My Trip To Dubai
Last week, I attended a technology conference in Dubai. I boarded a United Airlines plane in Newark, New Jersey, and headed for the desert (direct flight). The flight was around 12 hours, the longest flight I've ever been on, beating the previous longest flight by about 3.5 hours.
I enjoyed my time in Dubai. The skyscrapers and architecture are very impressive. I met a lot of interesting people at the conference. Perhaps my favorite part of the trip was the Kite Beach and bathing in the waters of the Persian Gulf. Below are my thoughts/reflections from this trip.
1. I understand why people spend exorbitant amounts of money on first class seats.
Sitting in economy on a long flight to the other side of the world was not the best experience. To date, this was the longest flight I've ever been on (beating the previous longest flight by around 3 and a half hours). I was lucky to have the window seat and an interesting neighbor in the seat next to me, but it's still a less than ideal experience.
2. Dubai International Airport is very impressive.
Everything is shiny, massive, and new. The marble floors are buffed to the max. Terminal 3 has eight "SKYTRAIN" observation elevators that can carry 120 passengers and nine tons. These elevators are the largest passenger capacity observation elevators in the world. There's a duty free area where you can buy goods without paying tax. There are plenty of lounge chairs for you to relax in (and fight for access to charging stations for your devices).
3. Cell phones are the WORST distractions on the planet.
When I got dropped off near my AirBnB, all of my attention was on my phone, trying to get in touch with my host. While I was furiously typing on my phone, I forgot that I had a piece of luggage in the trunk that included my clothes for the week (a suit, a blue blazer, two white dress shirts, several very comfortable dress socks, a pair of leather dress shoes, and more). I didn't realize this until ten minutes later when I found my accommodation and the taxi had driven away. Unfortunately, I didn't use Uber (or Careem, which is the Dubai version of Uber), so I didn't have the contact information of the driver. Dressed in a tee shirt, shorts, and sneakers, thoughts of me showing up at the conference the next day severely underdressed for the occasion entered my head. For about 5 - 10 minutes, I was very upset.
Then I said to myself: panicking will not help the situation. Once I was connected to the WiFi in my accommodation, I searched for a menswear shop in Dubai. Luckily, there was one that was open within a half mile of where I was staying. I found a suit that I liked and they tailored it for me right then and there.
I filed a lost and found claim with the Dubai Airport and they collected very detailed information about what happened. My luggage hasn't been found as of this writing, and I don't expect for it to turn up, but will be pleasantly surprised if it does.
4. Fun Fact: Oil production in Dubai only accounts for less than 1% of the city's GDP.
The airport in Dubai, the busiest airport in the world, accounts for more than oil does.
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