In between my goofy photo posts and my turkey recipes and my book reviews, I have to throw in a serious post -- one that poses several questions, yet offers no answers. I have a curious mind, and one of the biggest imaginations of anyone I know. Sometimes it's a hindrance... sometimes it's fun... other times I just shrug and say, "To heck with it -- delve in and see what happens." This is one of those times.

After reading a fellow Blogger's post about their recent move to Dubai City, I decided to do some Googling. Being Arabic, I'm vaguely familiar with the city of Dubai, and on more than one occasion thought that my father would fit in well there (he's such a business man by nature, and currently lives in Lebanon). I knew that the city was being dubbed "The New Monte Carlo" or the "Vegas" or even "New York of the Middle East." Hotels are springing up everywhere... commerce is high-end and many fashion designers are flocking there to open boutiques... the restaurants and cafes are five-star, and nightclubs are prevalent.

After reading a few paragraphs about Dubai, I couldn't help but to think of the passages in the Bible that reference the "New Babylon" -- particularly in the Book of Revelation. Now, I'm no Bible scholar -- believe me. But obviously this stuck in my head for a reason. I pulled out my Bible and began looking for those references:

Revelation 14:8
A second angel followed and said, "Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great, which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries."

Revelation 16:19-20
The great city split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. God remembered Babylon the Great and gave her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his wrath. Every island fled away and the mountains could not be found.

Revelation 17:1-2
One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, "Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits on many waters. With her the kings of the earth committed adultery and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries."

Revelation 17:3-6
Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a desert. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries. This title was written on her forehead:
MYSTERY
BABYLON THE GREAT
THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES
AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus.

Revelation 17:9-11
"This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits. They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for a little while. The beast who once was, and now is not, is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction."

Revelation 17:16,18
Then the angel said to me, "The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages... The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth."

Revelation 18:1-3
After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven. He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendor. With a mighty voice he shouted:
"Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!
She has become a home for demons
and a haunt for every evil spirit,
a haunt for every unclean and detestable bird.
For all the nations have drunk
the maddening wine of her adulteries.
The kings of the earth committed adultery with her,
and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries."

Revelation 18:9
"When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning, they will weep and mourn over her. Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off and cry:
" 'Woe! Woe, O great city,
O Babylon, city of power!
In one hour your doom has come!'

Revelation 18:11-13
"The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes any more -— cargoes of gold, silver, precious stones and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet cloth; every sort of citron wood, and articles of every kind made of ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron and marble; cargoes of cinnamon and spice, of incense, myrrh and frankincense, of wine and olive oil, of fine flour and wheat; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and bodies and souls of men.

Dubai, one of the seven states that make up the United Arab Emirates (notice the "7" coincidence there?) is the fastest growing city in the world. Now, here are references that I found in current or recent news articles about the city of Dubai (I even included some photos):

From the Chicago Tribune, dated December 9th, 2007: One of the abra stations on the Deira side gives onto the shaded lanes of the spice souk. Dried lemons, powdered vanilla, cardamom and curry, and mysterious roots of different colors—all meted out by the scoopful—crowd the walks in great cloth bags, yielding their fragrance to the heat. A few streets beyond the spice merchants are scores of sole proprietorships—anywhere from 250 to 400 depending on who's counting—and they're all blessedly unacquainted with concepts such as "understated elegance" or "less is more." Here's a city that flaunts 55,120 pounds of gold in its shops on any given day, at least 90 percent of which is 22 karat or better. They had deeply worked necklaces almost the size of lobster bibs; heavily filigreed cuffs that would cover a woman's arm from wrist to elbow; gold belts with gold buckles; gold bangles; gold crowns; and even a garment of chains and medallions that, when donned, would drape 'round a bride from neck to knee. It's all sold by weight, plus workmanship, and the day's gold prices are there for everyone to see...






(continued from the same article): If there were ever any doubts as to the islands paying for themselves, they were put to rest when Palm Jumeirah's first phase of 4,000 properties sold out within 72 hours. Donald Trump is building a hotel there. Atlantis, the fantasy resort of the Bahamas, will erect another version of itself there. Cirque du Soliel will have its own theater, and the QE2 will have a permanent berth. I saw where a 1,743-square-foot two-bedroom beachfront condo in a mid-rise building out on the breakwater was selling for $850,000. At the World, where an offshore archipelago of 300 islands forms a map of the Earth, Sir Richard Branson has staked his claim on "England," a Chinese businessman has sprinkled Chinese soil on "Shanghai," and an Irish consortium is developing something called Ireland in the Sun. Palm Jebel Ali, when it is finished, will be home to 250,000 people. I wonder if they'll have a vantage point from which to read their poem: Between the curved breakwater and the island's residential "fronds" will be an Arabic poem, spelled out with pontoon boats that will be lit at night.







To power all this growth there's a $12 to $15 billion plan under way to build an electric and desalination complex capable of producing, every day, 9,000 megawatts of electricity—the same as New York City's total generating capacity, according to Dow Jones Newswires—and 600 million gallons of desalinated water. It sounds like the new plant will go up near Jebel Ali Port and the new airport they're building next door. The idea is for Dubai to be the world's No. 1 air hub, eventually handling more than 120 million passengers a year. Meanwhile, they're expanding the much-admired Dubai International, the airport they've already got, to take care of double-digit cargo and passenger increases.



From Wikipedia: Dubai is an important tourist destination and its port, Jebel Ali, constructed in the 1970s, has the largest man-made harbor in the world. Dubai is also increasingly developing as a hub for service industries such as IT and finance, with the establishment of a new Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). The government has set up industry-specific free zones throughout the city. Dubai Internet City, combined with Dubai Media City as part of TECOM (Dubai Technology, Electronic Commerce and Media Free Zone Authority) is one such enclave whose members include IT firms such as EMC Corporation, Oracle Corporation, Microsoft, and IBM, and media organisations such as MBC, CNN, Reuters and AP.

Large scale real estate development projects have led to the construction of some of the tallest skyscrapers and largest projects in the world such as the Emirates Towers, the Palm Islands and the world's tallest, and most expensive, hotel the Burj Al Arab.

Prostitution, though illegal by law, is conspicuously present in the emirate because of an economy that is largely based on tourism and trade. Research conducted by the American Center for International Policy Studies (AMCIPS) found that Russian and Ethiopian women are the most common prostitutes, as well as women from some African countries, while Indian prostitutes are part of a well organized trans-Oceanic prostitution network. A 2007 PBS documentary entitled Dubai: Night Secrets reported that prostitution in clubs is tolerated by authorities and many foreign women work there without being coerced, attracted by the money.



Also from Wikipedia: Burj Dubai is a supertall skyscraper currently under construction in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. When it is completed in late 2008, it is predicted to be the tallest man-made structure in the world, as well as the tallest building by any measure. The total budget for the Burj Dubai project is about $4.1 billion US and for the entire new 'Downtown Burj Dubai', $20 billion US. The interior will be decorated by Giorgio Armani. An Armani Hotel (the first of its kind) will occupy the lower 37 floors. Floors 45 through 108 will have 700 private apartments on 64 floors (which, according to the developer, sold out within eight hours of going on sale). It will also feature the world's fastest elevator, rising and descending at 18 m/s (40 mph). A total of 56 elevators will be installed that can carry 42 people at a time.


From the Dubai City website:

--Dubai boasts one of the largest retail gold markets in the world, selling everything from ingots to intricately worked jewelery at bargain prices. The street-front stores hide alleys of smaller shops with glittering show windows.

--Al Boom Tourist Village: Adjacent to Creekside Park, the village consists of a 2,000 seat banquet hall, a coffee shop, restaurant, amusement park, ornamental lake and a marina with five cruise boats. Its traditional architecture forms a stately city landmark. Located next to Wonderland Family Fun Park. It is open 7 days. Timings: 9am-1am. Entertainment includes evening boat cruises with dinner served.

--The Deira Covered Souq has more of an Indian feel than an Arabic one, with folks hawking textiles, spices, kitchen wares, clothes and henna. It?s a perfect place for a housewife to feel home! The aromas, the sights and the flavours of this place is quite intoxicating!!!

--The Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) was established to stimulate trade and commerce in the United Arab Emirates in 1979. Over the past two decades, the DWTC has become a symbol of economic growth and prosperity in the Middle East. It undertakes three core activities: organizing exhibitions, providing hospitality services and property leasing. From humble beginning in 1979 to being a state-of-the-art complex today, the DWTC has recorded remarkable growth in all areas of its core activities. The Complex includes a 39-storey office tower, 492 serviced residential apartments with a sports club, seven international standard interconnected and purpose built exhibition halls, a 200-seat theatre, a congress center and a private member's business club.

--Located on Al Jumeira Road this mosque, one of the most beautiful of all, and a fine example of modern Islamic architecture. The beauty of the mosque, the city's largest, is seen at its very best particularly when floodlit after sundown, when the subtle lighting throws its artistry into relief. The mosque is one of the most visited and photographed sights.



--Dubai has an excellent nightlife scene with a large choice of bars and nightclubs for you to be able to enjoy whilst there.




Miscellaneous comments and articles:

--(From NPR): Dubai made headlines when a state-owned company moved to take over shipping terminals at six U.S. ports. The small Arab sheikhdom is one of the fastest-growing, flashiest and most cosmopolitan cities in the world. But foreign diplomats and others say there's a dark side to the economic boom, including millions of poorly paid construction workers, and illegal but widespread prostitution. "It is a sin city," Youssef Ibrahim (a Middle Eastern journalist) says, "They don't like this name, but they don't shrink away from the image, because it brings a lot of money." Islamist groups in the region object to Dubai's freewheeling lifestyle, but the emirate's ruler, Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, is famously apolitical. Perhaps this explains how Dubai has steadily prospered in the heart of a region plagued by violence and terrorism. But some locals privately wonder how long Maktoum's miracle can continue -- and whether his unique society would survive a major political or economic shock.



From AskMen.com: Dubai has come a long way from the fishing settlement it used to be. This desert city is now among the most multicultural cities in the world -- 82% of its population is made up of expatriates from over 100 countries. Dubai is used to catering to the upwardly mobile -- even the locals have a relatively high standard of living. But where does it all come from? Primarily from oil; but as the oil reserves are going to run out eventually, the country has diversified into other areas -- namely tourism. Yes, Dubai has made catering to tourists -- especially rich tourists -- an art form.

From the UK Telegraph: We hear stories of riches beyond belief; of Maseratis and yachts; of polo matches and servants; and, with one in five Britons said to dream of a life in the sunshine, it's not surprising that increasing numbers are deciding to make the move there.

From Jaunted.com: Getting all your Christmas shopping done then splurging again at the post-Christmas sales not enough for your bad case of the shopping bug? Then it's time you booked a flight to the Dubai Shopping Festival which this time 'round takes place from January 24 to February 24, 2008. The Dubai Shopping Festival is basically the ultimate in tourism marketing, in which retailers offer prizes to shoppers as well as huge discounts, a scheme which recently has been bringing at least an extra 3 million people to Dubai each time the event is held.

From The TEN Real Estate Website: Dubai Sports City (DSC) is a 500 million square foot (46.5 million square meter) development, being built within the mega Dubailand project. The AED 7 billion (US$ 1.9 billion) development will be located along the Emirates Road next to the Dubai Autodrome (MotorCity). Dubai Sport City will contain a unique combination of sports, lifestyle, leisure, entertainment, commerce and enterprise sub-developments. Dubai Sports City will have a stadium complex that is to be the most most modern and advanced stadiums in the Middle East, that will be able to facilitate international sports and mega-events. It will have a dedicated cricket stadium, an outdoor multipurpose stadium for sports like football and rugby, an indoor multi-purpose stadium for sports like basketball and volleyball, and a dedicated hockey stadium.



Dubai Sports City intends to become a facility for the breeding of champions by housing world-class sports academies that will transform young athletes into global competitors. The academies that will be located in DSC will include the Manchester United Soccer Schools, Butch Harmon School of Golf, David Lloyd (Leisure, Spa, and Tennis Academies), and the International Global Cricket Academy.

The residential areas of Dubai Sports City will include the Victory Heights Luxury Estates, Clubhouse Residential Towers, and the Hub Residential Area. The Victory Heights Luxury Estates will be a residential golf community that will contain independent luxury villas around the 18-hole championship golf course. High-rise buildings with spectacular views of the surrounding golf course and stadiums will be found in the Clubhouse Residential Towers. The Hub Residential Area will feature mid-rise housing complexes and townhouses set along the banks of a canal.

Some of the residential buildings in Dubai Sport City will be Shami Tower, Westgate Apartments, Champions Tower, Eden Gardens, The Cube, Amna Tower, Rufi Twins, Tamerat Tower, Olympia Suits, Oasis Tower, and Red Residence.

Dubai Sports City will house the biggest brands, franchises and contemporary icons from the business, hospitality, entertainment, trading, and sports training worlds.

NOW...

Don't get me wrong -- it all sounds magnificent, and I would love to personally visit and see all of that in person once. But no way would I ever live there or do business there. And if ever there was a city that exemplified "riches" "spices" "gold" "excess" and "prostitution" -- this is it. If Dubai looks and feels like this now, how big and extravagant and sinful will it be in ten years? In my humble opinion, I think we have absolutely no idea just how big this is going to be. If there is a city that is the epitome of what God insists we should NOT do, have or want... Dubai seems to fit that description perfectly -- and above any other on this earth. Could anything be more "anti-Christian?" Could it be from this place that the prophesied "Anti-Christ" emerges?



From Matthew 19:24
"And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God."