VIDEO impressions of Dubai

Well I decided to start taking videos of Dubai to give people an idea of how it "feels" to be on the ground in Dubai. I am not a photographer and my camera is not very good so please forgive the quality of videos (and the pics which I shall post soon). Unfortunately, even video doesn't really give the feeling of how bustling some of the streets are - maybes its just coz my camera is crap.

Anyway, kinda like NYC, Dubai is broken up into several distinct buroughs or neighbourhoods. Ive divided the videos among the areas they were filmed in. I've given a small description of the areas to anyone who doesnt really know what these areas are like - these descriptions are more of an unstructured rant than anything else. sorry if they dont flow particularly well.



DEIRA -
By far the oldest and densest part of the city, a combination of main streets and alleyways contain thousands of shops within several square kilometers. Given that the creek is so close by, many of the products brought in by the traditional dhows are sold in deira - textiles, spices, etc. Additionally, Deira is home to Dubai's gold souk - a market place with an endless amount of gold and jewellery at competitive prices. This part of the city is the main central business district of Dubai with major office buildings lining the creek. Soon the new financial and business district will be effectively shifted to the newer areas. Old Deira is generally a working class burough so many of the workers who work the shops also live in the area. The streets are ripe with many cheap restaurants that are frequented by both the locals and the droves of tourists that come to this area. If walking down the street, be prepared to be approached by people trying to sell you fake rolexes, textiles, food etc. Don't be surprised if you are approached by a pimp either. In terms of demographics, there are of course the standard south Asian crowd. There is a huge African population in this area - mainly Nigerians.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwCaB0h4Ujs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asOChDcIHP8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGpEbcdMX74

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L44IZ994HoI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaeY_X3iAAQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yhy127Jnhw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypvaZn3v0aM


BUR DUBAI -
On the opposite side of Deira is Bur Dubai. This is definitely the second densest area of Dubai and is very similar to Deira although a little less crowded. Since the place isnt as dense, there has been room for new buildings so there are nice upscale buildings interspersed among the grit. Bur Dubai is home to the famous meena bazaar which is the central textile souk. Frequented mostly by Indians, if you are looking for good quality material and tailoring at relatively inexpensive prices, come here. Wealthy indians can afford to get wedding attire for their entire guest list made here, though many do get it done in India for a little cheaper. Again, there are TONS of cheap restaurants and working class cafeterias though there are also a few nicer restaurants here and there. Khalid Bin Walid street is known as Bank Street since a number of major banks have set up central offices along the street. The further away from the creek you go, the nicer the apartments get and there are quite a few luxury apartment blocks in the area. Since there arent so many little trading shops around, you can expect to see more people in business clothing - especially around bank street.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsTaGHAvgtE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2_2YLXQTmk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAtgFC7Exmo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWSyU2Wvnt4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKb1MlNYsOA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHu1MCcdJbk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUURGuEqBF0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7u5RNKAaTlQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eUs3nrPfJc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_aTGtJURyU


SATWA -
A mostly residential area, I suppose satwa has something of a bronx-type nature. The videos here show the two main commercial streets - satwa road and al diyafah street. Satwa is full of cheap shops that with a couple of exceptions mainly serve just the neighbourhood. One of these exceptions is automotive accessories. People in dubai are obsessed with tinting their windows and accessorizing their cars - the vast majority bring their cars down to satwa for these accessories. There are numerous bread shops and at dinner time you can find children coming to pick up Afghani or Iraqi type flat bread and some cooked chick peas to take back to their families. You can find anything from cheap chinese bikes, to herbal medicines, tobacco shops, spices,watch repair, shoe repair, barbers, restaurants, cafes, supermarkets, toy stores, jewellery shops, clothing etc. When it comes to watch repair, shoe repair and barbers, these people are all highly skilled since they have been practicing their professions since they were kids. Barbers here are so skilled they can cut your hair with lightening speed. As with the rest of Dubai, haircuts at these cheap barbers cost around 15dh and some included great shaves and back, neck and head massages. Depending on your preference you can go to a Filipino or Indian/Pakistani barber. This area has a huge filipino population. Another street shown in these videos is diyafah street which is a very pedestrian friendly street lined with a bunch of restaurants and cafes. At one point, diyafah street was EXTREMELY popular. since the new developments have been built, its become more of just a chill spot. Come here to see spontaneous parades (after football wins), flashy cars and men holding hands. Many of the filipinos who work in these restaurants live in the villas and apartment buildings right behind the street.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pah6_cLM0-Y

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsUaHgZxklY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZtaW64pKCk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzqUD5Gkytg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSKVVS_qolk


MORE TO COME>