9 Things I Learned in Dubai Dubai is an amazing place to see. Its been really popularized lately but the roots and Islamic backgrounded culture run pretty deep and its visible throughout. An average 110 degree desert that is now top notch city. Only a few of my friends have visited there and they all have had a blast, and more should consider it checking it out. Hot!! : Needless to say hot is not the word I would use to describe Dubai, its more like blazing! The beach , the pools, even the water that you thought were going to cool yourself off in, is hot! Pass me the Hookah … What ??? : They don’t call it “Hookah.” It’s called “Shisha,” which sounds like “she-sha.” If you say Hookah they look at you sideways as if you asked them a physics question . Cash Rules Everything Around Me (CREAM) : Dubai is a cash and carry kind of city. I made the mistake of not having cash on me thinking I could get by on the swipe. I hit the ATM, my cards were declined L . Taxis only took cash! Some did have a card swipe machine , but they were either broken or they didn’t know how to use it. My only savior to get around was to use Uber and for anyone that knows me my phone is always dead. If I hadn’t had battery life, I would have literally been stranded there in the heat and left to melt. Premier at EVERYTHING Dubai works really hard to be A1 in everything: Worlds largest indoor aquarium inside the Dubai mall (taking up 3 floors) , the largest Indoor ski mountain, tallest building in the world Burj Khalifa , busiest port in the world, largest man-made islands/peninsulas designed like palms and like the world map, most top shelf hotels, including the seven-star Burj Al Arab! Deals can happen if try The Dollar beats the Dirham 1 to 3.6 and Dubai prices are both high-end and low-end, but alot of everything there is negotiable. If I’ve learned one thing about Dubai , it’s that going after the haggle uses up an incredible amount of time and energy. But you win some you lose some. Your best bet is on gold jewelry if you’re looking to fight the good fight to catch a deal. Government: Dubai and the Emirates runs on the Monarchy system with Kings and Queens meaning you are born into power and that doesn’t look like it is going change. Yet because of the peaceful and honest nature of the people there (even in poorer areas) be it because of religion or government treatment of its people, it is safe. Crime is very, very low: people don’t have weapons on them, and it’s a very clean and orderly place. Some things I realized…The rest of the world doesn’t revolve us from the US as we tend to think they do and when they don’t, naturally for us Americans things can get frustrating. Its very good to remember just being able to travel there you ahead of 85% or more of people that live and work there and most likely serving you during your visit. If Dubai teaches you to be a bit more understanding of people from vastly less privileged backgrounds and poorer educational status, then it’s taught you something worthwhile. The Melting Pot is Hot: Foreigners outnumber natives by 9 to1. While there I saw Americans, Portuguese, Mexicans and even Jamaican (we partied in a reggae club one night!) all in harmony and fun and good times It was so inspiring. Opportunity for business: Naturally for me, my eyes were wide open by all the opportunities for business out there a friend of mine living out there is doing pretty well with a juice company and personal training service. After a chat, I learned that Dubai use the the economic free zone model, which gives big incentives for foreign businesses to establish there , giving new companies and entrepreneurs tax incentives to support them including ,in some cases, a 50-year exemption from corporate and income taxes! OHH and because Islam teaches that no one should make profits on interest profit on lending… interest-free financing anyone?? #capital In a nutshell if you haven’t visited, go! It’s definitely worthwhile. The experience is one of the best of my life. I think everyone should leave the country and check out a foreign location for the simple reason of gaining perspective.