Hajj Health Hazards

Middle Eastern health officials are warning their citizens not to go on hajj after more swine flu cases have been uncovered. The Hajj this year occurs in late November, and the three million Muslims flocking to Mecca and Medina and then home again could be an effective way for these individual cases to multiply.

This is not the first time the Hajj has been a conduit for world epidemics. The 1865 cholera epidemic began with a few cases prior to the Hajj, and was then transported throughout the Middle East and Europe. In 2001, Saudi Arabia banned all Ugandan pilgrims from going on pilgrimage due to an Ebola outbreak.

The World's Longest Ambulance

I had cold feet about moving across the world to Dubai for a little while - but no longer:

The world's longest ambulance is 18 meters (59 feet) and can hold up to 44 patients at the same time, according to Khalifa bin Darri, head of the Dubai Ambulance Center (DAC).

The blue-and white stretch-ambulance features a helicopter landing pad on its roof as well as internet and satellite facilities for the doctors. With state-of-the-art operating rooms, an intensive care unit, a radiography room and an integrated pharmacy, the ambulance is more like a mobile hospital.

The full article can be found at EMSresponder.com.

Is that really illegal? - Miscarriage

In Dubai, should you hit and kill someone while driving, the courts will have you pay blood money to the victim's family, usually in the amount of AED200,000 ($54,500). It is not uncommon for poor immigrants to suicide by car in order to secure such a fortune for their families.

But an interesting sentence was handed down to a grieving mother yesterday. The woman was 9 months pregnant when she was involved in a traffic accident that resulted in the miscarriage of her fetus. The judge ordered her to pay blood money. The amount? AED20,000. In other words, a 9-month old fetus is equal to 1/10 of a real person.

It doesn't end there. The mother must pay the blood money to the fetus' "successors." I'm interpreting that to mean her future kids. An odd inheritance, to say the least.

A City in Decline? Sign me up

With Dubai's property bubble bursting and needing financial bailout from oil-rich Abu Dhabi, the city of extravagance (and many of its mega-projects) is facing uncertainty. Dubai's Real Estate Regulatory Authority released a report today chronicling a 50% decline in rent prices. The Economist reports that Dubai's largely ex-pat population is expected to drop 17% this year.

Amid these dreary forecasts is a silver lining - especially for recent grads moving there. Falling rents and a smaller population mean lower demand and better prices mean a lower cost of living for the foreseeable future. So I'll take it.

Your UAE Farecast

If it isn't apparent already, I want people to come visit me. So the 1st of each month I will be publishing the fares to Dubai 3 months and 6 months out, from various US cities. Now you have no excuse. They are a bit pricey, but you'll be getting a place to stay for free...

	August	November
Washington, DC	$890	$1,039
New York City	$909	$903
Chicago	$1,081	$867
San Fransisco	$1,232	$1,078
Los Angeles	$1,275	$977
Seattle	$1,283	$1,197

Once I get there, give me a few weeks to get settled and then let me know when you book your ticket.

*Prices taken from Orbitz.com

Is that really illegal? - Giving the Finger

This post begins a new but potentially fruitful segment chronicling things that are illegal in the Middle East that seem, well, excessive.

Today let us recount the lesson learned by Darren O'Mulane, an Australian nurse working in Dubai. On his way home one day, Darren gave the middle finger to an Emirati driver. He spent the next 24 days in jail while is wife was deported. Their car, apartment and pets were seized. After he was released, Darren was deported as well and he and his wife are starting a new life in a slightly more tolerant Australia.

(Courtesty of the UAE Community Blog)

Dubai or Bust

Alright - it's official. I am shipping off to Dubai in September to join The Monitor Group's Dubai office. I hope this blog will allow me to stay in contact with everyone States-side and elsewhere, and give its readers a glimpse into life in the Emirates. So expect news, Arabic interjections, cultural tidbits, photos and some poorly-written yet well-intentioned travel writing. Enjoy, and most importantly, stay in touch.