The level of journalism in this part of the world can be spotty verging on wretched verging on pathetic. Especially among the bottom feeders of the English-language media. Some are known to thieve stories from rivals without attribution. I could name names, but they know who they are. And so do we, at The National. […]

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We here in the UAE are big on … biggest. Tallest. Highest. Longest. Superlatives of any sort, especially if we can get the Guinness Book of World Records to recognize it as a world record. Witness the Burj Khalifa, in Dubai, the world’s tallest tower. And, the latest “est” planned?

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Cab drivers are many things, here in Abu Dhabi. But they are rarely jolly. They also are rarely tubby. I flagged down a taxi driver tonight who was both. I know it’s a cliche, but perhaps those concepts are connected.

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I went to the U.S. Embassy here in Abu Dhabi today, and I wasn’t sure what to expect. Would security be a bit more obvious? Would the contingent of Marines be visible? Would everyone be a little edgier? The UAE is near the eastern edge of the Middle East, much of which has exploded in […]

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I was pretty rough on fantasy football the other day, and strident about how I was not going to care and not going to be involved. And then Week 1 happened. We may have to take another look at the video. This may not be so bad. Especially if I continue to win.

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Supply your own punchline. One might be … “or are you just excited to be headed to Dubai?” Another wacky story out of our neck of the woods. And here it is, in the pages of The National: A man was arrested in New Delhi just ahead of boarding a flight headed for the UAE. […]

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Perhaps the craziest part of this story is … I know how it could happen. It is astonishing, on its face. The Dubai police write around 2,000 traffic tickets per month for “reckless backwards driving,” as noted in this story in The National. And, yes, that’s fairly nutty. About 70 tickets a day for people […]

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The story goes that the outlaw John Dillinger was asked why he robbed banks. He allegedly replied: “Because that’s where the money is.” That pretty much is the answer 7 million expatriates in the United Arab Emirates might give, if asked why they are in the UAE.

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Why am I doing this? It’s like the story a drug addict might tell. “I tried it once when I was young, and didn’t like it … and couldn’t afford it. Then I tried it again when I was older and, well, I guess I’m hooked.” Have you any met any serious fantasy football player […]

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Insults are a serious matter, here in the UAE. Walter Zenga can vouch for that. His wallet is 2,000 dirhams lighter because he indulged himself in a fit of pique aimed at a local reporter. The UAE is one of the handful of places in the world where a major sports figure can insult a […]

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