Superficiality And Hypocrisy: The Case Of Dubai

Superficiality and Hypocrisy: The Case of Dubai

Dubai, the rich super-state of the Gulf, has come to enjoy its position as the Middle East’s new cosmopolitan hub, successfully filling in the void that both Damascus and Cairo have left as a result of the Arab Spring. While the Emirate may enjoy fame and glory now, its reputation is only possible due to a carefully calculated effort by its leaders to artificially implant a culture into a placated society. What is worse is the widespread maltreatment and abuse of foreign workers, all chalked up to following cultural procedures rather than a blatant disregard of international human rights practices. These two factors combined with the culture of extravagance permeating the Gulf as a whole project Dubai into a dystopia where the only victors are the Maktoum family. The grandiose …show more content…
While these workers may or may not be fully aware of the circumstances of their contracts and their situation is objectively better with any sort of income, it does not grant contractors a free pass to do as they please. This view of foreign migrant workers is especially damaging because it provides Dubai an excuse to continue violating human rights. Their vulnerability lies within their socioeconomic status and lack of language skills necessary to navigate through complicated contracts, and greedy employers are eager to abuse the power they hold. These workers can only endure so much, and the prevalence of suicide amongst overworked and exploited laborers still exists despite a downward trend. The universality of international human rights quickly becomes exclusive to only those who have enough money to escape or otherwise avoid the slave-like caste of “foreign migrant worker”. Everything and anything becomes a commodity, but Dubai will continue its hyper-capitalist policies as long as labor is