Dubai Is Everything Wrong With Society

Dubai, often portrayed as a luxurious paradise, hides a dark underbelly beneath its glossy skyscrapers and artificial islands. While the city is designed to attract the wealthy with no income taxes, luxury real estate, and stunning architecture, the reality for many residents, especially migrant workers, is far less glamorous. The city’s rapid growth, fueled by oil wealth, led to a reliance on migrant labor, who face exploitative working conditions, low wages, and limited legal protections. Dubai’s reliance on extravagant projects, like artificial islands and the Burj Khalifa, masks the underlying environmental and human costs.

Despite its outward appearance of prosperity, Dubai struggles with systemic issues, including labor abuses and environmental degradation. The city’s leadership has focused on creating a global image through flashy developments, while neglecting long-term sustainability and the well-being of its workers. These workers, mostly from poorer nations, are often coerced into high debts and forced into substandard living conditions. They build the infrastructure that fuels Dubai’s image but receive little recognition or fair compensation for their efforts.

In contrast, cities like Singapore, with similar origins, have managed to balance economic growth with better labor practices, environmental stewardship, and social mobility. Dubai’s model, based on inequality and short-term luxury, remains unsustainable, with much of its construction built on exploitation. This creates a stark reality for those who live and work in the city, offering a far different experience than what is often portrayed by influencers and celebrities.