My trip to Dubai was an unbelievable experience. My older brother Hasan and I took a trip to the United Arab Emirates this past winter break to visit the world expo. As entrepreneurs, my brother and I knew it would be a great idea to visit the expo and understand different elements of business and culture from around the world.
The Dubai expo, which was originally planned to start in 2020, was postponed till 2021 following the covid-19 pandemic. The overall goal of the expo was to create exhibits from each country and showcase what that country has to offer. For example, Saudi Arabia’s exhibit mainly consisted of oil, whereas the Swiss exhibit revolved around chocolate, cheese, and tourism. By going to the expo we were able to see what every country has to offer and scouted some new products.
Spending a week in Dubai and doing what we love most was truly an experience of a lifetime. However, the trip, like many others, had its ups and downs. It started when my checked-in luggage got left behind in Houston. Now it didn’t seem like that big of a deal since I’d be able to get my clothes the next day, however, the united baggage support was very unhelpful, careless, and irresponsible as I didn’t receive my baggage until my final day in Dubai, that also in the airport moments before checking in for my flight back home.
On our first day in Dubai, we stayed at my aunt Rashida’s house. She welcomed us in with cozy hugs and warm coffee. We went to sleep early to break our jetlag and woke up at the crack of dawn to get ready for day 1 at the expo. Dubai is a very organized and clean city where one metro could take us anywhere around town in no time. When we reached the exhibition center we were shocked at the brilliant architecture and the billions of dollars that went into building this mini kingdom. The expo was a wonderland, with beautiful scenery, delicious food, and amazing people. Food was definitely one of the highlights of this trip. Buffalo Wild Wings, McDonald’s, Burger King, etc. Dubai is home to some of the greatest foods and spices.
Throughout the week my brother and I visited the expo every day and learned a tremendous amount of information. Did you know that Luxembourg is one of the richest countries in the world? The expo was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience and it saddens me to hear it’s only open till March 31st, 2022. To end off my trip to Dubai we spent our last few days hanging out with friends and family. They are the kindest, most generous people in the world and let us in their homes with open arms. On our final day in Dubai, we went around the city exploring the different buildings and corporations. My favorite spots were the Burj Khalifa, Burj al Arab, and the Atlantis resort in Palm Jumeirah.
This trip to Dubai will go down as one of the most influential and exciting trips I’ve ever been on!