I’m in Dubai this week and it is a fascinating place. Flew there on Emirates (Airlines and if the US carriers were run as well I’d likely fly a lot more. Even in coach the food was good, they had 500 channels of entertainment (watched back to back movies and TV shows for most of the trip) and they even have WiFi for email Business class was better with bigger screens and chairs that almost reclined flat, while first class had cubicles with doors. I understand that on some European flights First Class gets private rooms.

Upon arrival the city looks very western, a large number of signs in English and it was relatively hard to find someone who didn’t speak it. The new buildings going up were Western Modern while the homes were a mix of Western and Middle Eastern influences.

The most interesting part was the huge US brand influence, from food operations like KFC, McDonalds, and Trader Vic’s to car companies like Ford, and tech companies like HP the city is plastered with US company names.

Of the US tech companies, HP appeared the most widely advertised suggesting a huge investment by that company in this location.

This isn’t the time to come here; however, as it is really hot and I understand spring and fall would be vastly more comfortable.

Overall impression is that of a country balancing well between Eastern and Western influences while it creates a future largely built on Western Technology and products.

Similar to China, this is a country where the government is investing heavily in its own future and it makes me wonder how, in a decade or so, we will be able to compete if we don’t do the same.