Abu Dhabi

This city alone generates more than half of the total gross domestic product of the entire United Arab Emirates. A very good city for starting up a business, considering it;s stable economy. I have always wondered what it would be like to live there, considering most of the people over there live a dream; and international dream. Abu Dhabi is a very rich city in terms of per capita income; around $63,000, which is well above all of the other emirates in the country.

The city planning is superb, with a very organized and modern infrastructure. The contemporary touch to the city is like the other oil rich cities of the Middle East. The thing about Abu Dhabi that isn't necessarily found in it's neighboring cities is the extensive amount of skyscrapers. This city has a modest amount, considering the fact that it's the nation's capital and the wealthiest.

Abu Dhabi has a very diverse culture due to the large expatriate population. However the local communities are predominately  Arab. The education system in the city is very developed as well. There are a series of private schools and universities.

Nothing really differs between this city and the other emirates within the country. I have recognized these places as the most flashy in the world, due to the fact that their intentions to impress the world aren't really failing. However, I wish they were failing because this is supposed to be an Islamic state and materialism is looked down upon in Islam.

United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates is probably the most advanced country within the Middle East. Like, you already know the whole fact that many projects are being constructed throughout the country. However that seems to be unimportant for the time being because of the other posts that I plan to write.

I honestly don't understand what the United Arab Emirates is trying to do; whether it's to maintain an Arab touch to it, or maybe prove that it can be better than most European cities or what it is exactly. Their goal seems to be ambiguous, but the fact that it is a Muslim dominated country makes me feel content. But like Kuwait, it has a very large expatriate population due to the whole discovery of oil and whatnot with also a very low unemployment rate. It has the world's sixth largest oil reserves and much of the economy depends on the exports of natural resources. Nowadays the economy is taking a turn towards sectors such as tourism, finance, and even residence. This is good because it'll alter the economy to be less dependent on natural resources which soon might run out.

The climate of the United Arab Emirates is almost the same exact thing as Kuwait. In fact, it's very similar to the rest of the Middle Eastern countries. I like to classify the United Arab Emirates as the father of Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Oman and like a younger brother to Saudi Arabia. I say this because all of these countries listed tend to have very similar qualities involving their country itself, however some of the qualities tend to be amplified in some countries more than others.

The United Arab Emirates is by far among the most luxurious countries in the Middle East and it has a very promising future.

Kuwait City

Kuwait city is home to around seventy five percent of the total population of the country. It's also the country's political, economic, and social center. It's home to about two million six hundred thousand people. Now, when you're talking about Kuwait as a country, only around thirty four percent of them are Kuwaiti nationals, or Kuwaiti natives. The rest of the population is composed up of mostly other Arabs, South Asian natives such as Indians, Pakistanis, and Iranian people. So in the end, the country has a very high expatriate population and the Kuwaiti natives themselves are a minority. So what the government does is issue a series of laws that grant the natives extra luxurious and protection due to the fact that they're a minority.

Kuwait city is a very beautiful city. I love the fact that it has a small population and that it tends to be among many factors leading to a higher quality of life than most cities in the region. Kuwait city also tends to have an extensive amount of luxurious cars. This reflects the outcome for obtaining ten percent of the entire world's oil reserves. Kuwait City's infrastructure also tends to be very modern and advanced. Many luxurious homes are also found in the city.

The climate in Kuwait City tends to be very humid. The high during the summer can reach up to 115 degrees Fahrenheit, which is unbelievably hot. In fact, I advise not to visit Kuwait during the summer because of the atrocious heat. However, February and March tend to be much better with regards to climate, with an average temperature around sixty degrees.

Among the many famous landmarks of Kuwait City include the Kuwait City towers. It's basically a complex of towers that house restaurants. It seems to be a very high end destination.

The fact that Kuwait has a very high temperature during the summer indicates that extensive amounts of water parks around the city. They seem to be very fancy and modern, but like already known, that's only because of the wealth.

A lovely city indeed, Kuwait City is among the best cities in the Middle East; very clean, modern, and organized. However, the fact that the majority of the population is Arab, the term "organization" probably wouldn't (or shouldn't) be used that much in the country. But when comparing it to other cities in the region, Kuwait City is without a doubt organized and clean.

Kuwait

Kuwait is the smaller verson of Saudi Arabia, however some aspects that are present in both countries seemed to be amplified in Kuwait. Aspects such as the standard of living seem to be much higher in kuwait than they are in Saudi Arabia. This is probably because of the smaller population, higher "gdp" per capita, and a more stable economy. The economy was built on the legs of the oil industry like Saudi Arabia, however both countries are trying to direct their economy away from the oil wells and focus more on other sectors; tourism, industry, and possbily manufacturing.

I really want to visit kuwait. This is mainly because it seems like the cleanest of the Middle Eastern (and the gulf) countries. Kuwait is ranked among the highest in the human development index. Also, the Kuwaiti Dinar is the most powerful currency in the world; one kuwaiti dinar is equivalent to about 2.68 euros. There's also an enormous amount of expiatriate employees in the country, mostly from the south Asian nations and also quite a bit from neighboring Arab countries. My great uncle has been living there for about 35 years now and I'm wondering if he'll ever return back to Egypt.

Apart from the powerful economy, Kuwait is also a Muslim dominated country; with roughly 85 percent of the population Muslims. There ware also many many mosques in Kuwait, those of which are very nice and modern. Of course. I mean, why wouldn't they be spending their money on the Muslim aspects of the country.

Mecca, Saudi Arabia

The famous Mecca of Saudi Arabia. The most loved place in the entire world by Muslims. Why? Because of the Kaa'bah. It is the birthplace of Prophet Muhammad, may peace and blessings be brought down on him. And like mentioned, it is considered the holiest city in Islam.

The city's economy depends mostly on the annual pilgrimage of Muslims there. The pilgrimage known has Hajj. In fact right now at this very moment, people are performing Hajj! So tourism basically shapes this city's economy. There are many luxurious hotels throughout the city that are mainly there to house the annual pilgrims to come to Mecca. In fact, they're building a new complex called Abraj Al Bait, which translates to The Towers of the Home. Abraj Al Bait is a very large housing project consisting of seven new additional skyscrapers, with the tallest one being the hotel tower at 601 meters, which also happens to be the tallest building in the country. This complex is being built right in front of Masjid Al-Haram.

Like mentioned, right now is when the two million Muslims go to Mecca and perform their religious duties. It's a very prominent time in a Muslims life to be apart of this ritual. I soon hope to find myself among one of these two million Muslims who go there.

Riyadh

Like mentioned, Riyadh is the capital of the country of Saudi Arabia. I respect this place as a prosperous city center, but nothing more. I actually think that due to their oil wealth, they can enhance the skyline of the city; maybe to make it match something like Dubai or Doha, Qatar. But in this particular topic the Saudi's did it right; just a few skyscrapers necessary for the status of the country. Dubai just went strong on building buildings, and I'm still confused as to why they need that many buildings considering half of them remain empty, however that's a different topic.

Most of the skyscrapers in Riyadh are held in the center of the city, particularly King Fahd Road. This road is considered that very prosperous part of town with many modern facilities and stuff like that. It also houses three of the large skyscrapers of the city; Kingdom Center, Al Faisaliyah Center, and Al Anoud Tower. You might also tend to find very nice and luxurious cars in this region, however this is Saudi Arabia, so you'll find it in any region.

Riyadh has over 4000 mosques. Not an overwhelming number, considering the population, however it's still decent. Most people in the city are Muslims, and when the time for prayer goes off, you need to go to the Mosque. They also have these patrol officers that drive around and sort of direct you towards the Mosque. If you refuse, I heard they'll toss you in their car and take you to the Mosque. Now, if you're not a Muslim, that's a different case. What they will do is just give you some pamphlets or brochures contain some basic facts about Islam. I really like this process because they're spreading the word of Islam, however they're doing it in a very peaceful and polite way. And they also want to strengthen the current religiousness of the already Muslims.

Saudi Arabian cuisine tends to be very popular among the Arab world. One very prominent dish they serve is Kabsah. What this dish usually includes is yellow rice, cooked to perfection, with some goat meat, or lamb meat in reasonable chunks just tossed around the mountain of rice. Sometimes they substitute that meat with delicious chicken, but that usually depends on the person. Sometimes they even add in some raisins, but that's something I prefer to be absent when I eat it.

Either way, Riyadh tends to be classified as a prosperous and modern city, and a regional economic power.

Animosity of Saudis

Why did my parents leave Saudi Arabia? I'm very sure it wasn't because of the pay since our quality of life over there was much better than it could have been any where else in the world. Then why? I consulted my dad about this topic before and his only answer to me was "They weren't good people". Now, my father was the manager in the electronic equipment section at a hospital, with a ton of Saudis working under him. You would think these people would show him the respect deserved. I haven't really had the chance to visit Saudi Arabia while I'm more aware of things, however, residing there is out of the question; considering what I've heard about them.

Stuck up, stubborn, rich, Arabs is what defines Saudis, apparently. I haven't really seen too many of these people in real life, and when I do, it's here in America. I also don't understand why other Arabs from other countries hate the Saudis. Is it because they're jealous of them? No, because if jealousy and animosity is shown towards the Saudis, then they're doing what they hate about the Saudis. Okay, if it's not jealousy, then what is it? And the answer is  (from what I've heard) that many Saudis let their personal wealth and their international rankings get to their head. Apparently they think they're too good to be associated with the rest of the Middle East; with a few exceptions of course, such as other oil rich countries. Now, do I believe this? My answer is yes, because it caused a dramatic shift in my life.

The group of people that the Saudis hate the most is Egyptians. That's unfortunate, yet surprising, because many Egyptians are expatriate employees there. Now, I never understood why Saudi's hate Egyptians so much. In fact, it's not just the Saudis, but the Kuwaitis and the others. My own personal answer to this question is that Saudis are jealous of Egyptians. Let me explain myself. Saudis are aware of the fact that they're prosperous now because of the disgusting amounts of oil they have, however when that oil runs out, they will be worth less than the sand they stand on. And Egypt's economy is supposed to be ranked among the top in the world because of the vast amount of potential it holds; however due to the corruption that struck the country, that won't happen for a while. Now, Saudi's know this as well, yet they seem to live the moment. They're not oblivious to the fact that soon Egypt's economy will surpass them as the best economy in the Middle East, sometime in the future, however they seem to temporarily cloud that fact only because of the prosperous times they are in.


This still brings up the question again of why do many Egyptians live there. And my only logical explanation to that is they just do not care what Saudis think. Egyptians are just naturally more talented than any Saudi, so why would they let other people's downgrading of them actually affect them. It shouldn't even make a dent in them. So hearing this, I asked my dad why didn't he just remain stubborn with regards to the fact that many Saudi's show animosity towards him. And his answer was, if that was the only problem facing me, I would have stayed. However, he didn't want my brother and I to be raised in a very materialistic country, and grow up to be spoiled brats. And he also thought that we had a better educational future in America, and I respect that.