Burj Khalifa ..

This week, they inaugurated the tallest building – or structure – built by mankind. And where else would this be other than Dubai, UAE.
For many, especially in the Western nations, Dubai conjures up an image of a wealthy, tolerant oasis in an otherwise hostile region of the world. Those with a business mentality see this as their Mecca, while others marvel at its structures. Meanwhile, there are some of us that think it is the Las Vegas of the East, a mere show of tasteless, oil-fed gaudiness.

I was recently watching a BBC special on this new addition to its soaring skyscrapers. The journalist asked one of the investors whether this building would change Dubai’s image of a soulless city. His answer was typical – it would provide the population with a new place to live, shop, eat, and stare at. So yes, it would provide a heart to this city, thus a soul. Hmmmm. And what population was he speaking of? The Uber-elite Khaleeji Sheikhs or the senseless Western spenders? Of course. Why would he talking about the nonexistent migrant workers, who make up about 75% of the city’s population and serve as the brain and sweat of the emirate’s development? The millions of South Asians, Southeast Asians, and Africans that form the populace are often absent from any advertisement or discussion of Dubai.

So yes, they have built another massive building which can only be visited by the super-wealthy and privileged. And yes, it is a milestone for humankind to build the highest known structure. But at the expense of what? Creating more and more tower of Babels are only making apparent the enlarging gaps amongst humans. The new Burj may provide Dubai with a heart, but it has a long while to secure itself a soul.

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