Taking Care Of Dubai's Heritage

Late president of the UAE, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, once famously said, "a country that does not keep a track of its past will neither have any present nor future." He was cautioning against overlooking Dubai's cultural heritage, as the city began experiencing an all around growth. Conservation experts regard heritage sites as one of the key areas for preserving one's cultural heritage. This aspect becomes a lot more significant specially in the case of Dubai, since its landscape has dramatically changed since the 1960s. Interestingly, experts assume Dubai's historical period extending as recently as up to 1960, quite modern by the mark of other nations.

With tourism on Dubai government's top agenda, heritage sites are going to play a crucial role in its further promotion. Tourists flock Dubai with a desire of experiencing the magnificent blend of ethnic Arab and modern day infrastructure they have been witnessing to and listening about from various media outlets. They wish to have the firsthand experience of its cultural diversity now that Dubai has been recognised all over the world for very long. And there is no better a way to offer them what they will be looking forward to by preserving some of Dubai's past as it is. This will also fulfil to the wishes of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan, in keeping up Dubai's Arab roots alive.

This exercise is harder accomplishing than said though. Dubai's economic turnaround has ensured, the city will keep experiencing multifaceted growth. It will put immense pressure on the existing infrastructure, as plans for the city's modernization keep unfolding on a regular basis. It will specially endanger some precious blocks of architecture that were built prior to 1960 and are still erected up there. Many of these concrete blocks have a very distinct Arabian flavour, which is what perhaps Sheikh Zayed wanted to speak about. The city of Dubai has dramatically expanded since the 1960s, and most of its previous existence has slowly diminished in the process.

Some observers say that the eye-catching blocks of Bastakia by Dubai Creek have to be thankful to Prince Charles for remaining intact, as the prince had objected to their planned demolition some years ago while being on an official visit to the emirate. Bastakia carries some precious signatures of the past with a plethora of traditional wind-tower houses and shady courtyards. The rest could be called a history in making now, as Bastakia gets renowned for its heritage value. It does not only provide the tourists and filmmakers with an opportunity for getting excited about, but also extends a great deal of information to the historians as well.

The UAE's government is now planning to come up with a law, which once passed will prevent any acts of changes or demolition of historic buildings inside the country. Any buildings constructed prior to1960 will automatically fall under the "historic" segment. About 1,200 buildings are estimated to be declared protected under the new legislation in the entire of UAE. Some people are demanding for the limit of 1960 to be brought down to 1975, so that more traditional houses could be saved in the due course. This seems to be a little too optimistic demand from the administration however, to have any positive opinion about.

Dubai's unprecedented rise in the world of trade and commerce and tourism is largely due to the hardworking expatriate community living there. Up to eighty percent of the city's population is estimated to be made up by the Europeans, Indians, Pakistanis, Sri Lankans, East Asians and people from many other regions of the whole world. They have been the main cause why Dubai has had unparalleled growth in the world of commerce for the last several decades. This presence of outsiders however, often leads to many social issues taking place and the matter being fiercely debated across various social strata. Among these comes the issue of Dubai's bachelors who are always over the barrel and under a constant demand for being segregated from the rest of the community. However, not only does it require a herculean effort for accomplishing any such segregation, but it also calls for the basic human rights of the singles being taken into due consideration by the authorities.

As the world knows by now, Dubai is one of the most sought after destinations for the job seekers around its neighbourhood. Many recruiters go as far as the Indian subcontinent and the Far Eastern countries for making fresh recruitment. This involves well paid positions for those who might be ready to spend from six months to several years on instant assignments. Obviously, a large number of these rookies have to travel all alone for attaining livelihoods. They are given accommodation at places that are either outdated or are yet to fully develop. A majority of the adjoining localities may find all such occupations intruding.

Complaints of harassment by the single population have been made from time to time and the issue raised at several fora, so much so that the administration was forced to intervene on many occasions. It's no secret that despite Dubai's modern outlook, its Islamic background plays a crucial role in many spheres. There are no orthodox codes for the behaviour of men and women, but the conservatism still looms over large. Nobody likes in this world anyway, their womenfolks being stared and commented upon by the singles next door. Singles on their own part, living away from their homes for months and years, may sometimes fail to understand this basic ingredient of living peacefully, and therefore end up being a headache for their hosts.

Dubai's administration has made all its efforts to keep bachelor housing as much segregated as possible. However, the issues still refuses to die down amicably. Dubai's government has recently announced that all bachelors will be segregated from the rest of Emirate's community, and given separate housing. This may take up to two years to fully accomplish. A recent estimate suggests, out of the total 1,321,453 Dubai's citizenry, 74.86 per cent or 989,305 fall in the male category, and 25.14 per cent or 332,148 in the female one. This increase of the male population could directly be attributed to the booming construction and economic activities in the Emirate, which requires calling for a significant outside workforce, comprising mainly of the bachelors.

Only time will suggest how successful Dubai's administration proves out in tackling the singles versus non-singles conundrum. It's going to be hard time ahead for the bachelors on their own part, as they will have to move out of their present housing areas to the newly built ones. Bachelors are somewhat stranded in Dubai's environs today, waiting for their fate to be decided by the latest administrative moves.