ProgressOhio

My home-from-college son showed me these photos of the crazy building going on in the Persian Gulf city of Dubai: Dubai is Nuts!

Between the largest waterfront development in the world, 300 artificially created islands in the shape of the earth, the world's only "7-star" hotel, the first underwater hotel and the world's tallest structure by a longshot, Burj Dubai -- well, Dubai is pretty full of itself.

This macho manifestation of modernity in the United Arab Emirates is just across the pond from Iran. It's hot and humid there and virtually every structure is air conditioned. Construction workers outnumber citizens.

According to BBC News, "Dubai's nationals have become a minority in their own land as international expatriates have flocked to the hi-tech, high-rise city which has sprung up in the desert in little more than 30 years.

"With the job opportunities of a booming economy, a government drive to empower and educate women and exposure to other cultures, Dubai's women are moving in increasing numbers into a wide range of professions."

Moving, perhaps, but not nearly as quickly as the city is wildly growing.

While 65% of UAE university students are female, women make up only 15% of the workforce.

There's a real crack in the foundation of this artificial desert city, as expressed in these comments to BBC:

"Arab societies are not healthy for women's development. The existing laws to protect women remain only on paper. In reality Arab women are treated like merchandise. I am not sure what will free them."
Asmaa, Dubai

"People in the Arab world need to wake up and respect the women as they would respect their mothers and sisters. I've been to UAE and saw how women are so restricted. Think what women can contribute to their economy if they are allowed to be treated as equals."
Kamal Hussain, Sylhet, Bangladesh

"Sultana's comments show the reality for Muslim women - the few women who have independent working lives are the exception. Moreover, what this article glosses over is that Dubai's booming economy is underpinned by a raft of expats, many of whom (the unskilled ones employed for housework or manual labour) are very badly treated by their Arab employers and are discriminated against in the courts. Dubai needs to have more than glitzy buildings to count as a civilised place."
Rustam Roy, London, UK

Building the future without corresponding freedoms for women is a formula for trouble. To me, Dubai looks like a lonely display of pricey phallic symbols.