For the first time in my life, I paid over $50 to fill my car. I realize this may be substantially less than you pay to fill yours, but it got me thinking.
Where is all this money going?
This is the mighty Burj Dubai, dubbed as the world’s tallest mega skyscraper, it is soon-to-be home of the rich and privileged.
The official Burj Dubai website says,
“Burj Dubai will be known by many names.
But only a privileged group will call it home.”
This is the gorgeous Burj Dubai hotel, dubbed as the best hotel in the world, it is the exclusive guest resort of the rich and privileged.
The official Burj Dubai hotel website says,
“With your chauffeur driven Rolls Royce, discreet in-suite check in, private reception desk on every floor and a brigade of highly trained butlers who provide around-the-clock attention, you can be assured of a highly personalised service throughout your stay.”
This is the exotic Palm Jumeirah, dubbed as the eighth wonder of the world, it is the exclusive vacation destination of the rich and privileged.
The official Palm Jumeirah website says,
“Three times the innovation. Three times the ingenuity. Three times the ambition.”
(three times the price?)
What if you are interested, like me, in visiting or owning a spot in one of these beautiful locales?
Burj Dubai Mega Skyscraper - Apartments available for $555…per square foot
Burj Dubai Hotel – Average price for 2 adults is $2,349…per night
Palm Jumeirah – Condos available for $500,000…per one-bedroom (I realize I can’t use per here, but I didn’t want to breakup the flow). And don’t forget air conditioning, which is not included in the price of these desert condos, and can run you up to $1,586…per month.
It’s nice to know that with oil prices skyrocketing at $119 per barrel my hard earned cash is benefiting…the rich and privileged.
If you need further fuel for outrage, check out this article in the Guardian.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2008/apr/26/travelnews
Yeah, I rarely fill my car anymore because I don’t drive a whole lot (living two blocks from work is convenient) and it’s so stinking expensive. At $3.50/gal. it cost me $45 to fill my tank last week. The year I bought my car, it cost me about $13… I have a 13 gallon tank.
Fuel is outrageous, but I’m not sure we can point the finger directly at Dubai. I read somewhere recently that only 10% of their national income is from oil sales, and they expect to run out of it within the next few years. That’s why they are building these world wonders – to convert their economy over to tourism and other forms of business.
You are correct. It is unfair to point at Dubai, exclusively, as the source of our fuel woes.
However, the point of this post was showing that the excess wealth generated has not come anywhere close to filtering into proper benefits to its base of poorly driven foreigners and manual laborists.
The line in the Guardian article that really concerned me (and generated this post) was,
“More seriously, there is evidence the low-pay and hard conditions endured by the thousands of migrant workers who built the area are driving many into despair and debt.”
But I guess the poor are always crushed beneath the grinding wheels of the mighty…
You’re right about the conditions that the migrant workers have to endure. I saw a magazine report about Dubai in National Geographic awhile back and was mortified at their living conditions. The gap between how they live and those buying multi-million dollar apartments boggles the mind.
i like it