Dubai calling - in New York

THE past few days in New York have, if anything, made me feel more proud about Dubai and the UAE: so much so, I begin wondering how times change.

Dear readers, I do not remember having met any American who knew about Dubai while I spent my time between New York and Boston in the early 80s. In those days, when people here asked me questions like where I used to live, I would reply that, before coming here, I lived in Dubai. Pat would come the query, "Dubai, where?".

It would, often, turn out to be a long question-answer session. For a start, I would tell them Dubai is in the UAE or the United Arab Emirates, but that would take them no nearer to an answer. I would then explain, "It is in the Gulf". "Gulf of Mexico?", they would ask back. I patiently go on, explaining to them that it is somewhat nearer to Saudi Arabia; and yet, they didn't know where it is.

Americans, it is said, have a poor understanding of geography, as they have their full focus on their own land that is the United States; and they have no time to look farther. So goes the saying. And, as a matter of fact, 70 percent of Americans do not have passport. Yet, admittedly, the problem in respect of Dubai's or UAE's identity had more to do with the Gulf region in particular, as it didn't matter much in the global scheme of things.

Things had begun changing only a couple of decades past the independence, as it was then that oil had just about begun to galvanise the economies of the region. Much of what were vast expanses of deserts had begun to build identities of their own and came alive. For the outside world, and Americans in particular, the eighties was not time yet to take note, or to take care.

I have returned to America after a long gap. Now, every Tom, Dick and Harry here knows Dubai-not just the high-flying, jet-set crowd, but even the ordinary people, be this the waiter in the hotel, the taxi driver on the Manhattan streets, or the vendor on the road side. They all appear to have a special corner in their hearts and minds for the city that's Dubai. They're inquisitive about Dubai: what's the new record that Dubai has set? What's the latest sensation in the real estate sector, or which is the new big hotel that's taking shape?

It goes without saying that the Gulf region has gained a lot of prominence in the past two decades. But, it's a great realization to me that there was virtually no American whom I met here this past week who didn't know of Dubai. Dubai, yes, of course, they all say, and cheer up.

It also struck me that; among those I met, there were quite a few Americans who had been to the UAE in recent years. And, they're talking about how some of their friends had a wonderful time flying with our national airline, with its luxurious settings, including its special enclosures that give maximum privacy while traveling. The expression on their faces show how much they like Dubai and the country; some, I learn, are in love with Dubai too.

They spoke animatedly about its charms, its glitzy hotels, its high-rise towers, and its world-class civic facilities that match with the best in the world. An airline official, who frequently travels, told me how he enjoyed his stays in Dubai more than he did in cities like London. "It's not just gold alone that glitters in Dubai", he told me.

"It's another Singapore or Hong Kong", he said, waxing eloquent on the shopping and other charms in Dubai and the UAE.