Tag Archives: Dubai

July 20, 2026 · 12:14

A breath of fresh air 

This is what happens, at times we get refreshed from some issues that add settled in different ways and the Khaleej Times gave me two of those instances. I was happily refreshed. The first one (at https://www.khaleejtimes.com/uae/uae-investigation-publication-false-report-dubai-explosions) gives us ‘UAE authorities summon news agency officials over false Dubai explosion report’ it comes with the interesting byline “The Attorney-General said that the agency’s decision to withdraw the report and publish an apology does not preclude the continuation of the investigation” I still have to see where this goes, but this setting is refreshing. We get too much populist and digital driven headlines all over the planet and I see too many of them. So seeing this is refreshing to say the least. So as we see “The Attorney-General stated the investigation will determine the respective roles of each individual involved in the different stages of the report. It will also determine the extent to which they complied with legal and professional standards governing the verification of information before its publication” as well as “On Thursday, July 16, the Dubai Media Office confirmed that the Reuters report regarding “explosions” in Downtown Dubai is false. Reuters later issued a statement saying it “regrets” the report and that the story had been retracted the same evening. The agency also confirmed it issued a new report highlighting the Dubai Media Office’s denial. The news agency acknowledged that the report did not meet its standards. Reuters “could not immediately determine where the sounds were coming from or their significance, and did not offer that context,” the statement added.” I see a few issues with the part, but that is merely me and there could be an error in reporting there too. As such it is what it is, but the call by the Attorney-General feels like a breath of fresh air. 

After that we see (at https://www.khaleejtimes.com/business/tech/elon-musks-xai-sues-grok-user-over-sexualized-deepfakes) that ‘Elon Musk’s xAI sues Grok user over sexualized ‘deepfakes’‘ and there is a larger setting there, because this could global and those people weaseling away with “the app made me do it” could quite literally lose their house and their equipment over all this. As such, that 34.2 seconds of fame will come at a massively high price. As such we are given ‘The case is one of the first brought by an AI company against one of its users for allegedly using an AI system to generate explicit material’ with the added “xAI alleged in the lawsuit, filed in federal court in Texas on Tuesday, that Terry Harwood violated the company’s terms of service. The case is one of the first brought by an AI company against one of its users for allegedly using an AI system to generate explicit material. Contact information for Harwood, who was arrested in February, was not immediately available. Spokespeople for xAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday. The company’s lawsuit against Harwood follows intense global scrutiny of xAI over allegations that Grok has allowed users to generate non-consensual sexualized deepfakes, or realistic-looking videos fabricated by AI.” As such I reckon that there will be a sled full of lawyers going for the jugular of this Terry Harwood and if the news given by the Guardian is to be believed, this was done to images of adults and minors. I wonder how the lawyer of Terry Harwood would be spinning that. I reckon that we have to wait for the court case and the submitted evidence. I reckon that all these hormonal teenagers fabricating a slew of images from all kind of actors and actresses will soon face the music of their parents as these parents will likely see their houses going away to other shores. 

I reckon that this is what the victims of these people will go for, the first rule of torts is to go where the money is and that ends up being the real estate of the parents (in case of minors) but that is speculative thinking. What matters is that with the acts of Elon Musk and xAI is the first step of countering the tidal wave of sexualized deepfakes. 

I feel relief, the first time in over a year that something makes sense to me and there is a larger setting for some publications as well. You see they cannot hide behind “given to use by an anonymous source”, when they publish that and the Grok case bears fruit, the victims can now go after these publications as well, because that is the implied trend with torts. Torts goes to where the money is and the value of people like Jeff Bezos, who has approximately $252,000 million and Rupert Murdoch and family who is allegedly the owner of $24,000 million. I wonder how many class cases they will face in this setting. Time will tell.

Have a great day and look towards the sun wearing sunnies. It is a bright day today.

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July 11, 2026 · 17:02

Reasons to see the Middle East

I was told in the Khaleej Times (at https://www.khaleejtimes.com/world/gulf/saudi-arabia-tourist-package-visa-service-pilot-phase) that Saudi Arabia is adding a few options. With ‘Saudi Arabia launches new tourist visa service package for 7 countries’ we are given “Saudi Arabia has launched a new tourist visa package which will allow visitors to obtain a visa as part of a extensive travel bundle, reducing the hassle of planning and booking an entire trip. The service allows tourists to book packages that combine various elements of their trip, including airfare, accommodation at licensed tourist housing, and electronic visa processing, with the option to add experiences, activities, and events.” As I personally see it, the vacation to Abu Dhabi and Dubai, optionally with addition to Qatar could now include an additional long weekend in Riyadh (or Dammam/Jeddah) with options towards the Kingdom Tower, Riyadh City Boulevard and the Grand Mosque, there are plenty of places and they now come as an optional addition. Whilst some go to other places through the worry that Riyadh might not have the options for a long time. We see that Riyadh has plenty to do as an addition. As such that tourist visa package could be the suitor for Saudi Arabia to get tourist traction and it could use that in the big picture of tourism. So as we also see “It is issued electronically within a maximum of 48 hours after the travel package purchase is completed, eliminating the need to visit a Saudi embassy or submit a standalone visa application. By including visa arrangement services within the package, service providers will be offering clients a smoother experience and design more integrated and attractive tourism packages, encouraging visitors to extend their trips.” Beside that we are given “The pilot phase of the program will be subject to specific operational requirements. These include the readiness of digital platforms and the provision of 24/7 technical support and visitor communication services. The ‘Tourist package visa’ service reflects a broader transformation in the sector, which is based on facilitating travel, strengthening partnerships with the private sector, offering more integrated tourism experiences, and opening wider horizons for the world to discover the Kingdom and its diverse destinations. The new service is part of a series of programs and services launched by the country in recent years to facilitate tourist access and enhance their experience, in line with the objectives of Vision 2030.” I reckon that this pilot will start this summer and when it shows the benefits to the tourist traction, it should be implemented in a much wider way. As I see it, Saudi Arabia could use the tourism boost and as tourists are avoiding the United States, these people need to go somewhere. In addition 1 in 5 people are Muslim making Saudi Arabia an optional point of interest and not all are likely to see Saudi Arabia as a vacation Destination, they will see Saudi Arabia as an optional additional location to other places and the most likely location was the UAE, so as I see it, this new visa might be the solution for Saudi Arabia, especially for people who need an additional or alternative location. The fact that this visa could be done in 48 hours after application implies that some of these people can apply whilst they are on vacation. Personally I only see upsides to this setting. Especially for the tourism in Saudi Arabia. Considering that Canada and the UK already have almost 6 million muslims, add to that the 26 million muslims in Europe, there could be a decent uptake of this solution in 2027. I don’t think it is only for Muslims, especially Riyadh. But I think that this category of tourists would have a first interest in seeing the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Coming to think of it (me being humorous) you could go to Dammam and see Iran on the other side of the Sea of Dammam (Iranians call it the Persian Gulf) and throw stones across the water to Iran. One can only hope that the Saudi population shares my sense of humour. Still as I see it, the addition to the visa package could be the start of a much larger intake of tourists for Saudi Arabia.

As I see it, the Arabian peninsula could be the hottest tourist ticket for 2027/2028, but what do I know. I am not a tourist operator. So you all have a great day, time for me to start making my pasta meal.

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July 4, 2026 · 21:53

That what becomes tomorrow

We have these settings. They are what they are and as I have seen it the United States is in massive problems. They did this to themselves and whilst they are in denial, whilst they are (what I consider) cooking the books and whilst they are presenting pieces of pictures, we do know that what we see is not really what is in play. You merely have to lookup the Florida economy and the California economy to see that there are serious issues in play. But I am not an United States citizen, so I basically do not care. I am a Commonwealthian, so I consider helping my Canadian brethren (sisters too). I also feel for the Emirates, as such I stand by them. How, you might ask? Well, I think things through and as such I have a few ideas how to aid Canadian and Emirati tourism. Because we can point at the issues, but that merely caresses our ego’s. What we can do is prepare for tomorrow, or in this case the summers of 2027 and 2028. You see, whatever the united States making claim of what is. Some people see what is going on and that is where I now am. As I see it, we can help to bolster tourism or we can ignore that this setting exists. I chose the first option. And in all this I am using my Dutch knowledge to aid this endeavor. 

So this is all for both nations, and using other knowledge to create new knowledge is the first step in becoming innovative. The Dutch have a place called Archeon. It is an open air museum, reconstructing various eras from Dutch history. The Bronze Age, the Romans and the Middle Ages. The idea was amazing and I loved seeing it. 

So in the new setting, it could hand Canadian a setting where people would see a fort (as authentic as first would be in the 1700s with an additional camp of the Huron (who also were in Ontario) people would see how life was in those days, How the Huron lived and we might also add an English camp, perhaps even a replica of Fort Anne. The people would see how these people lived, it would also give people a view of life of the Huron in those days. If it is don’t right, the First Nations could benefit from selling First Nation goods and optionally books and other things, which would bolster their economic footprint as well. The trade posts also have similar settings in all this, as does the fort. A view of what was and how Canada grew from this. 

In the case of the Emirati, the views of buildings on how they were in Rumailah, Al Thuqeibah and Muweilah would give a first look. Add to that the view of Beit al Shaar (houses of hair), constructed by Bedouin tribes using woven goat or camel wool and you get a nice view of life in the distant past. All these places would also sell food, how they basically were made (in modern out of sight kitchens) but I remember the food I had in the Roman camp (drinks too) the food was some sort of stew and tasted delicious. I very much loved the food in the abbey (middle ages) I still dream of the waffles with hot cherry sauce and whipped cream, even after 30 years. If that feeling can be transposed to the places in Canada and the UAE, they both have a winner. For the UAE I was thinking around the Emirates Park Zoo and Resort and Deerfields mall, there seems to be space in between that place and putting more places between Abu Dhabi and Dubai would create a larger dream of people, without the economic pressures of the land value. As for Canada, there is plenty of space around Toronto and this idea could go far (as I personally see it).

The second idea comes from the Dutch Madurodam. It is a a miniature park in the Hague and has been a tourist attraction. The entire park is set up in a 1:25 scale. It has all the historical and famous buildings, even a massive view on Amsterdam international airport. In the Netherlands it attracts 600K-700K visitors every year. It will take some time, but these are two ideas that spreads the interest in both Canada and the UAE and the UAE has plenty of places it could show off, consider the biggest ferris wheel in the world, now visible on a 1:25 scale. Both Dubai and Abu Dhabi have a serious amount of buildings it could show off. and the Ferris wheel is merely a first. You see, you can hope that all what there is will satisfy the need of the tourist, or you can venture to more and in ways that is not dependent on the greed of the United States. Making this setting malleable give both nations more options (without spending the bank on that chance) and even if not everything is done in a quarter, this summer will show the world more clearly how deep the abyss is that the United States has placed itself in. I for one prefer to focus on what helps Canada (the UAE too) and these are merely two idea that could help either country. There is a third one, but that that is for later and more applicable to Canada than it is to the UAE. 

So, as I see it, opportunity is where you find it and there is enough materials on both the Archeon and Madurodam to give these two nations where they could take this setting to.

So, you all have a great day and consider contemplating whether you want to keep staring at the mistakes of others or do you want to find an upside for you in that stage?

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July 2, 2026 · 03:52

Catching laurels

That is what I am seeing. The news (at https://blooloop.com/news/yas-waterworld-guinness-world-record) is giving us ‘Abu Dhabi’s Yas Waterworld sets Guinness World Record with 55 waterslides’ as I see it, that is quite the record. The waterpark in The Hague (specifically: Wassenaar) only had 4 slides and we had a ball for hours. Here in WaterWorld you could spend a day trying waterslides and never having to do the same slide twice. Ad there is still more to do there. So we see “During a celebratory ceremony held at the attraction, Mohamed Abdalla Al Zaabi, group CEO of Miral, and Rayan Al Haddar, general manager of Yas Waterworld, received the Guinness World Records certificate from Hanane Spiers, official Guinness World Records adjudicator for the MENA region and Türkiye.” As such I say well done Miral and well done WaterWorld. As long as the Al Raha river still exists when I get there (date unknown) so I can float in the sun in Hufflepuff shorts and a Hufflepuff bucket hat I will be happy. To protect myself from the sun I will most likely be wearing a Hufflepuff t-shirt with long arms, so the sun does not get me  for the longest of times and I reckon that sunnies are also needed and a GoPro so that I can record just how awesome I think I look. Yet this is not the first record they set. In past events they also set:

Most water moved using a sponge in one minute: Achieved by George Massoud with 5,928.79 ml during a live event at the park.

As well as:

Most nationalities in a swimming pool: Set by 102 different nationalities gathering in the waterpark to celebrate the UAE’s Year of Tolerance.

As such WaterWorld proves itself yet again that Abu Dhabi is the place to be on your next vacation and it is only one of 4 parks to see (SeaWorld, Warner Brothers World and Ferrari world) then there is the Yas Mall with a few events and the Marina. Yes your package could be extended beyond what you expected, so whilst we wait for Harry Potter and Disney world to arrive, your vacation becomes a speed train of excitement. Talking about trains, the press to Dubai takes a little under an hour, so there is so much more to do, but as I see it, every other day cooling off in  WaterWorld is not a bad way to get through your vacation time. That being said, the Warner Brother Hotel includes a voucher every day you are there, with that voucher you can select one of these parks to enter for free. Not a bad deal, is it?

So as we return to WaterWorld, we see “Yas Waterworld’s record comes after the launch of its recent expansion, which introduced 11 new rides, slides and attractions to the park, and brought Yas Waterworld’s total number of attractions to more than 70.” And you could be there all day long enjoying the events and tomorrow (today for me) that park will give you all the fun you can handle from 11:00 in the morning until 22:00 hours in the evening (that is 10PM), 11 hours of soaking, sliding and other activities. What a vacation setting that is. 

So, to the people of Miral I extent my congratulations. It is an honour well deserved and it gives additional appeal to visit Abu Dhabi. A happy day to all here in my blog today. Time to catch the snore mill and get ready for some serious DML today.

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June 8, 2026 · 18:20

Etihad to the ready

So here I was (as I am) and I got thrown an interesting article thrown my way from a source e named PYOK, which after some searching was an abbreviation called ‘paddle your own kanoo’ and weirdly enough, I giggled. I had never heard of this source and I do recall that expression from a very long time ago (I think I paddled a kanoo with a guy named David Crockett, a former member of the US Congress) but that was yesterday’s news. What matters is the article he placed. I cannot vouch for the accuracy, but it starts with the headline ‘Etihad Airways Plans to Expand Capacity Above Pre-Iran War Levels Despite Continuing Uncertainty in the Region’, its all signed with his name (Mateusz Maszczynski) and his site is filled with airline crew and airport articles, so I personally believe that this man is all on the up and up. 

The article makes sense, there is no goal in planning for long term uncertainty and planning for a larger presence makes perfect sense, especially as Iran is pissing of people faster than an army of cockroaches in an apartment building. So as we are given “Etihad Airways plans to increase capacity beyond its pre-Iran War levels within days and is finalizing a massive new order for wide-body aircraft, despite continuing uncertainty in the Middle East, its chief executive, Antonoaldo Neves, has confirmed. The Abu Dhabi-based airline is currently operating up to 78% of its pre-war schedule, but by June 15, Neves claims the carrier will have added around 8% more capacity than it was operating before February 28, when the U.S. and Israeli conflict with Iran began. Abu Dhabi Zayed International Airport escaped relatively unscathed during Iran’s massive bombardment of ballistic missiles and kamikaze drones fired towards the UAE throughout March and April, although one civilian tragically died when debris from a low-altitude drone interception fell on the outskirts of the airport.” I tend to agree with this setting, at some point the hostilities are gone and those who hesitated will get eaten by worms, so being on top of this seems the way to go. And we are also given “Following years of shrinking back to profitability, Neves was brought in to accelerate the airline’s growth plans, with his ‘Journey 2030’ transformation program marking a “pivotal turning point in Etihad’s journey.” Journey 2030 will see Etihad Airways expand its route network to 125 global destinations and double its fleet size to 160 aircraft. Last May, the airline placed an order for 28 additional wide-body Boeing aircraft, including 787 Dreamliners and the yet-to-be-certified Boeing 777X. Speaking on the sidelines of the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) annual general meeting in Brazil, Neves struck an optimistic tone despite the continuing security issues impacting travel demand through the Persian Gulf.” The entire setting makes sense, because there are a few other parts (not mentioned here, nor was it needed). You see, the United States paused of its allies to such an extent that the 70 million people they did have (due to Walt Disney World (featuring Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom), Universal Orlando Resort, and SeaWorld) will get left outside looking for other places to go and here Abu Dhabi and Dubai will be the call for many. There is doubt that this will start in 2026 (because of Iran) but there is every indication that 2027 that it could receive the bulk of 20 million Canadians that are now shunning the United States. Then you get the Europeans, Asians and people form the Commonwealth, they have all had it with the United States, its bully tactics and considering major theme parks like Disney World and Universal, quick-service meals run $15-$25, and full-service dining can easily reach $50-$75+ per person. So, consider those expenses from a vendor that doesn’t seemingly even want you there, the choice is easy and the UAE is tactically sound, especially with Yas Island having most options right there, all in walking distance and the fast train will take you to Dubai and its world famous mall in 30 minutes. That is a steal at twice the price. As I see it the United States are done for as a tourist destination until deep into 2031. As I see it, Etihad is getting ready for some major tourist increases and so they should. Taking into account that Abu Dhabi already has most of the attractions in place (Disney is still building) there is little that Orlando can offer that the UAE isn’t, and for the car enthusiasts, Yas Island has a Ferrari world with the world’s fastest roller coaster—Formula Rossa—reaches a staggering top speed of 240 km/h (149.1 mph), this is something Orlando does not have. So if you were a gambling man, put your money on the UAE, if you are not, see what the UAE currently has to offer and see what you could be seeing at a much reduced rate and with the UAE being a zero tax place there might be more than one reason to look towards the UAE as a place of relaxation and as It seems (according to PYOK) Etihad is getting ready for the increased tourist pressure, that being said they have an airport that Zayed International Airport (AUH) has an ability to scale up to 80 million. The facility is built to handle up to 11,000 travelers per hour, which is a lot more than Orlando ever could and with their ‘diminished’ staff, nearly 1,600 Spirit employees in the Orlando area lost their jobs, marking one of the most significant aviation workforce contractions at the airport, as such they are not ready to see any increase of tourists in their area for some time to come. As such banking towards the UAE and Etihad is banking for gold and now PYOK has given me (and others) the confidence that the UAE is not taking chances and they are getting ready for a massive influx of tourists. I reckon that Yas Island will be getting a massive appeal for a lot of people, on a personal note I think ALBAIK needs to expand into the Yas Mall, there are plenty of good places already, but I so want to try their food in the Yas Mall when I get there. As I see it, their new slogan should become “Better than Macka’s, better than Burger kind and cheaper than both”, but that is merely me and I have been wrong on many things, but never about food and I have the (massive) size to match this statement up.

Have a great day today.

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May 29, 2026 · 10:01

As ideas go

Just before I started writing yesterdays blog, I saw a walkthrough on Monaco. I watch them every now and then. Monaco, Toronto, Abu Dhabi, Dubai all the places I cannot afford to see myself, others make sure that this becomes an option. I reckon that the first Covid shutdown gave people ideas. Anyway, why I was watching the Monaco walkthrough, I suddenly realised around when the camera came to the Elle Style clothing store that something was missing. An adaptation of 5G and wearables. Consider the you pass a billboard, it gives a great style and you are a tourist there, so how to find this? Well, that is where this IP becomes a solution. You are on the Avenue de la Costa and you want to get to that store. So you need to find a map, a direction and if you are shabby in French you will face a few more issues. So here comes Lawrence (aka Garfield, aka Lawlordtobe, aka yours truly), and voila: 

So here we see the  the model, and that billboard at that point also gives the ‘willing recipient’ (the active instigator) the map tag, an optional Lightbox advertisement, the advertisement itself to be stored (if so set in your mobile) and in seconds you are ready to visit this place. A setting that the tourist, or local traveller can use to get to where they need to be. And it goes further, consider malls in Dubai, London, Toronto, they all get to have this added feature. Some will reject this, but most see the stage that this as added visibility  

So where we had nothing, we now have a solution that could be globally rolled out, I mention the famous places, but there is not a mall that cannot benefit from this and that is merely for starters. Government settings of advertising their events and event places become eager new customers, so consider that at any given year 16 million routine events are taking place, and now they get another channel to give visibility, millions of sport events and hundred of thousands of fair events. As I see it all optionally customers to the setting offered here and that is before you need to find the Apple Store in Monaco (hint: there isn’t one) but a new day is dawning (Google is here and me too) to make it all a little easier for the traveler and local stumped person trying to find out where Monaco is holding its Fête de la Mer (June 20th) or perhaps the Live Jazz at La Note Bleue in Lavrotto beach. All places that could benefit from visibility and that was merely one place. Now consider what shows Harrods is giving, a setting more tourists miss, so when these 300,000 daily shoppers get to see what is going on, I reckon that there will be loads more visibility and that is merely two location all whilst the USA has over 135,000 malls. So what are they doing? Well, optionally Google seemingly has your back and even outside the malls and places, there can be added visibility. That market is about to fuel itself to a much larger degree.

So whilst some will put this idea down (some always do) consider that as I see it, no one had this idea as no one moved in this direction and now there is an option for visibility that does not rely on taking notes. It is all downloaded to your mobile at the press of a button and streamed to your smartwatch so you can see where you have to walk to. And is there an exception? Yes, the Formula is making such a ruckus you can hear it in every part of Monaco, but that might be the only event in that monarchy that doesn’t need the advertisement. 

Have a great day all.

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May 10, 2026 · 01:20

Not as we know it

The famous and iconic quote by Dr. Leonard McCoy, first stated by Deforest Kelly, after that by Karl Urban. So, it’s space but not as we know it. We are given ‘Abu Dhabi-based space company plans massive $1 billion satellite network’ with the quote “The space technology company, linked to Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed’s International Holding Co. (IHC), will launch its first satellite in October. Nine more are scheduled for next year as the firm builds an AI-powered Earth observation system. CEO Hamdullah Mohib confirmed plans for 40 additional satellites within five years.” Who would have thought that the 2017 movie Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets gave us a look into the actual future?

Of course I went to the cinema, I grew up with the comics of Valerian (in Dutch, where he is called Ravian) one of the comics even gave me the idea for a story with elements based on that setting, I even Included parts of the idea of Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed Origin, specifically the The Curse of the Pharaohs part. There were no pharaohs, or curses in my story, but the ships sailing through the weeds and the location of Aten and Duat gave me ideas. But this is about the UAE, who is launching 50 satellites. I have no idea what the competitive yank was doing when Elon Musk (yes, that guy) has launched over 11,500 starlink satellites. But the UAE, is a different matter. I have no idea what area, although some sources gave me “Middle East, Africa, and the surrounding regions”, the question becomes will it include at lest parts of Europe? You see, that would give a massive boost to the UAE streaming channels as they could reach these area’s too and that could mean all kinds of revenue (like advertising). It is me personal view to not include this would be folly. I also see the need to increase YouTubers, TikTok makers, and likeminded local crowds. I can see that the limitations is decently showing for Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah. The world needs to see what the UAE can offer as the resentment for visiting the United States is increasing on a near daily basis, especially as someone ‘claims’ that Cube is now easy pickings (they used a different term). But that warmongering claim and the sounds that we hear as Hegseth criticized NATO allies for not standing with the U.S. during tensions with Iran, questioning the strength of the alliance when allies are unwilling to support U.S. efforts is as some say “going down the wrong pipe”, as such there is a higher need for more diverse information and it might be nice to do that, but I believe that the best view on the Emirates should be given by an Emirati, should be simple, right? And there is enough sample materials. I am privy to see the works of Johny Strides, but there is also “The Ken Continuum” as I see it, plenty of stuff for Emirati’s to show Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah on a near daily basis. I just looked on the recently uploaded vlogs and what I find is ‘Inside Yas Mall Abu Dhabi 🇦🇪 | Luxury Shopping & Walking Tour’ from the Canada Family Vlogs. One in one day, there were a few more in 3-6 days and plenty of shorts, but the famous Yas Mall? I would have expected at least a 6-12 in a day and I think it is important for the UAE to show itself and there is plenty of evidence that the Emirati’s love their country, as such I am a little bewildered why there is so little (perhaps there is a reason, but I am unaware of it) And Yas Island has a mall and 4 theme parks. And when. I look towards Sharjah, I get ‘Sharjah Separating From UAE? The Hidden Crisis In UAE Right Now’ I have no idea if that is real (most likely a doom speaker) but something should be done, especially when the UAE is adding 50 satellites and they all want to give and receive all kinds of data (I reckon a lot will be videos). But it is essential that the UAE will upgrade the quality of what is out and about, especially from Emiratis. I saw several good videos in the past for both Abu Dhabi and Dubai, but the pickings are getting slim. Show the people what shopping in Carrefour is like, show Affordables in Khalidiyah mall and Al Wadha mall (a mere example), foodcourts in Dubai, most people in the Commonwealth have never seen Al Baik and that is just the surface of things. Yes, people show us the Dubai Mall (which is lovely) and show us the Bugatti hotel, but there is more. And there are good vloggers, Dubai has Alone in Dubai, which shows us all the splendour of Dubai, I have seen numerous videos from that provider on YouTube. But there should be more, because not everyone likes one particular person, we all have different tastes. I get that, and by showing us more, we learn more and we accept that Dubai and Abu Dhabi needs to be on everyones bucket list especially now that the people tire of the United States. I reckon that with 50 satellites, there will be a lot more interactions and as these 50 satellites come online between now and 2031, it becomes essential to do this, especially as the telecom companies want to grow and there is room for growth especially towards Europe as I see it, so as the UAE shows its technological prowess, it needs to consider what is there to show and at times I think it might be better and these could be more. The UAE set out in 2024, to ‘Chris Hemsworth criticised over tourism ad promoting Abu Dhabi despite ‘notorious’ human rights violations’, which I personally consider BS. What Human Rights violations? The Guardian showed “The international non-governmental advocacy organisation Human Rights Watch (HRW) has said the UAE “invests in a strategy to paint the country as progressive, tolerant, and rights-respecting while carrying out repression against dissent”.” With a massive page where it mentions Khashoggi, Saudi Arabia and we get “The ACTU had said the UAE would be “one of the most repressive countries any Australian government has ever done a bilateral trade agreement with”.” So, where is the evidence? Because all I have seen on YouTube (mostly by British people) is a place that is a lot prettier then Florida ever was, I have not seen any repression and the BS I saw on the dangers in Google Search are as I see it massive lies too. The UAE is seen (by a lot of people as one of the safest places on the planet), plenty of women claimed that they felt safe in Dubai (on their YouTube videos), as such to counter this BS from wannabe human rights phonies it is time now to open the valve, because all this takes time to create traction and the UAE has 5 years to give us a whole range of videos of life in the UAE. I reckon that this is an essential call towards the people in the Emirates and I do believe that you need to see the local settings and as such the UAE has its challenge cut out for them, and I believe that they can meet them, because I see on Twitter (on a daily basis) the proclamation of Emiratis and the love they have for their rulers and their country. I saw a few videos regarding National day and it was clear that these people love their country, I think it is time that this is brought to the larger audience. I saw them as I watched a lot of walkthroughs on the first covid lockdowns. I was in me apartment, nothing to do, as such I watched what was available. London, Toronto, Dubai, Stockholm, Rotterdam and a few other places. As such I also saw the National day parades, cultural performances and I believe it was the first time that I saw the global village in Dubai. The UAE has so much to show, as such I believe it is needed to show it so that these people proclaiming repression, either show us evidence, or shut up. But that might be my oversimplified setting on the matter. But what is now known is that the UAE (with French help) will put 50 satellites in orbit in the next 5 years, as such it is time to see what there is and how it could aid others in seeking optional fortune and challenges. As I see it, the UAE is now where the United States was in 1952, a land of opportunity and as such the larger players and the smaller innovators have a new destination and you might think that the story I started with is merely talk, but consider that the UAE has Dubai+, Dubai One, and Dubai Sports, Shahid, STARZPLAY, OSN+, Abu Dhabi Media Network (ADmn) brands, Abu Dhabi TV, Emarat TV, and Abu Dhabi Sports. So what do you think will happen in 2031? When they grow outside of their UAE borders, they will need materials and that is your opportunity. That is the grow setting that is now getting lost in the United States. Some will go towards Canada, but the Middle East is where it will take on serious grow settings. I reckon that the European script writers are already looking in this direction, because they have materials that might fit in the Emirati media circles. So it will be life for all, but not as we have known it, it will be new and as such it will be interesting to see and it will be enticing. So have a great day today and consider where your future lies and as I read it (might be a typo) ADNOC has 555,845 open jobs. So anyone seeking a job? Have a great day.

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May 8, 2026 · 15:23

We saw it before

This morning I saw the news and I was thinking ‘again?’ You see, Iran is using the same tactic they gave to Hamas, when ammunition gets low, they offer a cease fire until the next shipment come in. And as I see it the news as we see it with ‘UAE reports drone and missile attack as Iran war ceasefire is challenged’ (at https://apnews.com/article/iran-us-israel-war-may-8-2026-6490db55a65880a61a6233eff7acc68b) and ‘UAE countering Iranian air attack after Trump says ceasefire still in effect’ (https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/uae-countering-iranian-air-attack-after-trump-says-ceasefire-still-effect-2026-05-08/) is some kind of proof of my thinking. So when we look at the Reuters summary we see:

  • UAE says air defences engaging Iranian drones, missiles
  • US says three destroyers attacked, no damage
  • Iran says US violated ceasefire and it returned fire
  • Fighting broke out as Iran reviews US proposal to end war
  • Trump says ceasefire still in effect, Iran says situation is back to normal

It’s the same old story and I for one, even as I applaud the setting if the UAE not to be the escalator in all this would be kinda happy to see Iranian infrastructure implode on itself. The stage of Iran having to reassess itself as the world has grown tired of this tantrum leading nation is too offensive, especially as the UAE is exploring non-oil and innovative stages that it is exploring. It is not some oil nation using its natural resources, it is trying to seek innovation. I reckon that it that search and the creation of innovation is what Iran fears. It was always the their pathetic attempts to upstage their bigger islamic brother Saudi Arabia, but when the UAE also surpassed Iran, it was too much to those religious proclaimers of the Rumi of Islam whilst they get others to attack the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, getting their political shield up, known as ‘I know nothing of this’ but now as they attack the other gulf nations their game is up. We can accept that they strike out to the United States and Israel as they attacked them, but the attacks that they took unto the gulf states now has whatever friends they thought they had will now be ready to undo the Islamic Republic of Iran and it seemingly lasted less then 50 years. And now as I see it, the other islamic countries could either destroy Iran, or be destroyed by it and there is additional evidence, see what Hamas left of Gaza, a nation that accepted 2005 disengagement when Israel withdrew its military forces and settlers, leading to a brief period with hopes for economic independence, but this was followed by a takeover by Hamas in 2007. Two years that is all that was given to Gaza, Hamas ruled under the coat of Iran an increasingly violent setting and now as Hamas is seeking whatever it can, Iran considered the same and even as it was attacked, it took the wrong stance and whilst it had options to return attacks to Israel, it decided to attack the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait and Oman and don’t give me the “only to attack United States military bases”, the 549 ballistic missiles, 29 cruise missiles, and over 2,260 drones it did on the UAE, The United States has the Al Dhafra Air Base (Abu Dhabi), the Jebel Ali Port (Dubai) and the Al Minhad Air Base which is also hosting some level of support to the United States. So whilst all these attacks were heading to civilian targets, how much damage did the first two have? How many Americans did they drones aim for? That is the setting that Iran evoked and as I see it, the Islamic world has had enough of this Iranian corruption and the world is watching. So whilst we see too much disinformation the press, we need to consider what is next. No matter what I added this equation, the islamic world needs to unite. In my view it would be led by Saudi Arabia and the UAE and all the distortion that is happening to them might be the more Iranian interventions, but in that I am grasping at straws. Personally I want the UAE get out stronger and I reckon they can, but it requires someone to deal with Iran before it gets too far out of hand.

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May 7, 2026 · 00:55

Bewildered as such

I have been bewildered for some time, now I see ‘UAE comes under Iranian attacks for second consecutive day: Ministry’ (at https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/5/5/uae-intercepts-missiles-and-drones-for-second-day). I have been bewildered on this for some time, you see never mind how the relationship with Iran is, the UAE is still a Muslim nation, it never sought aggression with Iran, it never catered to the United States and as such it makes absolutely no sense to me to fire 549 ballistic missiles, 29 cruise missiles, and 2,260 drones. These attacks have targeted infrastructure and caused civilian injuries. This is by large the most, even their ‘ally’ Israel (yes, that was a joke) never faced that intense an attack. So when I see that they have had two days of additional attack, I am happy (and relieved) that I gave my military IP to the UAE (Saudi Arabia as well), so as Al Jazeera gives us “The escalation comes amid fears of a return to war between Iran and the US, after Washington launched a new initiative, dubbed “Project Freedom”, to guide vessels through the Strait of Hormuz starting on Monday. About a fifth of global energy exports pass through the narrow waterway. In retaliation for joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran in late February, Iranian forces have effectively taken control of the strait by attacking – or just threatening – vessels attempting to cross without Tehran’s permission. The move has triggered a global energy shock, pushing oil and gas prices to multi-year highs.” As well as “Tehran also launched a salvo of 15 missiles – most of them ballistic – towards the UAE on Monday – the first incident after the US-Iran ceasefire came into effect about four weeks ago. All were intercepted, Emirati authorities said, but a fire broke out in Fujairah, home to a key oil terminal. The facility has been critical during the war, handling about 1.7 million barrels per day – roughly half of the country’s export capacity – as it allows shipments to bypass the Strait of Hormuz via the Gulf of Oman. Three Indian nationals were injured in the incident, which India’s government described as “unacceptable”.” The only thought that makes sense (to the smallest extent) is that the UAE could bypass the Strait of Hormuz, but that is not enough, the idea that the UAE has such a western following is the fact that it has a diversified work setting. As I see it, the UAE is the best place for Iran to get global visibility, that is the best I can come up with and it is for that reason that Iran needs to be destroyed, completely and utterly. They have no wish to get any diplomacy working, they merely want to stall the games they play. It might be a sick view I have, but that is what I am coming up with. The only plus point I see is that now the UAE will see what their true friends are and it can adjust the next steps to better the position of the United Arab Emirates. No matter what they do next, it should be with true friends and real allies. That is merely my view on the matter. And as the needs for the UAE will increase in several directions, there is an opportunity for Google to increase its visibility in Abu Dhabi as from there towards more locations. IBM already preceded them and they are not alone. As I see it, there will be changes and the embassies in Abu Dhabi need to be secured. Personally I am not one to trust Microsoft with that, but a Google/IBM solution might work. And my reason? Well, someone gave us ‘Xbox wants to win you back by removing the Copilot AI it forced upon you last year’ only 7 hours ago and TechRadar gave us 3 hours ago ‘Microsoft has finally realized what most of us knew all along: nobody actually wanted Copilot on Xbox’, a corporation that is so self centered and does not listen to its customers, is not one I am willing to trust ever, but I already had me share of evidence 12 years ago. So that clicked. So, whilst some big tech players are willing to play chicken with the Humvee driving towards you loaded with a beer-keg filled with Nitroglycerine? I’m not (I am watching Vertical Limit, hence the reference). 

As I see it, the UAE needs a strong infrastructure and it requires the correct business partners. As such I am willing to roll the dice on IBM/Google to the standard basics protected. And even as I see all current AI as fake, there is no doubt that Gemini is superior to whatever OpenAI/ChatGPT has, as such some others lose traction. Should Microsoft be eliminated? Nah, tempting, but they did invest Infrastructure & AI between 2023 and the end of 2025, Microsoft will have invested over $7.3 billion, with an additional $7.9 billion planned from 2026 to 2029. As such they have a clear need for the UAE, as well as aiming to train 175,000 students, 39,000 teachers, and 120,000 government employees to drive regional AI adoption (in my view it might ‘accidentally’ be focussed on Microsoft products and not Gemini), but as I see it, that is their right, it is good business sense. But I also see common sense in business sense and as such getting Google towards Abu Dhabi makes sense too (IBM is already there). No matter how you slice it, there will be changes in the UAE. I am not Confused, there is no Mystification and whilst some will say that I am in the dark, or at a loss, I am not, I might be to some extent clueless on what some do and there might be have the smallest smidge of being in the dark but that comes from lacking intelligence on the setting there and it goes hand in hand by some keeping intelligence from us. I get the reason for lacking intelligence, lets face it, no one wants to admit that their product is rubbish and when we consider that nobody actually wanted Copilot on Xbox (allegedly a given fact) we need to wonder why Microsoft is so intent on pushing its premise on whatever they can (my interpretation of that). It fuels mistrust as I personally see it. As such there needs to be an alternative for Microsoft and they did this to themselves. 

You can agree or disagree, that is fine, but I personally believe that the UAE will need reliable business partners, especially in Abu Dhabi and I see that players like Zendesk might need to open offices in the UAE (particular in Dubai and Abu Dhabi) There is a larger need for service solutions to expand into the UAE, whatever hits the UAE next, at some point service points will be affected and its resolution can only be affectively resolved if all the players that need to be there are there. It is nice to ‘rely’ on cloud solutions, but the UAE is under attack and as such whatever  loud solution you use, it tends to lose against a Shahed-136, as such repairs and rollbacks come to mind and they require closer interaction, not a cloud connection to London (or Osaka) there are too many lose ends and that tends to be delimiting to any business. For now I seem to be focussing on alternative military solutions to slap Iran silly (they will be handed to the UAE as well), so have a great day, its 01:00 now and I still have a few hours of snoring ahead until brekkie is offered.

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April 30, 2026 · 14:17

The syrup of some

Deutsche Welle gave me a view, it is a optional view and I am using optional because I know much too little about this. The story (at https://www.dw.com/en/why-uaes-opec-exit-is-a-blow-to-saudi-arabia/a-76975354) gives us ‘Why UAE’s OPEC exit is a blow to Saudi Arabia’ it feels different from other views stating that the break up of OPEC is a win for President Trump, which is another view to have. But here we see “The United Arab Emirates is leaving OPEC to pump more oil on its own terms. The break strips Saudi Arabia of a key partner and adds to growing uncertainty over the cartel’s future.” Yes, the UAE could pump more, but I don’t think it will lead to the uncertainty of the oil cartel (named Open and Opec+) You see, this large blip on all our radars will come with other settings. It will give the gulf states a claim for Iranian oil (repair costs) and that could be sold directly to China and Europe, they will exclude the United States as it is the cause of all this mess. At which point others will reject offers from Brent oil as it is American oil and there is no telling how deep the rejection goes and the weird part is that this might open up European talks with Iran as it reimburses damages to the gulf states (namely: UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain and Iraq) it is not the win Iran was looking for, but it is a win as they can make a case that the United States lost. Will it go that way? Time will tell.

It all reminded me towards an old feud (1985) where a colleague accused me from hoarding the ‘Rinse Appelstroop’ on my sandwich, all whilst the sandwich can only contain a mere part of the entire tub. So when we see “For years, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has clashed with Saudi Arabia, OPEC’s most powerful member, over these quotas. The UAE has invested heavily to expand its oil industry and grow its market share, but OPEC limits have repeatedly held it back.” And it reminded me of the feud my co worker gave me over the syrup, almost like oil. I have no idea on where it is all set in the oil industry, but the idea to give into America is nothing less than a joke. They claimed that they have all the oil they need, so why would they need some handhold over oil? The one commercial thing I do know is that as the offer of oil increases the price goes down, as such the Middle East needs to take care of how they deal with this, because oil even as a commodity has a lifespan, once you get to the bottom of the barrel, the amount of oil you can still produce come close to that number shaped like an ‘O’ (hint: it is zero). 

So whilst I get that they all have needs, the idea that there might be an imbalanced amount towards one country is dangerous, but I get it, the UAE must do what is best for the UAE, Saudi Arabia must do what what is best for Saudi Arabia. But underneath all that we see “The UAE currently produces roughly 3.2 to 3.6 million barrels per day (bpd) under quotas but holds spare capacity of nearly 4.8 million bpd, Reuters news agency reported. Plans call for a hike in output toward 5 million bpd by next year.” And no one is looking at the amounts that might still be available for drilling. So what happens when that finishes? Everyone claps to attention but there is no clear vision for the future. And all the ‘influencers’ giving us the YouTube version of what comes tomorrow better find a good news source, because no one has an answer toward the ‘what now’ equation when the oils run out. 

So whilst we are getting “OPEC has already been under strain from repeated quota breaches by members such as Iraq and Nigeria, and from Russia’s inconsistent compliance within OPEC+. The UAE’s departure adds to that sense of fragmentation. In his analysis for Capital Economics,  Oxley warned that, in the medium term, if other producers with spare capacity “see the UAE successfully gaining flexibility and market share” outside OPEC, “others may follow.”” I understand that point of view, but I don’t think I can agree. The bully tactics of the United States will also give strength to Saudi Arabia as they might want to get issues resolved through Algeria, Libya, Nigeria, Gabon and the Congo. There is definitely data that OPEC will be slightly weaker, but the oil that is gained in output will most likely go to China and the setting as of 9 April 2026, the UAE has intercepted and destroyed 537 ballistic missiles, 2,256 drone attacks and 26 cruise missiles fired from Iran, and that is mostly due to the acts of the United States. It is hard to hold them accountable as Iran attacked with the missiles, as such it is on Iran and as some state over 90% were allegedly aimed on civilian targets, as such the UAE demands reparations and so they should, but after that, should oil still be delivered to the instigator of these attacks? I don’t think it is that clear cut even as some state that Iran’s nuclear options were ludicrously limited (I don’t believe they were non-existent). So whilst the UAE could benefit from their withdrawal from OPEC, I see that the weak response from the gulf states towards the UAE is partially to blame for this. 

The conversation had some additional things (at https://theconversation.com/the-uae-is-leaving-the-opec-oil-cartel-what-could-that-mean-for-oil-prices-281734) here we see ‘The UAE is leaving the OPEC oil cartel. What could that mean for oil prices?’, we see here “the UAE is one of the world’s top ten oil producers. The country also has the capacity to increase its output by about one million barrels per day”, which amounts to 6 million barrels a week (one day of rest) and that gives us at least and additional half a billion dollars a week, something the UAE can likely use, especially if it goes towards a solution avoiding the Strait of Hormuz which I wrote about in ‘Sinking a dilemma’ (at https://lawlordtobe.com/2026/02/01/sinking-a-dilemma/) I have no idea if that is the path the UAE will sail, but that makes sense, the Strait and the issues with Iran are massively out of play and it also helps with the other gulf states as they (for a fee) use that solution and that is all before the massive attention the harbours of Abu Dhabi and Dubai will enjoy with all these loaded skippers who can now avoid Iranian waters. I only see upsides here, but that channel will require a serious amount cash, there is no doubt about that and it is not merely now, whenever Iran throws a tantrum, the strait becomes the bottleneck for all gulf states. Better to remove that problem completely.

So whilst we are given “OPEC’s influence on the oil price depends on coordinated changes in production. By agreeing to collectively limit, or to expand, the supply of oil in the market, OPEC can manipulate the price to meet its objectives. The UAE alone is the world’s eighth-largest oil producer, and accounts for about 4% of the world’s oil production.” As such I might imagine that the UAE has an issue with the imposed limits and that is before we consider if Das Island is under limits as well. As such it makes sense that the UAE ight want to leave OPEC, but let it be clear, Iran forced this on the rest of OPEC and as such their desperation will also amount to the wrath that these members have as their grip on maximized profits wane. 

Merely a small view on the setting and I get that not everyone agrees, not everyone is charmed by Appelstroop (a Dutch product). Have a great day.

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