As an afterthought: ‘My vision: Challenges in the race for Excellence”

Having visited Dubai several times now, I still don’t really know how to feel about this very modern, vibrating, safe and ever-changing city. Much of the time, news about Dubai and Abu Dhabi reports on human rights abuses, arcane law and freedom of speech. But there is another progressive side to the UAE – and it feels like it’s going forwards at a time when I feel like my own country is going backwards.

 

Anyway, I’d like to share some pieces of the book that is written by the ruler of Dubai, sheik Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum. I find the book both to be beautifully written and inspiring.
Here is his vision on Dubai:

“With each new day in Africa, a gazelle wakes up knowing he must outrun the fastest lion or perish.
At the same time, a lion stirs and stretches, knowing he must outrun the fastest gazelle or starve.
It is no different for the human race. Whether you consider yourself a gazelle or a lion, you simply have to run faster than others to survive.
Life consists of opportunities and great opportunities do not come knocking on people’s doors. Whoever wants such opportunities must grab them when they arise, for his people and for himself. We have to be strong-willed, determined and wiling to grasp such opportunities, so that we do not have to scavenge the leftovers of lions.
I will never abandon one opportunity and wait for another. We have not reached the goal we are striving for. What you see now is nothing compared to our vision, just tiny parts of what lies ahead.
We will build a great monument on these foundations and it is my wish that other Arab countries will follow suit, so that we can continue to develop the Arab world into a world of excellence.
The hand of the UAE is reaching out to join the hands of its Arab brothers, so take it and let’s start building together.
I know the road to development and modernization is difficult. I know that it is long and I also know that the next stages will be even tougher and longer. But I have faith in God, I believe in my people, in the wisdom of our leadership and in the future of our nation. I am confident that we will realize our goals.
Our vision is clear, our road is paved and the clock is ticking.
There is no more time for hesitation or half-baked goals or solutions. Development is an ongoing process and the race of excellence has no finish line.”

 

 

2018 – Our last day in sunny Dubai

Today we wanted to relax, so I thought that it would be a good idea to stay at the nearby roof top swimming pool at the Gevora.

The hotel, that is 357 meters high, takes the title from a local neighbour – the JW Marriott Marquis, which is just a metre shorter. Though officially a four-star property, the Gevora hopes to compete with some of Dubai’s top hotels (its logo is, after all, uncannily reminiscent of Gucci’s).

Nathalie always dreamt about swimming between buildings ….check, done! 

After a light lunch, Regina wanted to show us Dubai’s latest project: ‘La mer’ http://www.lamerdubai.ae

La Mer is a beachfront development project by Meraas. Basically, it is a collection of walkways, shops, restaurants and entertainment areas clustered by one of Dubai’s beautiful beaches.

And then…sadly enough it was time to say goodbye to Dubai and to our lovely hosts and to prepare for a long flight over Beirut to Brussels…

2018 – Day 8 – Horse riding in the desert – visiting the Frame, and spending money in the Dubai Mall

This morning we had to wake up at 4am 😱. Alexia was so excited about going horseback riding in the desert and we wanted to experience the sunrise in the desert too.

I loved the early morning breeze (20 degrees instead of 29!) and the quietness of the desert. Apparently a lot of people go there to meditate…I can understand them…sometimes you just need to get away from the crazy traffic and the hustle and bustle of Dubai.

After this beautiful, but early experience, we all took a nap.

Regina needed to spend some time with her husband Roy.

She advised us to visit the Frame.

Dubai Frame is the most recent landmark added value to Dubai traditional and luxurious heritage. The project comprises a 150-metre-high, 93-metre-wide structure being built to resemble a huge picture frame, through which landmarks representing modern Dubai such as Emirates Towers and Burj Khalifa can be seen on one side, while from the other side, visitors can view older parts of the city such as Deira, Umm Harare and Karama. Exterior design of Dubai Frame was inspired from the logo of Expo 2020. The past, present and the future of Dubai: witness three dimensions in one destination, Dubai Frame.

It has been described by ‘The Guardian newspaper’ as “the biggest picture frame on the planet”, however is also controversial as the “biggest stolen building of all time”, since a Mexican architecture claimed it was his design.

After the Frame, we went to the Dubai Mall. The expression: ‘Shop till you drop’ is so appropriate to the Dubai Mall. We devoured a cake at the Cheesecake Factory and shopped till 22h00!!! I think that you could say that we were all exhausted, but very satisfied…

2018 – Day 7 -Discovering the old Dubai, the new Al Seef district, art and the heavenly Arabian Tea house…

 

Today,  Regina made us discover the Al-Fahidi historical district near the Creek. 

Traffic fades to a quiet hum in the labyrinthine lanes of this nicely restored heritage area formerly known as the Bastakiya Quarter. Its narrow walking lanes are flanked by sand-coloured houses topped with wind towers, which provide natural air-conditioning. Today there are about 50 buildings containing museums, craft shops, cultural exhibits, courtyard cafes, art galleries and two boutique hotels.

I loved the houses built with traditional building materials such as lime stone, teak, sandal wood and palm wood.

The several small museums, restaurants, bookstores and artisan shops reminded me a bit of Melbourne’s art district. I especially fell in love with the Syrian handcrafted art and the Iranian carpets.

And the topper is that few people know this area. This was a great opportunity to get acquainted with the old way of life of Dubai. 

 

With all this art and culture, we became hungry and Regina made us discover another absolute gem: The Arabian Tea House.

As you step into the Arabian Tea house you stumble upon a secret garden with turquoise benches, white rattan chairs, lace curtains and beautiful flowers. Here traffic fades to a quiet hum, and the languid air swoons around you, dreamlike, as if it were always afternoon. You sit here savouring your cup of tea and eating some nice avocado salad or fresh hummus sandwiches under a grand old tree that bears little apples, hear the birds sing and marvel at the architecture of the stone house with wind towers that once belonged to a tawash, or pearl merchant. A real ‘must’ – here is the interesting story of the Arabian tea house: http://arabianteahouse.net/

 

After this great lunch, the girls wanted to go to the souk.Although, I’m not a big fan of souks, it was fascinating seeing Regina and Nathalie getting all excited bidding for the lowest prices. Alexia was called Shakeera and I almost sold her for a 100 camels, but her mum did not agree:)

 

From the souk, we took  a ‘water taxi’ to Al Seef.

Al Seef is the latest project from Meraas, the developer behind the likes of the beach at JBR, the boxpark and City walk and also the upcoming La Mer and Bluewaters.

It has a bit of an Arabian-mix Cote d’Azure feeling, perfect for dinner.

When we got back, we were exhausted and decided to have an early night, since tomorrow the alarm goes off at 4am to go horseback riding in the desert and see the sunrise!

2018 – Day 6 – Saying goodbye to Oman and saying hello to our friend Patricia in Ras Al Khaimah.

This was my third trip to Oman and you start to understand a little bit about this teeny, tiny country. Most of the modernization of Oman is thanks to the 46-year leadership of Oman’s monarch, Qaboos bin Said Al Said. However, with ailing health at 76 years old and without any children of his own, the sultan has largely kept his succession plans somewhat vague. As a result, it is worth asking whether or not his successor will maintain Muscat’s regional foreign policy trajectory or steer Oman on a new course in response to new domestic and regional realities and challenges.
Within the span of nearly fifty years, Qaboos transformed the barren and impoverished southeastern Arabian Peninsula state into a modern one with booming oil and gas reserves, substantial foreign direct investments (FDI), a strong tourism sector, along with well-developed infrastructure and healthcare.
Its constitution, amended in 1996, promises freedom of press and the prohibition of “discrimination amongst [people] on the ground of gender, origin, color, language, religion, sect, domicile, or social status.” Such tolerance has thus largely been used to explain why Oman remained relatively safe. Oman’s path toward succession has thus drawn renewed interest as the international community scrutinizes the GCC and the greater Middle East’s fluid geopolitical order.
Overall, with Qaboos’s days numbered and his succession plans still largely secretive, young Omanis face an uncertain future.
But his majesty, the Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said has ensured that Oman has been like the Islamic Switzerland, neutral in all disputes.
Omanis are one of the happiest nations in the Gulf and expect the same of the tourists. So… always have a smile on your face when talking to an Omani man or woman. They will reply to you with a smile.

 

 

 

Ras Al Khaimah offers an entirely unique experience from its neighbouring emirates.
With over 7,000 years of fascinating history and culture, Ras Al Khaimah is the perfect getaway from everyday life. Offering magnificent landscapes, breathtaking coastlines and rich, terracotta desert planes, the emirate has firmly established itself as the UAE’s most authentic destination in the Middle East. And what my son said: Since a few months RAK has the longest zip line in the world!
We met my friend Patricia on the terrace of
the Basilico Cove Rotana. I wanted to introduce Patricia to Regina, because I think that they could become friends. Patricia is a fantastic business woman with a stressful live and Regina is that meditating, one-with nature yoga person.
Patricia invited us for a drink in her apartment and OMG, it is such a Palace. A perfect, cozy and stylish apartment with a fantastic view of the harbor. Alexia was totally happy swimming in the pool and still dreaming about her first drive in the Porsche.
I think that both ladies might become friends and I love and admire them both a lot.
We had to say our goodbyes, since Patricia had some work to do and we had a karaoke night coming…

 

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2018 – Day 5 – The dhow cruise, dolphins and small sharks

Today we went on our dhow cruise. To see the mountains rise out of the sea and reflect in the water. So beautiful…The water is crystal clear and calm, very inviting for snorkeling and swimming. There were dolphins playing and following our dhow. We went snorkeling around Telegraph island. This is the most famous landmark in this area. Here, the British government laid the first telegraph cable in 1864. It ran from Bombay, India to Basra, Iraq and onwards to London. The island was manned for around 10 years. Apparently a lot of people went mad there and they committed suicide. We had a real treat snorkeling in the warm, crystal and calm waters. Alexia even did a tour on the kajak and our guide ‘Bader’ taught her how to do flips from the boat. We saw butterfly fish, barnacles, urchins and corals. Almost like in the movie Nemo 🐠 🐟

We passed Maqlab, a mountain village that only has 10 houses. People earn their living by goat herding and fishing. Imagine not getting along with your neighbours there… But all the villages in Oman have water tanks, . The woman government provides fresh water free of charge.

We also met a lovely couple Magdalena & Andrei ( they get 10 free tickets a months – soooo jealous …)who are crew on Etihad. We shared some funny airline stories.And we agreed that, even if we saw nicer places in the world, Oman gives you a warm feeling because of the genuine kindness of the Omanis + the fact that Oman is not yet spoilt by tourism. We could soak in all this beauty, without having to share it with 100 other tourists on the boat. We were only 5! All in all: a perfect day! This is s day to be cherished. I’m sure that I will be daydreaming about these special moments, when I’ll be back in cold, dark and wet Belgium…

2018 – Day 4 – Driving from Dubai to Oman

Since Regina hadn’t been to Oman yet,  we decided to book a hotel in Khasab for 2 nights. The drive was 3 hours and unlike Dubai there were no traffic jams – the worst traffic jam that you can have in Oman are some goats or sheep crossing the road. We checked in and booked a dhow cruise for the next day inclusive snorkeling and swimming with wild dolphins and friendly baby sharks.

After that, we decided to visit the Khasab Castle and discover the city center.

 

We drove past the Atana hotel, the best hotel in the region, and decided to stop for coffee/tea and some sweets. Omani’s always welcome you with their great Arabic coffee or tea and delicious dates. After all this sweetness, I saw that they were preparing some kind of feast and asked what it was for…

 

They told me that they were celebrating the opening of a new hotel store. The lovely ladies invited us for the ribbon cutting of the store. Iman is going to be the store manager and she sells only artisan craftwork that is made by hand by the local women. She has stories on every single piece in her store and of course Alexia wanted to try out the original dress and face mask. The face mask is strangely enough called burqa (here is an interesting article about it: ‘https://www.alartemag.be/en/en-culture/the-omani-burqa-behind-a-mask-of-beauty/ ) Next we knew, we were invited to share the buffet with them. We met the lovely Moroccan event manager, Sara, and the hotel manager Victor Visser. He is from Capetown, SA and has managed hotels in the GCC for some 30 years. But he still returns to SA regularly and he even showed us his antique shark tooth 😱. I could see the love and enthousiasm in his eyes when he talked about ‘his’ hotels and his plans to attract more ‘high level’ tourism. We even met Victor’s boss, who worked with the Ministry of Commerce and who participated in the World Economic Forum in Geneva in September. We ended the evening with great discussions and laughter. I love the Omani people because they are so open, they have a lot of humor, but their best feature is that they are so humble + I love the fact that the women are so much more feminist than the men believe :). We had a lovely evening and will return to the Atana restaurant for dinner tomorrow – inshallah…

 

2018 – Day 3 -Relaxing on Jumeira Beach and on the Azure beach in the Rixos

The last 2 days I’ve spent relaxing in the desert sun, enjoying the healthy lifestyle of Regina – mango’s and papayas for breakfast and yummy vegetarian food, some yoga in the afternoon and deep conversations in the evening on the terrace with a glass (or more) of wine. Conversation about life, love, politics, dreams, past experiences, travels and ‘still to do’ lists. As you can imagine the conversation between 5 women never stops 🙂 That’s probably why we missed some of the road signs now and then :):):).

 

 

Alexia had her first ‘tumbling’ lesson with Julie in a very special loft that was made into an amazing ‘eco’ – like gym. She also had her first manicure and her first lebanese food experience. And even is she is only 13, she can talk about every topic and give it her refreshing twist…She is one hell of a kid – doing flips, talking and singing at the same time!

 

 

2018 – Day 2 – Departing Brussels while the bagage handlers are on strike

 

This is my first experience with Middle East Airlines. But we were happy for once that we did not fly Emirates, since their handling Agent is Aviapartner and take a wild guess…their baggage handlers were on strike and 59 flight were cancelled.

The result was of course that our plane was jammed, but I can’t complain. I had an aisle seat, salmon and wine for lunch and watched the hilarious movie:”the bookclub”. I just love Diane Keaton and her lover: pilot Andy Garcia…yummy 😉😜. 

2018 – Day 1 – Girls’ trip to Dubai

This time, I’m not going to Dubai with my usual travel-buddy Wim (who is on a fam trip in the DR), but with my old high school friend Nathalie and her cute 13-year old daughter, Alexia.

The last time that we went on holiday together was with the kids to Luxor in 2012. We still have fond memories of this trip, since it was magical in every way: hot air balloon, I organized a theme evening with a boat trip on the Nile and camel night + we met some amazing friends.

Now, we will be visiting a mutual friend, Regina and her family. Regina moved to Dubai a year ago, because of her husband’s job. They are Brazilian, so it will once again be an international adventure. Regina is a yoga teacher and a vegetarian. This will be a ‘healthy mind in a healthy body’ – kind of trip. But I’m also hoping for some pampering in the nice hotels, amazing swimming pools, luxury boutiques and high quality restaurants..Dubai: here we come! 

31/8/2010 Young girls wait for their make-overs at a nine-year-old’s beauty birthday party held at Chez Lulu Beauty Salon for children, in Beirut, Lebanon.