Dubai: The City That Grew With Me

Thirty years ago, Dubai was a quiet whisper of ambition. I remember arriving for the first time—its skyline still finding its voice, the roads stretching out like open invitations into a future yet to be written. Back then, the city felt like a promise. Now, it’s a masterpiece.

I’ve been in and out of Dubai for three decades, and in many ways, it feels like we grew up together. With every return, I found something new: a building that had defied gravity, a street that had grown more alive, a skyline that had risen with pride. But beyond the architecture and ambition, it’s always been the soul of this city that drew me in. Clean. Safe. Friendly. A city that doesn’t just dazzle—it welcomes.

Dubai is where the desert meets the future. Where you can sip Arabic coffee under a sky full of stars, the sand still warm beneath your feet, and just hours later find yourself dining at a Michelin-starred restaurant with a view of the Burj Khalifa. It’s a place of stunning contrast—where camel tracks and tire marks share the same dunes, and ancient traditions walk side by side with tomorrow’s technology.

Camping in the desert remains one of my most treasured experiences. Out there, time stretches. The silence isn’t empty; it speaks. The fire crackles like an old friend, and the stars seem closer than anywhere else on Earth. There’s a humility to the desert, a reminder that beauty doesn’t always shout. Sometimes, it simply breathes.

And then there’s the city. No matter what you’re hungry for—flavor, culture, conversation—Dubai serves it with finesse. From steaming plates of saffron-laced biryani to experimental dishes that blur the lines between cuisine and art, this is a city that understands the joy of food. It feeds both stomach and soul.

Today, when I land in Dubai, it doesn’t feel like travel. It feels like coming home. A home that never stopped growing. A home that kept evolving, just as I did.

Dubai didn’t just change over the years—it inspired me to change too. And in that dance between past and future, tradition and innovation, I found something rare: a city that lets you choose. You can be anyone here. You can chase the horizon across the desert or the skyline—both are real, both are reachable.

Dubai, thank you for thirty years of wonder. Here’s to all the tomorrows

Camping in the Desert