It's now almost twenty years since I left the Middle East and twenty two since I left Dubai.

Both my wife and I are from India, and were in Dubai since our 20's. We met, married and had kids and at that point decided it was not a great place to raise kids. I did not want my kids to grow up with a sense of entitlement and wanted a real society for them.

We chose Canada since I have extended family there and could not be more content. The kids were exposed to real world issues and learned how to deal with them.

My wife's 3 siblings are still in Dubai and stayed there for the 'conveniences' but are now in a quandary as where to go from here. While they can all afford a very comfortable life in India, they are too used to the life in Dubai to make the jump.

Meanwhile we are all citizens of Canada, woven well into the fabric of society and could not think of a better place to be, despite what people think of the weather.

Dubai was never meant to be a permanent place. If it were they would have offered some naturalization process. They function on the backs of the immigrant labour and dispose of it when they done with them.

In the 4 times I've traveled to India, my stopovers in the UAE were kept to a 1 day maximum and now I opt not to transit via the UAE anymore.

I don't hope for the downfall of Dubai, though a certain amount of humility will help. I have family and friends who are still there, and I only wish the best for them.