28th November - Thoughts on the Middle East...



Every culture you see, and every country you visit, leaves you with a lasting impression. From the big eats and grandiose nature of Las Vegas, to the sun-soaked sand of Venice Beach, or cool breezy vibes of the more bohemian San Francisco. My trip to the UAE was the first time I've actually gone East of Europe, and I was left with a range of impressions which were not a million miles away from what I imagined, pre-trip, but were still fantastic indications into the mindset of the locals. The one thing I can certainly say about those in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Qatar, is that their hospitality levels are on another level compared to anywhere else I've visited on Planet Earth.




Whilst those in Eastern Europe, Latvia especially, are despicably rude, cold, robotic, and emotionless, the UAE is the polar opposite. Nothing is too much trouble, the customer is always right, they are polite, courteous, full of smiles, and have a real relaxed feel about their service level. Please, thank you, and 'sir/madam' are all common features, in the same way you're doted on when visiting a top-class Indian restaurant for a curry. I think the people here in England could learn a huge lesson from them. It seems that customer service levels here are dwindling, and nobody gives a flying fuck about their job. It's now more common than not for an order placed on a delivery app or in a restaurant to arrive incorrectly, with missing items etc, whilst young kids with attitudes roll their eyes and grunt in stores, wishing they were on TikTok rather than sharpening their social skills like those in the Middle East do.




There was also a great feel of 'luxury' about everything. From the cool cloth of Egyptian cotton worn by Sheikhs, to the beautiful smell of fragrance which I presume is pumped through the air conditioning in every mall/public place due to the consistently fragrant whiff in the air, everything felt cool, calm, and relaxing. Not hot, stressful, and overcrowded, like here in England. Of course, no place is without negatives, and the phrase 'all the gear, no idea' comes to mind in certain sectors. Oil money is thrown at problems, but logistics are not often thought about. At the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, it took 90 mins to hail a taxi to get home post-race, due to no official Uber drop-off points or coach shuttles being arranged as they would in any similar setting in Western society. Likewise, at the World Cup, though hot food was advertised in hoardings inside stadiums, there were no hotdogs/burgers or anything else on sale behind the counters, with workers advising that 'only crisps' were available. When each stadium is hosting 80,000 spectators, 4 times per day, it is almost farcical that the organisers had no thought to feed the quarters of millions who walked through their turnstiles. Like every destination on our Earth, travel broadens your horizons and opens your mind, and with that in mind...




... I'd recommend the Middle East to anyone! 


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