It feels like any other [Western] democracy with free speech, high tolerance and somewhat laxed rules. Until Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Prime Minister and Vice President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and the ruler of Dubai, wakes up on the wrong side of his bed and decides to cancel all New Year celebrations! 8 am and we're enjoying a nice breakfast when Radio 2 announces that all public events and fireworks are off, in solidarity and sympathy of Palestine, just bombed by Israel. That's sort of when you realize that we live in the Arab world of dictatorship, however benign it may appear.
By 11 am the ban was extended to all hotels and night clubs. Every major hotel and spa had arranged New Year dinner packages for minimum 500 dirhams per person - so we were happy that we didn't buy into one of those but instead had plans to go to the Maartensen Palm Jumeirah home for dinner and drinks. Poor Tomkat and Beckhams, who were all in for the giant Atlantis hotel bash....sticking Victoria's parents in his Palm home on frond K, villa number...well I better not publish which number in case the paparazzi show up; while he and the Mrs frolicked around with Tom and Katie in the quiet and foggy night! Must have been sheer disappointment! We did invite them to the party on frond O, but they must have gotten lost in the palm tree layout.
All hotel management had emergency meetings by 4pm and there were talks of court petitions - but I'm pretty sure the Sheikh rules the courts too so there was no rescue in sight. When the clock struck twelve midnight I think it was only the Maartensens and their guests who could be heard through Dubai, singing Irish, Swedish, Scottish and Australian bar songs. It was quite an international gathering and we had a blast (and a tad too much champagne)!
Arriving back at the penthouse around 2.30am we discovered that we had new neighbors, if just for one night. A couple of guys had rented the penthouse next door for 2 days to host a cocktail party and it was in full swing when we decided to introduce ourselves. Should have said stop after the champagne...but nooo! 4 am we literally rolled into our penthouse and I didn't get out of bed until this morning (where did January 1st go??) after hugging a certain porcelain unit for several hours. Brutal but fun New Years celebration topped only by the relaxing today at the roof top pool. We are still enjoying 85 F and sunny days.
Many people here feel terrible about the raids in Palestine but somehow I doubt the somber and rather impromptu decision by the Sheikh had any effect among the expatriate community, which out-number the local Emiraties by three at least. We just made our own private parties and tried for a few hours to forget we live in a restricted climate which normally is not that irrational.
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