Dubai abandons reality

Dubai has been getting a lot of negative coverage in the media lately. One story stands out in particular, i.e. the frequently spouted ‘3,000 cars abandoned at Dubai airport,’ which has been used to suggest the emirate’s economy is sinking into the sand. It’s a story I’ve had recounted to me from barbers to businessmen, with figures metamorphosing like in a massive game of Chinese whispers, from hundreds of cars left a day to up to 30,000 abandoned. India’s Daily News & Analysis broke the story, citing 3,000 cars had been abandoned over four months at the Dubai International Airport (DXB) and quoting the director general of airport security. The story was soon picked up elsewhere, with websites firing off sensational headlines: ‘DXB clogged with cars abandoned by fleeing construction workers,’ and ‘Thousands of luxury cars abandoned at DXB as expats flee debts.’ The curious thing is that within a