This article seems to have created quite the shit storm. Although I was born and raised in Dubai, I do share his sentiments. This is not the Dubai I knew and remember fondly. It has lost its way, especially over the last 8 years. I remember as a kid growing up here the fun and innocence of this place. All that is lost now it the pursuit of money. I just hope the recession will shake things up and let the city return to its roots.
So I called up the Etisalat 101 helpdesk to find out if I could subscribe to an iPhone plan without the iPhone since I already have one. And the lady on the helpdesk said it is “impossible”.
Now bear in my mind, I have an original O2 iPhone from the UK and I also have a Vodafone India iPhone account where i didn’t need to buy a new phone since I already have one, so the same logic should apply here as well right? Wrong!
Etisalat forces you to buy a new phone because their systems or contracts don’t accommodate for this. So by doing this they just created a barrier to entry. Think of all those Jailbroken phones that people have who would prefer to move on to the proper packages.
Here is the real kicker, I have a postpaid unlimited 10GB 
data plan, which is cheaper than their most expensive data plan and has more bandwidth. I don’t know which moron created that pricing matrix but you don’t need to be a rocket scientist to realise that it makes no sense.
After 4 blissful days and a tortureous night in the desert we are heading out on the 4060 overnight train to Delhi.
Now to deal with 4 Irish people jabbering on incessantly. Realized it’s not that they talk a lot, they just keep repeating themselves!
Thank god I have my book from ex prez Abdul Kalam called ignited minds. Reading it makes me feel more patriotic and focussed. So much to do, so little time, but that will not be a deterrant!
