Dubai Speed

Under the slogan "bigger, higher, more modern, more glamorous", the world's 21 ^st-century capital was to be erected in the middle of the desert. Dubai was intent on striking all competitors from the board and becoming superlative in every respect. But then came the economic crisis. What is to become of all the multi-billion-dollar projects, particularly those that cannot be expected to make money? As cultural director in Dubai, Michael Schindhelm reports from an internal perspective. The plans were certainly grand, but far from realistic, and nowhere is this more evident than in the cultural arena. Just one example of this is the building of an opera house for a 3,000 capacity in a country where there is no tradition of theatre or music. In the meantime these ambitious projects have been put on hold, to be resumed in the future. If ever.

Memories of a Middle Eastern fairytale that bit off more than it could chew: Michael Schindhelm gives us an uncompromising description of his experiences in this fast-moving desert metropolis.