Endless Miles of Desert Sand
After a long, but indulgent, flight to Dubai and several days in the city, I decided to discover the desert, the natural landscape of the United Arab Emirates. Getting there took no time at all because the desert is quite literally at Dubai's doorstep.
As soon as we left the city, the landscape changed immediately and drastically, and I was jarred into remembering that I had indeed been in the desert since I landed at Dubai International Airport. There was no "going" to the desert because despite the ample trees and plants in the city, (part of afforestation efforts) Dubai is indeed located in the harsh environment of the Arabian Desert.
Arabian Desert
The Arabian Desert is the second largest (non-polar) desert in the world, and the largest in Asia. It lies in the westernmost part of the Asian continent and covers about 900,000 square miles, and most of the Arabian Peninsula. It is so large that it occupies the following nine countries: a tiny portion of Iran, half of Yemen, Oman, Jordan and Iraq, all of Qatar and Kuwait, and most of Saudi Arabia and the seven sheikdoms of the United Arab Emirates, including Dubai.
The climate in the UAE, including Dubai, is very dry. On average, the country receives less than four inches of rain per year (notwithstanding the aberrant storm and flooding I wrote about in my last post). The scorching summer temperatures usually range between 95 - 113° F, but as recently as last July, they reached 122° F, exacerbating these already dry conditions.
(Credit: Travel Wild/ iStock)
I was surprised to find out, that despite the climate, the UAE has arable land, but it is seriously threatened by desertification. Desertification is the degradation of once fertile and farmable land, caused by overburdening natural resources, such as water and soil, and over-stressing the land.
According to the World Bank, the UAE has lost a concerning amount of arable land in the last two decades. Whereas in 2002, there were 290 square miles of arable land, by 2018, that number decreased to 163.
The cause? Professor of anthropology at the University of Oxford, Dawn Chatty, stated, "The UAE's development over the past 40 years has required an environmentally unfriendly approach to the Earth's resources. To undo that is going to require serious financial effort as well as social transformation."
One response by the UAE has been to conduct approximately 1,000 hours of cloud seeding (implanting particles into clouds to increase rainfall) annually. Other efforts include desalination and the planting of more trees. When visiting the city of Dubai, a need for these efforts was not apparent, as it seemed to be thriving.
It was not until I set out for my desert adventure that I was really able to appreciate the stark contrast between the city of Dubai and the desert in which it exists. I still cannot fathom the massive undertaking of turning an inhospitable desert landscape, into a modern financial hub, a luxury tourist destination, and home to 3 million people.
Now, I'll move on to my time away from that hub, and into the vast expanse, carpeted by sand.
Our first order of business was to stop to buy a head and face covering so we could drive ATVs. Having been in the city or an air conditioned vehicle the entirety of my trip, I didn't immediately understand the urgency or the need.
Driving an ATV in the Arabian Desert
As soon as I got on my ATV and hit the accelerator however, I understood in an instant. The hot wind whipped up the sand all around me and seemingly threw it nowhere, but directly at my face. What the wind didn't kick up, the tires of my ATV did. I suppose I could have slowed down to mitigate some of this, but I was having way too much fun.
Dune Bashing
After the ATV ride, we got into an SUV to do some dune bashing. Dune bashing consists of driving over sand dunes made of constantly shifting sand, at high speeds. In order to do this safely, you need: 1) to let some air out of the vehicle's tires for increased traction and 2) a trained driver.
This video does not capture all the slipping and sliding and skidding we did. We even caught some air as we flew over the tops of the dunes and then down steep descents.
During the most exciting moments, I had to choose between filming and gripping the seat, and even when I successfully did both, the footage was way too bumpy to capture what was going on. In the end, this video was the best I had, and (hopefully) it at least captures a little bit of the dune bashing energy.
Camels
After about 45 minutes, we slowed things down, stopped and exited the car to see camels ...
... and watch the sun set over the Arabian desert. It was absolutely breathtaking.
Camel Eating in the Arabian Desert
As the sun set, the camels settled in for dinner time. As it turned out, it was dinner time for us as well.
We hopped back in our SUV and drove another 30 minutes or so, watching the sky turn amazing shades of pink, orange and violet, and then darken. By the time that it did, we had arrived at a Bedouin-style camp for dinner and entertainment.
Our hosts were incredibly hospitable, greeting us with a warm drink and encouraging us to lounge on the comfortable couches, under the stars, until dinner was served.
I elected to walk around the camp, which had an outdoor kitchen, booths where vendors sold artisan crafts, and this tent, which I didn't initially understand the purpose of.
My Temporary Henna Hand Design
After a few minutes, a henna artist approached, and asked if she could draw a design on my hand. The art of henna originated in Egypt, where the henna plant was found. The practice of using a paste made from this plant as a hair, skin, nail and fabric dye, as well as a medication to treat dandruff, wounds, infections, and to cool the body, soon spread to India, Pakistan, and the Middle East.
Today, the art form (called mehndi or mehendi in Hindi and Urdu) is most popularly used in India to draw intricate patterns on hands and feet to celebrate special occasions like a wedding. The dark, greenish-brownish paste, eventually dries and flakes off, and stains the skin with an orangeish color in the shape of the drawing. The color will last for anywhere between a week or two depending on how frequently the skin gets wet, is exposed to sun or is exfoliated.
Tanoura Dance
Finally, it was time for dinner which consisted of grilled meats, vegetables, bread and rice. While we dined, the venue provided us with plenty of entertainment. First, we watched a tanoura dance. "Tanoura" comes from the Arabic word for "skirt," which the dancers all wore. The dance is also known as the Sufi dance or the whirling dervish.
The dancers spin continuously during the dance, while wearing brightly colored costumes. At a surface level, the spinning symbolizes the world turning. I was told it also has deeper meanings inspired by the Kabba, a holy shrine in Mecca.
Dancers at our dinner, encouraged audience participation by way of clapping and cheering. To motivate me, this dancer, stood over me while he twirled a lighted cloth over his head.
At one point in the performance, there was a costume change and the dancers all returned in new attire that lit up. It was like attending Disneyland's Main Street Electrical Parade on a very small scale, but in the desert with human dancers instead of robotic floats. The way the costumes lit up against the darkened, desert sky was quite captivating.
Drumming
Next, we watched a musician skillfully play traditional drums to accompany Arabic music.
Belly Dance Performance
Then it was time for the belly dancing performance. Belly dancing originated in Egypt where it was called "raqs sharqi." Today, it has spread throughout the Middle East, and beyond, and is known under the umbrella term "belly dance," though depending on the region, it has various other names.
Fire Performance
The fire performance marked the finale of the show. These performances have roots that trace back centuries, but in Dubai they have been updated to incorporate a modern flair. At our dinner, the performers danced with, blew, juggled and even ate fire.
With that, my Dubai trip was about to come to a close, minus a good night's sleep and a morning flight. This trip provided quite the learning experience, about culture, economies, religion, climate, architecture, and so much more.
I also learned that there are both very passionate advocates and equally ardent critics of Dubai's desert experiment. No matter where you stand, when you expose yourself to something new, there is always something to appreciate and learn from, and there are opportunities for growth, if you embrace them.
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