I read an article recently by a Saudi who had written it after having read an article by another Saudi about the same city – Dubai. Whereas the first writer had a totally negative opinion of the city, the second had a completely different perspective. Coming to live and work in Saudi Arabia was my first ever experience with the Arab world and its culture. Since landing on Saudi soil four years ago, I had never been to any other part of the Arab world. But not long ago, I happened to go the extra mile and visited the most luxuriant and vibrant city of Middle East – Dubai. Naturally, I could not help drawing comparisons between Saudi cities and Dubai, and it turned out that there were more points of contrast than comparison between them. The thing that struck me immediately was the sheer cosmopolitan and multilingual nature of Dubai which gave it a truly international touch. Nowhere did we feel restricted due to our lack of linguistic competence in Arabic. Dubai seemed to be an elegant fabric excellently woven from Asia, Arab and European threads. The great number of people speaking Urdu, Arabic and English starting right from the airport to the hotel and restaurant staff and from department stores to drivers made me feel at home. I was delighted when my Arabic-speaking friends needed me to translate what people said to me in Urdu. People have different reasons for going to Dubai ranging from business to leisure, from entertainment to desert safaris, from shopping in luxury malls to relaxing on sparkling white sand beaches. The city has developed so well and so multidimensionally that it has something to offer literally everyone. In our case, all of these factors combined. We went to the beaches, to the famous Miracle Garden (which is the world's largest flower garden with more than 45 million flowers of over 25 varieties right in the middle of desert thereby justly earning its name), saw the Dancing Fountain and the world's largest aquarium along with the underwater zoo. We also visited the shopping malls of international fame and shopped at the Global Village. As old adage states: "If you want to see how civilized a society is, see its traffic". Anyone who has been to Dubai must admit that it is a civilized city indeed. There are numerous inter- and intracity transport options available to locals and tourists alike without any hassle. You don't have to wait for a taxi for long nor do you need to bargain over the fare. Taxis strictly follow a meter system which allows the passenger to relax and be assured that he will not be cheated or fleeced. RTA buses ply all routes all the day. And best of all is the state-of-the-art metro which sets Dubai apart from other cities in the Arab world in terms of transport. You can get a day pass for 22AED and board the metro, bus or tram as many times as you want for 24 hours. For nature loves there is the Miracle Garden and adjacent to it the recently opened Butterfly Garden. Global Village is a shoppers' haven for those who want to shop for goods from all around the world. You can go to any country's pavilion and shop for its traditional artifacts. The Gold Souq is a big attraction for those who love gems and jewelry. People like to buy gold there for the quality and amazing variety of the designs on offer. Boarding a traditional boat called "abra" at Dubai Creek or going to the gold and spice souks or viewing the Global Village or the Dancing Fountain at Dubai Mall gives a classic touch to this city which is so intricately intertwined with its past amidst all its modern shine and glitter. One can have a relaxed evening in the desert by booking a desert safari which is a unique experience. There are numerous companies who offer their services to arrange desert safaris, dhow cruise dinners, city tours and much more for you at fairly economical rates. A search on the Internet can ensure that one gets the best deal in town very easily. The jewel of Dubai, Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building, is indeed a marvel. Visiting Dubai without going to the top of this tower would certainly make the trip incomplete. A group of tourists departs to the top every 30 minutes and tickets can be booked online. The afternoon hours from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm are relatively expensive. However, the morning and evening hours are cheaper. Usually visitors go to the 124th floor of the mighty tower from where they can have a 360-degree view of the wonderful city but lately a trip to the 148th floor is being offered as well. On returning to Riyadh, I wondered why Saudi Arabia cannot offer the same to its citizens who rush to the UAE every time they have a vacation along with expats who crave recreational activities. Why can't tourist visas be issued to anyone who wants to have an inside look at what Saudi Arabia is actually like? Why can't short visit visas be stamped at major Saudi airports like they are in Dubai and Abu Dhabi? Why can't a trip to the top of Kingdom Tower in Riyadh be offered through a high-speed elevator on a commercial basis for all foreign tourists? Why can't the history of the Kingdom be preserved and showcased in museums open to the public? Why can't desert safaris be arranged in the Kingdom's deserts? And most of all why can't there be an efficient public transport system making it easy for people to go wherever they want in the Kingdom? It's time that the Kingdom opened its doors to the world for reasons other than employment. People around the world must see this country in its true colors for themselves rather than being misled by the negative image of Saudi Arabia and its people that is often portrayed by the world media.
