Gas Food Lodging

Dubai. Gotta love it.

The kids have a month off from school and K had a week off during Eid Al Adha, therefore we decided to leave Doha for a while. But with the global economy continuously spiraling downwards, we did not want to venture too far or too expensive. Dubai quickly became the logical choice. The United Arab Emirates is an extremely popular destination for many residents of the Arabian Gulf countries, for both locals and expats alike. It is more developed, modern and socially permissive.

We decided to drive since it is approximately 440 miles/709 km (one way), roughly a 7 hour drive. But one must travel through Saudi Arabia in order to enter the UAE. For this we needed to obtain a visa – called a transit visa – in order to pass through the Kingdom. This was not a problem; there are many travel agencies which provide this service for a nominal fee. The visa is processed within a week, no worries, hassles or headaches. We also found out we can stay in Saudi Arabia for 3 days, but we did not avail to this. Not for lack of want though. We did not have enough time, but will certainly take advantage of this on our next border crossing. The visa to enter the UAE is obtained at the border for ‘certain privileged nationalities’. Our’s probably tops the list.

It took us almost 8 hours to reach Dubai. Crossing the boarders took a bit of time. Leave Qatar; go through 3 check points – car registration check, passport check, customs. Enter Saudi Arabia; go through 3 check points – car registration check, passport check, purchase insurance for car (very cheap). Leave Saudi Arabia; go through 3 check points – car registration check, passport check, customs. Enter UAE; go through 3 check points – car registration check, passport check, and purchase insurance for car (very cheap). Reverse this for the drive back – with the exception of purchasing insurance at Qatari boarder.

At the UAE border one also needs to go through a retina scan. So out we poured, dragging our heels. We filled some forms and waited in a separate room for someone to take pictures of our eyes. After 15-20 minutes no one showed up so K went to another counter. An Emirati man asked Eye check? K tried to give him a long winded answer in English, that we waited for a while, no one was there, yada, yada, yada... The man looked at all 5 of us, stopped K in midsentence and stamped our forms. Khalaas, eye check! I guess we don’t look like terrorists. On the way back we had to get an exit permit. The same man was at the counter. Ahlan habibi! Stamp x5 Ma’asalaama!

We also stopped at a few places to refuel – the car as well as ourselves – along the way. Both K and I, much to the ire of the older kids, have always loved truck stops. Even here we prefer to patronize these roadside restaurants over western or westernized eastern fast food joints. These establishments are clean and efficient, service is extremely courteous, and they are always a culinary adventure. Here we often order freshly baked khubz (Arabic for bread) with the curry of the day (almost always chicken) or freshly grilled kabobs. Sometimes we get a rice dish which is always called beryani, but no 2 have ever tasted remotely similar. Cutlery is optional, just a good hand wash will suffice. We do however avoid the salads. The finale is always the cloyingly sweet milky tea served in a glass. Sorry kids, we’re not in Kansas any more!

This time in Dubai we wanted to see the places we were not able to visit on our previous trip and even found some places we did not even know about. I particularly enjoyed the day trip to Hatta, a small village near the boarder of Oman. It is a little over an hours drive and is a historically preserved town with a heritage site. The terrain chances dramatically as well, with craggy lithic mountains replacing the usually desert vistas. The kids were pacified by a round of miniature golf – this is the UAE of course!

We enjoyed strolling though the Ibn Battuta Mall, named after the famous and cherished Moroccan explorer. The mall is divided into themed sections - Andalusia, Tunisia, Egypt, Persia, India and China – a few of the major destinations taken by Mr. Battuta. Each section represents the best of each region and outdoes the other in splendor. Details of Ibn Battuta’s journeys and the contributions of other great Arab scholars and scientists are also inscribed throughout the mall. Therefore it is also a history lesson as well, one which is often overlooked in most text books and classrooms. It is certainly a must see for Dubai bound travelers, history buffs or otherwise.

We also roamed through a few souks, which are located in the older, less developed neighborhoods (compared to the newer contrived construction projects). This is the old Dubai, and in my opinion, the real deal. Tour guides abounded everywhere followed by camera wielding tourists of every nationality – ourselves no exception. The only difference was we were not wearing shorts or carrying fanny packs.

I will leave you with these pictures, which for the weary and often desperate traveler is certainly worth a couple of a thousand words.

We're Baack

Ramadan Kareem!

After an exhausting 22 hour journey we are now home. All 18 of us arrived safely – 8 suitcases, 4 items of hand luggage, a Wii Fit, a Wave board, 3 kids and myself. As you can tell, we did our best to help stimulate the lagging US economy.

My eldest 2 are going through withdrawal symptoms and bouts of homesickness. But school started 2 days after our arrival so there was not much time to mope. They are beginning to adjust to their usual schedules and are glad to see their friends. My youngest, the Qatari at heart, is blissfully happy to be home.

Jetlag persists and no one is having trouble getting up for Suhur. I will try to post periodically during the next few weeks, staying close to Ramadan related topics.

Bright Lights Big City

We recently returned from a trip to Dubai. K had some business matters to attend to, so the rest of us decided to tag along. Though K had been there many times, it was the first trip for the children and me.

Initially we had decided to drive since Dubai is only 235 miles /377 kilometers, or a 6 hour drive from Doha. But one has to drive through Saudi Arabia and for this we needed to get a Saudi transit visa. Though it is easily obtained, it would have taken a week to process. So we opted to fly instead. The flight duration is a mere 50 minutes. The visa to enter Dubai is given at the airport (or at the border if driving) and it is for free.

Dubai is one of seven emirates which consist to form the United Arab Emirates, or the UAE. Population wise it is the largest yet it is the second largest in size after the capitol, Abu Dhabi. Under the umbrella of a federal government Dubai shares legal, political, military and economic ties with the other emirates. Each emirate however has jurisdiction over local law enforcement and provision and maintenance of its facilities. Each emirate has its own ruler, and with Dubai being the second largest, its ruler is also the Vice President of the UAE.

Dubai can be best described as the El Dorado of the 21st century. The economy is booming, and so is the city, though today it seems to be the world’s largest construction zone. There are however many parts of the city which have been completed and are very much habitable. The rapidly developing skyline has begun to resemble Hong Kong and similar to Hong Kong, it is becoming a hub of shipping, business, trade and tourism (DreamWorks is set to build a theme park there).

But what impressed me the most was how green the city is. The govt. has succeeded in making the desert bloom. It was like a cool drink for my parched eyes, which have become accustomed to seeing mostly sand.

We did a few touristy things of course, even took the children to Ski Dubai which is a man made ski resort inside one of the largest malls in the world – The Mall of the Emirates.

And although I am not a shopoholic, I can shamelessly claim the best part of visiting Dubai is the shopping. There are many, many malls and shopping complexes, each one better than the next, with stores from all over the world. Here you can buy anything your heart desires and wallet allows. Besides malls there are also many souks and neighborhoods which specialize in a variety of items. Since the expat community is extremely large and diverse (about 80% of the total population) there are also many shops that cater to their needs.

My favorite place to shop I discovered was the Dragon Mart. It is a mall that sells only Chinese made products such as household items, electronics, jewelry, construction items, food, clothes, textiles, home improvement, etc. It is shaped like a dragon, hence the name. It is about one kilometer in length with many stores joined together by many labyrinths and mazes, so one should be prepared to spend the better part of the day there. Also one should wear sensible shoes which one, rather foolishly, did not and now one is paying the price. I did buy a beautiful quilt for 100 dirhams, which would have been for over 100 dollars in the US ($1=3.67 dirham).

Compared to Qatar the prices in Dubai are the same or in a few instances even slightly less, and the choices are 10 times more. I have now decided I will do all my shopping in Dubai, and I am already planning my next trip.

Yet in its quest towards modernity and westernization, I feel Dubai’s rich Arab culture and heritage are slowly becoming diluted. Unlike Qatar, we rarely saw the Emirtati Arabs in native garments. We also did not see many traditional Arabic homes, majlis’ (gathering places for men) or mosques, which we are accustomed to seeing in every block in every neighborhood here. We could have been anywhere. Here in Qatar religion and culture is evident everywhere, and this is something which we cherish greatly.

I have heard people say what Dubai is today; Qatar will be in 10 years. We of course believe it will be better.

The Road to Makkah

Labbaik Allah humma labbaik (here I am at your service, o my Lord, here I am). These are the words chanted by millions of Muslims from around the world when they are on their way to perform the pilgrimage to Makkah (also spelled Mecca); either for Hajj, which is performed annually and lasts for a minimum of 5 days, or for Umrah (also known as Hajj Asghar or small Hajj), which can be performed in a few hours and can be performed year round. Last week we were one of the blessed ones to perform this sacred ritual.

Our visa to Saudi Arabia was granted in 10 days; there are several agencies in Doha which will compile all necessary paperwork and obtain the visas for a nominal fee. We had specifically applied for an Umrah visa, as opposed to a visit visa; which is more difficult to obtain. We had planned to drive; hence we applied for a driving visa. Incidentally, a driving visa is separate from a flying one, but one needs to be driving their own car (as opposed to a bank owned one). Also, only one family per vehicle is permitted. Insurance to drive in Saudi Arabia is obtained at the border, and is quite reasonable.

Driving to Makkah, though arduous, is not unfeasible; many people I now have done so. The distance is about 1,286 km or about 800 miles - one way. The roads are similar to freeways/highways in any developed country, with plenty of rest stops and refueling stations along the way. The scenery is, of course, of desert vistas of various hues, with Bedouin tents and camels speckling the sandy and occasionally rocky terrain. We crossed the border in approximately 1 hour without any obstacles. We did go through some unfamiliar procedures, mainly on the Saudi side, but overall everything went smoothly.

After an 8 hour drive from Doha to Riyadh- the capital of Saudi Arabia, we realized we did not have enough time or energy to go any farther, and decided to forgo the additional 10 hour drive. We then booked a flight on a local Saudi Arabian discount airline called Sama and flew to Jeddah (1 ½ hours), from there we drove to Makkah which is about 1 hour away.


The feeling one has when entering the gates of the Masjid Al Haram, the mosque which surrounds the Ka’aba (the name Ka’aba comes from the Arabic word muka'ab meaning "cube") and beholding it is beyond description. The range of emotions one feels is intense and overwhelming. This is something every Muslim who has had the great fortune to witness knows, and one who has not, yearns for. I had been there a few times as a child, but for K and the children it was the first time.

After spending 3 peaceful days in Makkah, we started our journey back home. We met several family members along the way, whose gracious hospitality was greatly appreciated. On the drive back to Doha we stopped at a Saudi truck stop. It had a small restaurant with a separate room for families; here we sat on mats on the floor and enjoyed a simple, delicious and memorable meal.

As I have written before, the reasons for our move to Qatar were many, being in lose proximity to the holy cities is one of the more important ones. We are now back home and are looking forward to our next visit. It is every Muslims belief it is Allah who calls upon us to come to Makkah. I pray he calls me many, many times throughout my life.

Selamat Tahun Baru

Which means Happy New Year in the Malay language. We recently returned from a hectic 8 day trip to Malaysia, and are now recovering from various bouts of illnesses, and slowly yet reluctantly adjusting to our regular schedules. Though we had left Qatar many times, these trips were mainly for visiting family members. This was our first ‘real’ vacation. One of the reasons we had moved here was to be able to travel extensively. Here get much more holidays and breaks and many of the destinations we want to visit are close by. Of course we can also now afford to travel more frequently as well.

Malaysia has something to offer for everyone, adults and children alike. Theme parks, world class shopping (both designer goods and ‘knock offs’), beach and mountain resorts, tea plantations, even casino’s. Add to this the lush tropical greenery, warm hospitability of its people and some of the best food in the world. In the short 50 years since it regained its independence (it was also once a British colony), it has evolved itself from mainly a palm and rubber growing former colony into a world class economy, rivaling that many developed nations. It is also considered one of the leading tourist destinations in Asia.

Though we had first thought of going to Penang and other cities, Kuala Lumpur and its vicinities had enough activities to keep us busy for the duration of our trip. We did however make a few day trips to nearby destinations, such as the Genting Highlands and Malacca. Now back home, we are recovering from our trip, at our own pace.