Melbourne icon Myer is set to open its first store in Dubai later next year, with a further four Middle Eastern stores to follow. Myer chief executive Bernie Brookes said Dubai shoppers would have the same feeling as if they were walking into Myer Chadstone.
"Culturally and economically I think Dubai has a lot of similarities with Melbourne and indeed Australia” (source)
Maybe Bernie should do a little homework before claiming that Dubai and Melbourne are culturally and economically similar. My previous article about Dubai (See:Emirates – What does it mean to you?) shows that its glitzy appearance belies its dark Islamic heart. For instance, UAE law allows people trafficking, so non-Muslim employees may well be sourced from third world countries, lowly paid or unpaid and subject to cruel treatment. Despite Dubai’s pretensions as an international hub, shari'a courts there act in accordance with traditional Islamic law and practice. This means that acts acceptable in Australia are forbidden in Dubai. For instance, fornication and homosexuality are crimes, as is criticism of the Government and ruling families (punishable by imprisonment). (reference)
The UAE was one of 14 countries in the world that the US blacklisted for human trafficking.
The U.S. State Dpt. 'Trafficking in Persons Report' stated that the U.A.E. is a destination country for men, women and children trafficked primarily from South and East Asia and the former Soviet Union for the purposes of sexual and labor exploitation. The UAE is has one of the worst records of human rights violations in the Middle East. (reference)

Little Camel Jockey resting between races
So Bernie, where’s the cultural similarity with Australia?
Bernie said Myer's first overseas foray would be a 50-50 joint venture with Nakheel Fashion, owned by Dubai's ruling Maktoum family. Australians will be familiar with the Maktoum name, as Bob Ingham recently sold his vast Woodlands Stud to Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, for more than $460 million, resulting in his Darley Stud dominating the breeding and racing of thoroughbreds in Australia. (reference)
Sheikh Mohammed was in the news for another reason, when a class-action was filed in the US complaining that he abducted and trafficked thousands of young children from Bangladesh, Sudan and southern Asia for camel races in Dubai, where the children - some of them as young as two - were kept in poor conditions, starved (so as to keep their weight down), abused and forced to take part in a dangerous sport. The use of child camel jockeys was banned in Dubai 13 years ago. (reference)

UAE Ruling elites - Sheikhs from Hell
Let’s now examine Bernie’s claim of economic similarities. International trade functions best if its partners share values such as honesty, trust, reliability and fairness, essential to the functioning of modern economies. But Islam does not share our values: Islam does not see us as equals, viewing infidels, women and blacks as inferior, so there is no fairness. There is no honesty, trust or reliablility, as Islam does not regard it as wrong to lie to infidels.
“Myer expects its Middle East expansion to provide growth and opportunities back home.”
Bernie enthused:
"There will be reverse synergies from this. There will be products in the United Arab Emirates which we will be able to bring back to Australia.”
Yes, Bernie, I’m looking forward to being able to buy my burqua from the Melbourne Myer store. And maybe Myer could also stock a line in canes and whips for husbands to use on recalcitrant wives!
Nakheel Fashion is owned by Dubai's ruling Maktoum family "(Nakheel) will bring their property and HR expertise, local, social and economic structure, and we will bring our brands, our product and our retail knowledge," Bernie said. (refrence) (reference)

14,000 guest workers labour day and night to complete the man made island Palm Jumeirah at Dubai’s Jumeira Beach
Is there anything the Maktoum family doesn’t have its fingers in?
Nakheel Retail is a shopping mall developer and manager as well as a retail brand operator. Its asset portfolio includes Ibn Battuta Mall, the world’s largest themed shopping mall, which will house the new Myer store. (reference)
Nakheel are also involved in Tashyed, the property development joint venture set up by Nakheel and Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB) which is developing Jumeirah Heights.
“The project will consist of approximately 250 to 300 apartments, townhouses and villas accommodating a population of more than 1,000 people…The ground-breaking was attended by Yousuf Kazim, Managing Director, Nakheel Joint Ventures, Jumeirah Village and Jumeirah Islands and Ayman Adel Kamal, Chief Investments and Real Estate, Dubai Islamic Bank, both of whom are to be appointed to the Board of Directors of Tashyed."
Nakheel Retail Shopping Malls division to become the largest shopping mall developer in the Middle East by 2012
Ayman Adel Kamal, said:
"Today we are pleased to announce the inauguration project for our joint venture with Nakheel…Nakheel will provide development management, as well as sales and marketing services, with Dubai Islamic Bank supplying banking, mortgage and financial services expertise.” (source)
For more on Islamic finance, see Getting Ready for Sharia, NAB brings Islamic Law to Australia, Just another financial product in the marketplace? and Emirates: coming to a Restaurant near you!
So what makes Nakheel tick?
So what makes Nakheel tick?
“At Nakheel we are driven by the same vision as first expressed by Sheikh Rashid and carried through by Sheikh Mohammed. That vision is for a better way of life for his people. It was a vision with humanity at its heart.
Nakheel shares that vision and that feeling for humanity."
As our Chairman, H.E. Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem puts it:
"Nakheel is more than a company - it is a belief. A belief that defies ordinary thinking... when conventional wisdom says no we say yes and make it happen." (source)
Hmm, I wonder if infidels are included in Nakheel’s vision for humanity!
It seems little boys abducted as child jockeys are not part of that vision.
It seems little boys abducted as child jockeys are not part of that vision.
And if Nakheel is a belief, is it a belief based on the supremacy of Islam, which views non-Arab workers as expendable?

Guest workers in a dormitory building, Abu Dhabi, UAE
But they’re right about one thing – conventional wisdom says no to slavery and discrimination against non-Muslims!
Of course, behind all this feverish development, there is the ever-present worry of Islamists bursting the Dubai bubble. Arabs won’t be happy about this, as much of their wealth is invested in Dubai, which they regard as a safe financial haven in the dysfunctional Arab world. With an 80% expat population out of the nearly one million residents in Dubai, there is certainly much for Islamists to be angry about, what with all those infidels contaminating Arabian soil.
Recent travel advice from the UK Foreign Office said terrorists might be planning indiscriminate attacks in places frequented by expatriates..

"There is a high threat from terrorism," an official travel advice notice for the country said. "We believe terrorists may be planning to carry out attacks in the UAE."The advice says attacks could happen at any time and may target residential compounds, military, oil, transport and aviation interests.

"You should maintain a high level of security awareness, particularly in public places," the advice says.At least 100,000 UK citizens are resident in the UAE and more than one million Britons travelled there in 2006, the British embassy says. Many observers are surprised that Dubai, with its high concentration of westerners and relaxed dress code, has not yet been struck by al-Qaeda-inspired Islamist militants. (reference)
Reading the chatter on a local blogsite, it becomes apparent that there are many disaffected expats in UAE. Just some of the comments:
“Dubai is probably the ONLY country in the world where Govt is 'officially' looting the public. This artificial construction and development has to drop with a major crash in real-estate. If I have 10 million I would rather not invest in a Dubai house where 80% of buyers are speculators.”
.hey.................. when you pay taxes you know what you owe and you know where its going or can ask where its going........when it hits you as fees and other funny form of charges.......... you dont know how much or where is the money going.
LocalExpat said...
"Is it worth all the trouble because the salaries are good?"
Who ever said the salaries are any good? There was a time when a salary of AED 10,000 was considered to be a staggering amount! Now its enough to get by with...
I've been here for five years only. I saw my income increase by 100% since I landed (It's not exceptional luck, just that I was paid peanuts at the beginning)and my expenses skyrocket by 50% plus a year. Do the math and you'll wonder, like I do, what the hell am I still doing here.Sex Trafficking in Dubai
I do agree with Anon: the local government and its institutions are looting the expats' revenues anyway they can. Taxes that are called 100 other names, fees nobody can explain, agency laws to keep market prices controlled by a handfull of powerful families, on anything and everything from foodstuff to clothes through household appliances and telecoms.
Absolutely nothing is done to alleviate the pressure on the expats.
Don't get me wrong, I AM lucky enough to still be (barely)cash positive at the end of the month. I just can't stand the principle of sharing my revenu with the local govt and get nothing in return. (source)
Hey LocalExpat, I hate to worry you, but you could soon be facing a prison sentence for your criticism of the Government and ruling families!
But not to worry - I’m sure you’d get a fair trial under sharia.
Just like Australia eh Bernie!
Let’s hope not. And let’s all say NO TO SHARIA!
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Comments (19)

Cassandra - what a disappointment that Myer is kowtowing to this sheiky regime. I don't know , however, whether to be happy that infidels are contaminating Dubai soil, or to be sad, that Myer has stooped to such depths.
If I want to buy a fluffy toy dog, will I still be able to buy one in Dubai? Or a piggy bank or some children's stories about piggie and doggies? Or is this forbidden along with normal hamburgers and chips in the coffee shops?
Shame, Myer, shame.
If I want to buy a fluffy toy dog, will I still be able to buy one in Dubai? Or a piggy bank or some children's stories about piggie and doggies? Or is this forbidden along with normal hamburgers and chips in the coffee shops?
Shame, Myer, shame.
1
July 24, 2008

Will Myer stock special passport holders for confiscated passports taken from workers so they don't flee back home?
And how about Myer's famous bridal registry. Will there be a special section of presents for the pre-pubescent bride?
And of course a department stocking matching gifts for your multiple wives so there's no jealousy.
And how about Myer's famous bridal registry. Will there be a special section of presents for the pre-pubescent bride?
And of course a department stocking matching gifts for your multiple wives so there's no jealousy.
2
July 24, 2008
Will there be a special section of presents for the pre-pubescent bride?
You made my day with that, George!!
Bloody Muslims....when will they go away? Talk about yer 15 minutes of fame, and it being well over!
Is any one else as sick of these people as I am?
3
July 25, 2008

Blue Heeler,
When will they go away? Never, we've made it too comfortable for them here.
But at least Myer's shareholders will be happy, as profits will be maximised by keeping staff costs for the Dubai store low, as their joint venture partner can just abduct a few hundred employees from third world countries
When will they go away? Never, we've made it too comfortable for them here.
But at least Myer's shareholders will be happy, as profits will be maximised by keeping staff costs for the Dubai store low, as their joint venture partner can just abduct a few hundred employees from third world countries
5
July 25, 2008
George '.matching gifts for your multiple wives so there's no jealousy. '
I am still chuckling from this - imagine always having to buy four of everything. Perhaps the book section could stock titles like ' Jealousy in the harem', 'How to improve your memory: tips for how polygamous men can remember their wives' and children's names', 'How triplet women married the same man and confused their husband' and 'How one man mistook a burka on a clothes rack for his wife and kissed it'.
Any other titles?
I am still chuckling from this - imagine always having to buy four of everything. Perhaps the book section could stock titles like ' Jealousy in the harem', 'How to improve your memory: tips for how polygamous men can remember their wives' and children's names', 'How triplet women married the same man and confused their husband' and 'How one man mistook a burka on a clothes rack for his wife and kissed it'.
Any other titles?
6
July 25, 2008

Is Dubai spending some of its vast oil wealth on benefitting its impoverished fellow Muslims in other Arab and Muslim countries?
For the answer, see link below.
http://www.dubai-architecture.info/DUB-GAL1.htm
For the answer, see link below.
http://www.dubai-architecture.info/DUB-GAL1.htm
7
July 25, 2008
All I can say that the Dubai air baloon is going to burst sooner rather than later.
Whatever you do do not invest there.
Whatever you do do not invest there.
8
July 26, 2008

Dan,
Yes, the boom is unsustainable and property prices are unrealistically high. There are no natural attractions there, everything is artificial. Slick marketers have been employed to spruik the delights of life in Dubai.
It is sold to gullible Westerners and other wealthy non-Muslims as a paradise. But as a 'paradise' under sharia law, it will soon become apparent to these gullible people that living under Islam is hell.
And of course, one massive terrorist attack in one of the mega shopping malls, and the glitterati will soon stop coming.
Yes, the boom is unsustainable and property prices are unrealistically high. There are no natural attractions there, everything is artificial. Slick marketers have been employed to spruik the delights of life in Dubai.
It is sold to gullible Westerners and other wealthy non-Muslims as a paradise. But as a 'paradise' under sharia law, it will soon become apparent to these gullible people that living under Islam is hell.
And of course, one massive terrorist attack in one of the mega shopping malls, and the glitterati will soon stop coming.
9
July 26, 2008
I agree with Dan and Hugo that the air balloon will burst and Dubai will be revealed as just another primitive tribal desert kingdom.
It takes more than buildings for civilisation to thrive. It takes a transformation from a 7th centuy bedouin mindset, and this hasn't happened.
Scratch below the surface of Dubai, and it's still Islam and sharia. No society can thrive under those conditions.
It takes more than buildings for civilisation to thrive. It takes a transformation from a 7th centuy bedouin mindset, and this hasn't happened.
Scratch below the surface of Dubai, and it's still Islam and sharia. No society can thrive under those conditions.
10
July 27, 2008

I remember the Iranian owned business in Britain, which was financed by Iranian oil money before the Ayatollah's takover.
It seemed there were to stay there forever. The owners drove Bentleys and Rollers, gave exuberant tips around and behave like true royalty.
And then, then came the mullahs and withing a couple of years most of those business went broke.
I would suspect that taking the oil life support system from most of the ME business would mean an instant death to most of them.
It seemed there were to stay there forever. The owners drove Bentleys and Rollers, gave exuberant tips around and behave like true royalty.
And then, then came the mullahs and withing a couple of years most of those business went broke.
I would suspect that taking the oil life support system from most of the ME business would mean an instant death to most of them.
11
July 28, 2008
I hope Meyers will provide esthetically designed accessories for handling Muslim ladies such as whips and chastity belts (made in China of course.
12
July 29, 2008

Swallow, that oil will run out. And we will have water vapor cars before that happens anyway. Islamic societies cannot survive without oil or a host culture to parasitize, because Muslims have no work ethic, because arranged marriages and inbreeding cause evolution to work in reverse, and because Muslims can simply only survive as parasites because their ideology is rooted in a basic deathwish, like any evil, totalitarian ideology, let alone one based on supremacy. We'll get our second Independence Day, and Saudi Arabia will nothing, and the UN's whored-away soul will be exposed to all once that happens: LINK
13
August 01, 2008

Jetabler,
This is exatly the point I was trying to make.
Without the oil money most of these businesses cannot survive in their own rights. Unfortunately the "sheihks" are still buying "western" business - P&O in Australia for example, banks, hotels etc.
The US is just to big for them "to buy" but Australia is another story.
This is exatly the point I was trying to make.
Without the oil money most of these businesses cannot survive in their own rights. Unfortunately the "sheihks" are still buying "western" business - P&O in Australia for example, banks, hotels etc.
The US is just to big for them "to buy" but Australia is another story.
14
August 01, 2008

Hello,
There is nothing wrong with Islam. Islam has nothing to do or has no relation with these uneducated namely muslims who are doing wrong acts. Please seclude Islamfrom these barbaric acts. Neither Islam supports barbarism nor anything evil u see in this modern world committed by unfaithful muslims. thanks
There is nothing wrong with Islam. Islam has nothing to do or has no relation with these uneducated namely muslims who are doing wrong acts. Please seclude Islamfrom these barbaric acts. Neither Islam supports barbarism nor anything evil u see in this modern world committed by unfaithful muslims. thanks
15
August 09, 2008
Kafil,
It is good to see a Muslim, who can “discuss” instead of threatening, abuse and demonstrating his/her righteous indignation.
But, going back to your statement: “There is nothing wrong with Islam.” - I must respectfully but vigorously disagree.
There is everything wrong with Islam.
If I accepted the falsehood that only some “bad Muslims” give Islam a bad name as a fact , I would also have to accept as a fact that an awful lot of Muslims are, as you put it, “unfaithful Muslims” (including Muhammad the prophet).
This I cannot do for I KNOW that all of us, Muslims and non-Muslims, are the same human species.
There are some bad humans everywhere – no doubts about it - but in a normal society these individuals are classified as an exemption, as a margin as common criminals or criminal psychopaths.
At the same time all of us humans are capable of committing horrific acts of cruelty and violence.
What causes such behaviour?
The answer is – Commonly accepted set of ethics.
Our ethics are shaped by our faiths, ideologies and re-enforced by our legal systems.
Let’s take another example – Nazism
This ideology based upon teachings of Adolf Hitler changed the character of Germany and behaviour of Germans.
Behaviour, which would be branded illegal before Nazi ideology became a state “religion”, a symbol of Nazi virtue.
And now let us replace Islam with Nazi while quoting your statement:
Can you see my point??
NAZISM promoted violence, racim not just a few bad Nazis.
The same applies to Islam, which promotes violence, racism and apartheid -.
Those few Muslims who commit those act are just following Muhammad's teachings the same way as the true Nazis followed Hitler's teachings.
And so - I have to blame ISLAM not MUSLIMS the same way I have to blame NAZISM not all the Germans.
This is why we try to distinguish between MUSLIMS and ISLAMISTS (it is very hard to always put a disclaimer – “I do not mean Muslims but Islamists”). This is so much easier with Nazism vs. Germans.
There are many good human beings among Muslims (mostly born into this state of slavery) but all “active” Muslims, or as we call them Islamists, are devoted to keeping YOU (all good human beings) under their control and to kill and destroy all opposition.
Unfortunately YOU are under Islamic spell. They tell you from your birth onwards how beautiful Islam is and that there are bad people like myself who are YOUR enemies.
We are not YOUR (majority of Muslims) enemies as we would not be the enemies of the German people at large.
OUR enemy is ISLAM as it would be NAZISM, COMMUNISM or any other totalitarian ideology and the elites, who run those ideologies.
It is good to see a Muslim, who can “discuss” instead of threatening, abuse and demonstrating his/her righteous indignation.
But, going back to your statement: “There is nothing wrong with Islam.” - I must respectfully but vigorously disagree.
There is everything wrong with Islam.
If I accepted the falsehood that only some “bad Muslims” give Islam a bad name as a fact , I would also have to accept as a fact that an awful lot of Muslims are, as you put it, “unfaithful Muslims” (including Muhammad the prophet).
This I cannot do for I KNOW that all of us, Muslims and non-Muslims, are the same human species.
There are some bad humans everywhere – no doubts about it - but in a normal society these individuals are classified as an exemption, as a margin as common criminals or criminal psychopaths.
At the same time all of us humans are capable of committing horrific acts of cruelty and violence.
What causes such behaviour?
The answer is – Commonly accepted set of ethics.
Our ethics are shaped by our faiths, ideologies and re-enforced by our legal systems.
Let’s take another example – Nazism
This ideology based upon teachings of Adolf Hitler changed the character of Germany and behaviour of Germans.
Behaviour, which would be branded illegal before Nazi ideology became a state “religion”, a symbol of Nazi virtue.
And now let us replace Islam with Nazi while quoting your statement:
There is nothing wrong with NAZISM. NAZISM has nothing to do or has no relation with these uneducated namely NAZIS who are doing wrong acts. Please seclude NAZISM from these barbaric acts. Neither NAZISM supports barbarism nor anything evil u see in this modern world committed by unfaithful NAZIS. Thanks
Can you see my point??
NAZISM promoted violence, racim not just a few bad Nazis.
The same applies to Islam, which promotes violence, racism and apartheid -.
Those few Muslims who commit those act are just following Muhammad's teachings the same way as the true Nazis followed Hitler's teachings.
And so - I have to blame ISLAM not MUSLIMS the same way I have to blame NAZISM not all the Germans.
This is why we try to distinguish between MUSLIMS and ISLAMISTS (it is very hard to always put a disclaimer – “I do not mean Muslims but Islamists”). This is so much easier with Nazism vs. Germans.
There are many good human beings among Muslims (mostly born into this state of slavery) but all “active” Muslims, or as we call them Islamists, are devoted to keeping YOU (all good human beings) under their control and to kill and destroy all opposition.
Unfortunately YOU are under Islamic spell. They tell you from your birth onwards how beautiful Islam is and that there are bad people like myself who are YOUR enemies.
We are not YOUR (majority of Muslims) enemies as we would not be the enemies of the German people at large.
OUR enemy is ISLAM as it would be NAZISM, COMMUNISM or any other totalitarian ideology and the elites, who run those ideologies.
16
August 09, 2008

I have to agree with cassandra on this.
There essentially seems to be three tiers of law in this country, UAE nationals in the country are above the law, then there are the expats of other arabic nations, there there are all the rest.
I am an Australian girl living in dubai for work and have recently had a brush with a cruel pet shop owner which has made myself and all of my expat collegues realise just how berefit of basic civil rights this country is.
It is common place for an expat to be jailed or have their passport taken from them indefinately on a claim from a uae national or other arabic country that you 'insulted' them!
It is a minor thing, but you are held in the country for months until your case comes up, you are not actually charged with a crime, and the Australian embassy will do nothing to help retrieve the passports. Where are our rights, the ones they are so keen to avail of when in our country? We have no recourse of assistance and have to literally wait this out.
There are so many young australians being lured to dubai on the premise of it being 'westernized', making good money and a lavish lifestyle, but the reality is it truly is quite the opposite!
There essentially seems to be three tiers of law in this country, UAE nationals in the country are above the law, then there are the expats of other arabic nations, there there are all the rest.
I am an Australian girl living in dubai for work and have recently had a brush with a cruel pet shop owner which has made myself and all of my expat collegues realise just how berefit of basic civil rights this country is.
It is common place for an expat to be jailed or have their passport taken from them indefinately on a claim from a uae national or other arabic country that you 'insulted' them!
It is a minor thing, but you are held in the country for months until your case comes up, you are not actually charged with a crime, and the Australian embassy will do nothing to help retrieve the passports. Where are our rights, the ones they are so keen to avail of when in our country? We have no recourse of assistance and have to literally wait this out.
There are so many young australians being lured to dubai on the premise of it being 'westernized', making good money and a lavish lifestyle, but the reality is it truly is quite the opposite!
17
August 10, 2008
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"Culturally and economically I think Dubai has a lot of similarities with Melbourne and indeed Australia” 







































