean the labourers and taxi drivers - but the Western expats, as everyone is working too hard just to stay still. There are Dubai companies that have not paid their staff for two months now!
2) Were not invited to, as the little people would spoil the false image of glamour and luxury that Dubai is trying to convey. Even the people who have forked out over the odds to live on that ridiculous project, the Palm were placed under house arrest just in case Kylie or Robert de Niro might speak to them and learn what life here is actually like.
Is just a crass and ill timed stab at popularity and a complete inability and state of denial to see what is going on in the real world.
I missed the fireworks as I just zonked out after a hard week, despite having a great vantage point from my hugely overpriced apartment.
I am sick of lying about this 'oasis of prosperity and calm' I think the rest of us should stop propping up the dream too.
Atlantis sunk into obscurity and disappeared from the face of the earth. Is that a premonition for this city? Dubai please grow up and get real!
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the PR hacks need something to cheer
Posted by Paul at 17:33 UAE time
Of course we all know that Dubai is simply super dooper and smashing and fantastic and everyone across the world swoons whenever it comes on TV.
In fact, these very facts were used for the last 3 years to explain why Dubai could not possibly crash. The Dubai fanboys were out in force even as recently as 3 months ago insisting that such a clever and simply smashingly wonderful genius Emirate was special and was completely immune to the global financial crisis.
But the fanboys are not beaten yet. Now we are told that a jolly big firework party will help ensure Dubai triumphs over this little big of turbulence and once again regains its place as the most super smashing fantastic place ever in the history of all mankind.
It is too bad that the US and Europe have not figured out that all the money they are using to prop up banks would be far better spent on some big explosions, if they *really* wanted to help their economy.
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