Trumps thank Dubai for love and friendship

American President Donald Trump's two eldest sons - Donald Jr. and Eric - were in Dubai on Saturday to mark the official opening of the opulent Trump International Golf Club at a lavish party attended by a veritable "who's who" of Dubai's glitterati.

Since January, Donald Jr. and Eric have overseen a trust that includes the Trump Organization's businesses and projects, a move which President Trump said was designed to avoid conflicts of interest while he holds office. The occasion marks their first overseas business trip since their father was inaugurated.

During a brief speech made to a crowd of several hundred people - including property developers and other members of the business community from around the Gulf - Donald Jr. praised the leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

"I've been coming to Dubai for over a decade and to see the vision that Sheikh Mohammed has put forth for this country is truly inspiring," he said. "It's truly been a privilege to be part of that vision."

The Golf Club - which is located about 10 minutes from Sheikh Zayed Road in Damac Hills - includes a 18-hole golf course, a fitness club and top floor infinity pool, as well as a clubhouse with a number of eating and drinking options.

Speaking during a guided tour of the facility on Saturday, Eric Trump said that he and his brother were "thrilled" to witness the opening of the golf course - the first Trump golf course in the Middle East.

Dubai is the Hong Kong of the Middle East. It is quite cosmopolitan. The only passport they do not allow is an Israeli passport. But their border controls are the strictest in the world.

One can go there and make a ton of money. If one can make X per year in the USA, one can make 3 x X for equivalent work in UAE and US citizens receive generous tax credits and rates while working there. By and large, foreigners on work visas are expected to work and never become citizens or permanent residents although that is beginning to change a slight amount. Just recently, foreign businesses are now allowed to own land in Dubai and retain title to it.

Women are treated quite well as if they were in Mardid, Paris, or Berlin. There is relatively less Arab cultural influence in Dubai in terms of religious doctrine. Nearly all of the Arab culture is found in Abu Dhabi, about an hour’s drive away from Dubai. But Abu Dhabi is a proverbial billionaire’s acres with palace after palace, a suburb of palaces.

There are more Indians and Pakistanis (Pakis) in Dubai than anyone else and they are for the most part a pain in the butt, always lauding some grandiose deal, bragging actually lying or unknowingly repeating a lie that started somewhere no one knows, about being connected to people that are in contact with someone who is big-big-big looking to ‘deal’ in diamonds, gold, oil, etc. It’s all lies but they are quite convincing liars. If you need a good liar, that’s a great place to find them in abundance.

Arabs, Muslims, Pakis, Indians will lie with smiles, with promises, with sweet talk, with more lies upon lies. It’s like poetry to them. They are masters at wasting time. Many are outright crooks if not champion time-wasters. Some will waste time as a game to tell their own circle that they were successful in tying some westerners in knots over business deals that never materialized by design.

It is said that the best time to do business with a Muslim is during Ramadan, why? Because apparently, it is the only time when they are required, to tell the truth. There is only one problem, though. It is extremely difficult to find a Muslim during Ramadan. They are sleeping, fasting, or gathering late at night for prayers.

Indians and Pakis like to gather around Westerners and especially Americans because they are curious and because they will volunteer to say that Westerners and Americans, especially Americans are the ‘Masters’. Of course, when they invite an American out for a ‘business dinner’, they will expect the American to pick up the tab because the American is the ‘Master’. Just ask them!

Are there terrorists in Dubai? There are lots and lots of Pakis, some Iranians, Yemenis, Qataris, Sudanese. So yeah, there are likely some but they won’t dare try any terrorism there because the law is so heavy on them. The ones that are not terrorists will likely know some terrorists. But there are no acts of terrorism there. Americans can feel quite safe. Just don’t take any side trips outside of UAE with any sweet talkers.

There is an upper crust of Muslims, not royals but well-to-do Arabs and Muslims who are polite but will show their contempt, disgust, jealousy, even hatred towards Westerners for example when there is TV news in a hotel lobby that is unflattering to Muslims, their religion, their backward evolution in technology. There is a general unadmitted inferiority complex hiding shame and guarded by a subtle seething aggressiveness. So one must keep in mind when dining with them over business matters, that behind their smiles and pleasantries are other faces that are kept hidden.

Nonetheless, the streets of Dubai are safe. Women carry on without fear. There are no burkas required. Short skirts, shorts, slacks are fine. The police have plenty of jail space and a very harsh policy towards law violators. It all seems good and it pretty much is.

There are four seasons in Dubai: Warm, Hot, Hotter, and Hell.

There is a snow ski lift in Dubai and a mountain of snow. It is indoors. Otherwise, Dubai, UAE is a pretty boring place to live and work. So it’s all about work and making lots more lightly taxed cash than at home. But beware that if boredom sets in, find a pastime to keep busy with like exercise, self-instruction such as teaching oneself to cook, etc. Because as soon as boredom leads a mind to be out in the town, that’s when every Abdul, Amman, or Nisra wants to introduce you to someone that knows someone that knows someone who is really big-big-big, etc. and such activities can lead to enormous time wasted or lost reputation and possible jail or deportation.

Now all the above is for ordinary folks. Folks like Don Jr. and Eric are in a category where they can deal directly with royal family members. That’s a whole different deal. There is no lying, there are no games, there is only money and trade. The Royals have many managers, top managers educated at elite universities. Royals themselves speak little letting their managers do most of the talking. They are known to be very polite and unemotional in business. Many of them are westernized having attended the world’s elite prep schools and universities. Everyone is pretty much assured that Royals always keep their word. It’s difficult not to like them. Their softness and gentleness are disarming. But UAE, Saudi Arabia are exceptions in the reason. The one animus they share with all the other players in the region is hostility towards Israel.

As for me, I am done with tolerating Islam. Don Jr. and Eric can make deals with Royals but I hope the President can do something to make Muslims in general, fear harming any Amerian. UAE is not typical, but there is still an undercurrent of animus that is detectable.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.