the gulf states are a weird place to be. For the most part it really does have a complete fakeness to it. Being there feels exactly like what it is, a bunch of

the gulf states are a weird place to be. For the most part it really does have a complete fakeness to it. Being there feels exactly like what it is, a bunch of autocratic new money building itself status symbols. However I would call it more 20th century than 21st century, because all the aesthetics are like someone watched to many Western sci-fi movies of the 60s, 70s and 80s like Blade Runner and then decided to build exactly that because it looked cool, weirdly retro-futuristic. It's also often weird in a way that it tries to blend local and traditional culture with its material excess, but in a way you would expect from someone at the other end of the world who doesn't actually know anything about it.