Snapshot: Dubai, UAE

Snapshots are mini town/city guides for smaller places or cities I have only experienced briefly. Here’s a little snapshot of Dubai.

What are one’s first impressions of Dubai?

Dubai Skyline & Burj Khalifa

What a melting pot! I’ve never seen a city so full of non-nationals. Where are the locals? First impressions: all the guys are Indian and all the girls are Filipina. (Turns out approximately 85% of the population are expats). The skyline is incredible, with the Burj Kalifa, the world’s tallest building, piercing the sky in the distance. Everything is new and shiny. Taxis and food are dirt cheap, too. Overall, the vibe is great. Until you get to the bar at least.

What are the women like?

I was a little disappointed… but only because I was told that Dubai hosts some of the most beautiful women in all the world. While there are supermodels, celebs, billionaire’s girlfriends and other high-flyer’s about, they are few and far between. Dubai is mostly filled with average looking working ants. The Filipinas here are actually worse than what you’ll find in Manila.

You can also meet many Europeans, Africans and FSU (former Soviet Union) girls in the more “normal” bars, but the quality isn’t great. IMO, the African contingent ranked highest in terms of average standard.

Dubai Mall

That said, the best of Dubai is the beautiful Khaliji girls around. (Khaliji means ‘of the gulf’ by the way, a collective term for those from  Saudi, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait and Qatar). A lot of these girls come to let loose from their more conservative countries. You will find these in malls and high end nightclubs. And when I say high end, I mean book a table, suit up, and drop a stack of cash kind of places. If you want quality Arab girls, big baller game is required in Dubai. Don’t be fooled by the hijab, these girls more materialistic than most Western women! Even then, they are f**king hard to get with.  You need solid skills and a bit of luck, too. I recommend romantic-rockstar-currently-converting-to-Islam game. Khaliji chicks are a paradox, they love a fairytale… but they take it up the ass, too. Remember that. They may be the hardest girls in the world to game, but they still have vaginas. Find the 10% that are non-virgins and you’re set.

Many guys online complain about the painful sex ratio in the city (2.73 men to every one female!), but in reality, most of the guys are South Asian economic migrants who are there to make money, so you don’t see them at night. Dubai is fair game if you got game.

Where should I go at night-time?

The ATM—because partying in Dubai will cost you a small fortune. The cheapest beer will still set you back $8-$10. Stock up at the duty free and pre-drink if you’re on a budget.

The Irish Village

Anyway, where to go? That is the question. You basically have three types of places. The first is “normal” bars/clubs, like the Irish Village and Rock Bottom – both of which I’d recommend. They have live music and moderately priced drink. The Irish Village is  consistently busy, while Rock Bottom’s is a weekend hit. (After 11pm it supposedly gets a few air hostesses in as well… but we left too early).

The next is the freelancer bars, which are usually filled with hookers, each bar specializing in a nationality. They are fun for about 20 mintues, but they get annoying. It’s difficult to shore here as the girls are hardcore. Public displays of affection are often not permitted  Plus, these clubs usually have entrance fees and beers are $12 up. Not cool. Ratskys in the biggest Filipina club and worth a glance for the experience.

The final type of place is the high-end nightclubs, which attracts all the high-rollers, hotties, air hostesses, and moneyed Khaliji girls. Expect to pay a hefty entrance fee if you’re a man, and then go to bar and pay up to $20 for a bottle of Heineken. Armani typifies this kinda of place, but I’ve heard it’s very pretentious.

Try somewhere else. Some local Khaliji girls recommended Mahiki and Crystal. (Especially the former).

Any other recommendations?

The only thing more amazing than the architecture is the shopping malls, which are unrivaled in size. You could spend days in these commercial wonderlands. And with little if no historical sites, and the sweltering heat outside, the likes of Dubai Mall is actually your best bet for a fun day out—with aquiriams, ink rinks, cinemas and food courts that would make you want to move in.

Bottom Line

Pity about the price of booze. Otherwise, this would be one of the world’s slickest cities.

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