A late-night arrival revealed Dubai's near-instant delivery culture when a motorcyclist delivered a single tube of toothpaste within minutes. The city emphasizes shortcuts and ubiquitous services, enabling effortless consumption and constant availability. Cheap taxis, rooftop bars, five-star hotels and expansive Friday brunches promote excess and waste amid relentless air conditioning and pristine malls. Social-media-ready spectacles of luxury and postcard sunsets encourage guilt-free indulgence. Ostentation and abundance permeate daily life, offering an escape from high-tax, cramped city existence. A subtle shift in that prevailing vibe has recently begun to emerge.
"I arrived at my friend's apartment close to midnight, crumpled and groggy, too weary to do anything except brush my teeth and go to bed. Open the suitcase: no toothpaste. No problem, my friend insisted, grabbing his phone with the little twinkle in his eye that people get when they're about to show off a neat trick. They deliver everything here, he said."
"This, a decade ago, was my first contact with Dubai. And though of course you can get gig-economy groceries in most major cities these days, Dubai still stands out as a world of shortcuts and simple conveniences, a world of abundance and plenty, a world where everyone and everything has its price. If you fancy a quadruple-decker club sandwich at 3am, Dubai has you covered."
Read at www.theguardian.com
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