Game time
This Dubai resident was taking a relaxing nap on the hood of his sports car when his furry friend decided to interrupt for some fun.
If your idea of fun involves a trip to the hospital to treat the scratches your exotic pet has given you, then Dubai is the place for you! As you may have noticed, the people of Dubai love their big cats. So much so, that they let them ride in their sports cars.
Traffic jam
In Dubai, cars are much more than a method of getting from point A to point B. Cars are a way of life. They are used to display social status as well as wealth. Because everyone in Dubai is seemingly rich, everyone has a fancy sports car.
At first glance, this photo appears to show hundreds of car enthusiasts heading to a car show. However, this photo is actually just a typical Wednesday rush hour commute on the streets of Dubai.
Look mom without hands!
Dubai residents love to live life on the edge. Whether it’s getting up close and personal with a ferocious lion or riding the top of their SUV like a surfboard while flipping upside down the highway, the people of Dubai can really do it all.
At this point, we’re pretty sure that every person you meet in Dubai is a well-trained stunt double. Either that or life expectancy in Dubai is abnormally low.
A Faster Ambulance
We’ve seen the Ferraris that Dubai Municipality uses as its standard police car, but we promise you’ve never seen fire engines and ambulances like this before!
This Corvette and Hummer are how paramedics and other emergency personnel respond to calls for civilian help. In a way, it’s very practical – if you have a medical emergency, every second counts, and these vehicles are guaranteed to get to you much faster than your average box ambulance!
High Sky
Since Dubai is all about architectural innovation and pushing the limits of human capability, of course there’s a tennis court in the sky! This tennis court holds the record for being the highest in the world.
Perched atop the mega luxury hotel Burj Al Arab, it’s elevated 1,000 feet above the ground. Roger Federer and Andre Agassi played a casual match on the course. How can anyone play up there without getting dizzy? We don’t know.
Not very good cooking soup
Dubai isn’t just a luxury playground where the privileged few pamper themselves and flaunt their wealth – the city also has a caring side. Here we can see Dubai’s commitment to helping those in need.
But this isn’t your average public food bank, where the best the poor get away with is a couple of cans of tuna – this refrigerated, upscale food bank dispenses delicious things like yogurt and cappuccino mix, which shows that it’s not just the rich who deserve to be treated.
Gold Bar Vending Machine
We all know that feeling – you’ve gone to a hole in the wall store or restaurant, reached for your trusty plastic, and been told that regrettably, the place is cash only.
This is followed by a mad dash to the ATM, which usually charges a ridiculous fee. Well, in Dubai there are ATMs that give out more than just cash – yes, this is a gold bar vending machine! Great for those situations when you forgot your gold at home.
Stable Floor Marble
Horse stables are not usually thought of as pleasant – they are where horses feed, rest, are hosed down and have their hooves cleaned. Comparing a child’s dirty bedroom to a horse stable is a common metaphor used by parents.
Only in Dubai would you find a horse stable with marble floors and painted ceilings that looks like the lobby of a luxury hotel in Las Vegas! This horse is definitely living the good life, although we’re sure he’d rather be outside.
Sailing with a Lion
While you might think of taking a casual photo at the marina aboard your luxury yacht and uploading the photo to Instagram as the pinnacle of showing off your wealth, you’d be wrong.
The ultimate power move is to take a photo of your pet lion on your luxury yacht. We’re not sure how you could show off more than this. The lion seems to be enjoying the sea air, although we were worried about being stuck on a boat with one!
Skiing in the Desert
So while you might think of the middle of the desert as the least likely place on Earth to find a ski resort, Dubai boasts the largest indoor ski resort in the world, and the only one on the planet that is open year-round.
If you’re a European expat who desperately misses the cool thrill of the Alps during winter, this Dubai ski resort is the place to go. The slopes range from beginner to advanced!
White Gold Whip
And here we have, once again, another late model Mercedes customized in such a way as to make it clear that the owner is fabulously wealthy and wants everyone and their mother to know it – a late model Mercedes painted in pure white gold!
Talk about shiny. This custom paint job has to be worth more money than we’ll ever see in our lifetimes, but don’t count on us checking this car out on the street—it reflects the desert sun harshly!
Stacking
These hard-to-find desert tortoises are difficult to spot, an endangered species, and not particularly friendly to humans.
But as we’ve seen in previous photos, Dubai residents absolutely love exotic pets – whether they’re wild cats like cheetahs and tigers, or more domesticated animals like these rare reptiles. Check out this guy showing off his wealth – he doesn’t just have one or two of these hard-shelled creatures, he has an impressive eight of them in total!
Luxury Toilet
Public bathrooms aren’t usually places you want to spend a lot of time in. Even the nicest public facilities still give us a gross feeling, and we try to get in and out as quickly as possible.
However, this public bathroom in Dubai is nicer than our wildest dreams. We would happily relax here for the rest of the day, especially if we were allowed to use the state-of-the-art shower and jacuzzi!
I call Shotgun
Everyone loves their cat and wants to show off pictures of how cute they are to strangers. To afford a cat as big as a cheetah, you need to have a lot of money.
This guy needed to show off his exotic pet – a cheetah! Riding around in a luxury vehicle with a shotgun is a very different life than the one this cheetah was used to back home, running wild and hunting prey on the plains of Africa.
Uber Bugatti?
People in major cities around the world are obsessed with Uber.
It’s the quickest and easiest way to get from Point A to Point B, whether you’re commuting to work or heading home after a wild night on the town. But Dubai is the only city in the world where your Uber driver will pick you up in a luxury sports car like a Bugatti! Talk about a 5-star ride.
Camel Racing Robots
Cultures all over the world are obsessed with animal racing – whether it’s racing greyhounds or horses, citizens of almost every country on the globe love to watch our friends from the animal kingdom push themselves to the limit.
But in this case, as with everything in Dubai, the time-honored camel racing tradition has a new, modern twist. Look closely at the figures atop the camels – instead of humans, they’re super-light robots designed to be aerodynamic!
City of cranes
Since the original discovery of oil, Dubai’s economy has been booming. But decades after its initial emergence as a major player on the global financial scene, Dubai has expanded its horizons and has an economy based on more than just the “black gold” beneath the desert.
Due to lax laws for setting up companies and the lack of income tax, the city is now the perfect location for foreign investors. Construction is constantly taking place and there is always growth.
James Bond or Reality?
It may look like something from the future, but Dubai not only has the world’s largest selection of street-legal sports cars, it also has the ultimate amphibious car!
In fact, Dubai’s Crown Prince, Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Al-Maktoum, doesn’t just have one water car – he has a total of six, which together are worth over $800,000. These cars are called “Panther” and can reach speeds of up to 80 mph on the highway.
Decadent Dessert
This isn’t your average cupcake – this is Dubai, so all that glitters really is gold. This cupcake costs over $1,000 and holds the record as the most expensive cupcake in the world.
The deliciously decadent cupcake is aptly named “The Golden Phoenix” and is made with the finest Italian cocoa, Ugandan vanilla beans, and 23-karat gold, of course. If you’re going to indulge in this many calories, you might as well do it in style.
Families Only
What exactly is a “family zone,” you might ask? Well, it’s a restricted area where single men are not allowed, so women can play freely – oh, wait, women have to be modest and cover up anyway.
In Dubai, there are family zones in both shopping malls, restaurants, and on the beach. The only men who are allowed in “family zones” are those who are accompanied by their wife and children – let’s assume they are not to be seen by wandering young eyes!
Teaching an old cat new tricks
Everyone knows that the best way to train your big cat is on the hood of your expensive sports car. That way, you can show off your exotic and dangerous pet and your social status at the same time
It’s truly the best way to prove to the entire world that you’re the ultimate alpha male. Unless, of course, your plan backfires and your exotic pet friend turns against you. Then you definitely won’t look like an alpha male.
No dogs, no fish
We’ve seen plenty of funny signs in our lives. From awkward instructions about what not to do on an escalator to what’s forbidden on an airplane, instructional signs like this one are a source of much humor.
They also say a lot about the culture of the place where they are placed. We are laughing as we imagine this has happened enough times for the council to put up a sign like this – it must have been a recurring issue!
Verification please
It’s every party animal’s nightmare – you go to a club, know you’re going to be overcharged, only to be completely taken for a ride and presented with a bill for over $380,000!
However, this bill is in UAE dirhams, which means it comes to just over $100,000. Still, a pretty penny to pay for a night out on the town! But when you’re in Rome, you have to do as the Romans do.
Not your average squad car
Since there are so many Bugattis, Ferraris, and Lamborghinis on the road in Dubai, it makes sense that the police department would have to keep up, and of course, the official police vehicle is a Ferrari
Otherwise, how would the cops be able to spot and stop the super-fast car driven by the bad guys? I mean, it’s for practical reasons that all Dubai cops drive Ferraris. We have a feeling that’s the biggest perk of the job.
Golden Trio
In any other city in the world, a stunning trio of Porsches, Ferraris and Mercedes Jeeps would make heads spin – but in Dubai, this kind of incredible lineup is simply an everyday occurrence. This image shows a casual scene in the city.
Appropriately plated in gold, just to make sure its wealth is sufficiently florid, this vehicle screams pure luxury. We don’t know whether or not these cars can outrun the classic Ferrari Dubai police cars!
Riding Dirty
In ancient times, camels were a symbol of wealth – the beasts of burden provided valuable transport, storage, milk, hair for clothing and brushes, and at worst, meat in times of scarcity.
Nowadays, most people in Dubai buy the flashiest car possible rather than drive around with their pack of camels. But this guy decided to mix the best of both worlds by driving around in his expensive Mercedes Jeep while still showing off his investment in animals!
High in the sky
Everyone who lives in a city is familiar with bad traffic – it’s just a fact of life in every city in the world, including Dubai. Waze won’t even help you when the road is completely clogged. The best way to beat those nasty traffic jams?
By air, of course! Only in Dubai can you see a helicopter flying as high as the skyscrapers with the sole purpose of transporting a luxury vehicle from one end of the city to the other.
Luxury Return
We’ve seen a ton of gold on this list – phones made of pure 24-karat gold, encrusted with diamonds and other precious stones. We’ve seen the world’s most expensive cupcake, which boasts an indulgent edible gold leaf frosting.
But this item is what really takes the cake – it’s a high-heeled shoe made by a French designer whose main feature is that it uses a cassette-shaped gold block for the heel!
Foosball Table Not A Fraternity
A foosball table is that horrible thing you find in dive bars and fraternities. Usually sticky with unknown substances, it’s one of those things you touch and immediately regret, then run to the bathroom to wash your hands.
However, we would happily eat a meal from this Swarovski crystal and diamond-encrusted foosball table in Dubai! You have to admire the city’s commitment to making even the most mundane, everyday objects the epitome of luxury.
Morning commute
This scene would be a cause for concern anywhere else on the planet, but a tiger sticking its head out of a car to get some fresh air is simply par for the course during a normal, everyday commute in Dubai.
The tiger is someone’s pet and seems to be enjoying the change of scenery, but we have to admit we might have freaked out a little if we’d seen this guy while he was in traffic!
Hanging 10
Paddleboarding while wearing your traditional thobe and headdress is so Dubai! While Emiratis respect and honour the ancient traditions that have defined their culture for thousands of years, they are also embracing technology as well as the latest trends.
This painting depicts the graceful blending of old and new in Dubai – a father and son in the attire of their ancestors are doing an activity that no one could ever imagine would be possible in the desert.
All the Gold All
When you travel to Dubai, don’t be surprised if your eyes hurt from all the glitter. This is because gold is one of the most popular accessories in Dubai. Dubai residents will wear gold for almost everything.
They have gold necklaces, gold bracelets, gold earrings, gold watches, gold crowns, gold cars, gold coats, gold shoes, gold toothbrushes, and even gold trash cans. While this may seem a bit impractical to Westerners, once you arrive in Dubai, you will appreciate the elegance.
Shine like a diamond
If you’re driving a late-model Mercedes convertible, you’ve obviously got money to burn. But if you really want to drive the point home, there’s nothing like a diamond-encrusted Mercedes to make sure everyone knows you’re rich
Also, in Dubai, a Mercedes is pretty standard and not exactly a head turner, so you have to up your game a bit if you really want to stand out from the crowd.
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A Dubai car park is basically a spectacle of supercars – Lamborghinis, Ferraris, Porsches… and what exactly is that thing? Parked right next to a luxury Mercedes is a somewhat older model of transport – a camel!
The camel, for what it’s worth, looks perfectly content to take a break in the car park. This image is the perfect example of the unique mix of old and new, traditional and modern, that can only be found in Dubai.
Culture Clash
When old traditional attire meets modern fashion, there is bound to be quite a culture clash. Dubai is not exactly like some of its neighbours who would not allow this type of mixed dress, but there is a bit more to the story.
It’s clear that the girl in the Western-style summer clothes is on vacation, and although the locals are a little shocked by her appearance, they are probably used to foreigners dressing so differently than they ever would.
Bikini Vs. Burqa
Dubai welcomes Western expats, who find the lack of bureaucracy in setting up a business, the government’s encouragement of foreign investment, and the absence of income tax extremely appealing.
But with Western residents comes prime ground for some major cultural clashes, as seen here in this crazy image. A woman in a bikini on a beach next to a woman in a burqa is something unimaginable anywhere else in the world, but in Dubai, it’s just a fact of life.
In almost any city in the world, we would panic if we saw a cheetah (even a baby) in public.
However, this lady seems undaunted as she only half pays attention to the wildcat on her lap, holding it with one hand while using the other to chat on her mobile phone. The cheetah is clearly a pet and seems to be enjoying the change of scenery. It is actually a fairly well-behaved safari predator.
Living High in the Sky
Imagine waking up in the morning, looking out the window to see the weather, and seeing the clouds below you! Well, this is everyday life for expats who base their jets in Dubai, who have enough money to buy penthouses that are literally in the sky.
Dubai has the highest concentration of high-rise buildings in the world, and these high-rise buildings are also the highest possible. Dubai is the city with the highest number of Penthouses and condominiums available above the 50th floor!
Bling Hotline
The six digits below these phones aren’t their serial numbers – they’re their sky-high prices! A gold-plated or diamond-encrusted Nokia can set you back several hundred thousand dollars.
But if you’re an insanely wealthy expat living in Dubai, accessorizing your phone with precious jewelry is par for the course. In Dubai, your image is everything, and a luxury phone is the perfect item to pair with your super rare sports car.
Nice walk
In Dubai, people often show off their wealth and class by choosing unconventional methods of transportation. This man, for example, prefers to flaunt his social status by riding his pet lion, Gertrude, to work every day.
Working-class residents of Dubai look on with envy as they cycle or walk to work. Sure, they risk being mauled and eaten by a hungry lion, but it’s worth it to show the world that you’ve made it.
Just build a boat
Dubai’s working class citizens aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty and do some manual labor. The workers in this photo are in the early stages of building a boat by hand.
As you can see, its design is not dissimilar to that of Noah’s Ark. However, if we know anything about the people of Dubai, it’s safe to say that the only animals to board this boat when it’s complete will be the big cats.
Everyone knows Dubai as the playground for the wealthy, the home base for millionaires who set up jets from around the world. Dubai’s skyline is defined by buildings that rise above the clouds. It’s home to ancient desert culture, but it’s currently undergoing a transformation due to Western influence and modernization. A stunning trio of cars like a Porsche, Ferrari, and Mercedes Jeep turn heads – but in Dubai, this kind of stunning lineup is simply an everyday occurrence. Check out these images that show what can only happen in this unique and breathtaking city!