Showing all 21 replies.
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>>2886172
all that glitz but you're just staying in a luxurious pod surrounded by nothing but sand and desert, and being served by jeet slaves. Some cool architecture and interior design but ultimately soulless. Not so appealing imo
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>>2886178
I didn't mean I think the "luxury" aspect is comfy (i think it's ghoulish). If you watch the video, it's more the spaces-in-between, the weirdness of it. Gulf Futurism is an interesting aesthetic because it represents the potential of Arab states to use massive wealth to create an alternative future to cynical Western capitalist non-futures (the reality is it doesn't, globohomo wins in the end, Dubai is a shitty place to spend even 5 minutes, but i'm just talking about the aesthetic potential).
All other areas of the Muslim world are bona fide shitholes, where the only avenues available to modernist thinkers/artists are a) Islam, or b) trying to be as Western as possible. To me, walking down the sandy paths between foolish chrome hotel pods built over a coral reef is comfy because it's a little window into a possible alternative future, for the same reason abandoned socialist/brutalist housing blocks in Europe are comfy; again because you're exploring alternative futures.
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>>2885137
>Why would anybody go here
well, plenty reason
all equally retarded
>cheap(ish) luxury hotels
>social media shilling -> status signalling
>consoooomer "paradise"
>kinda okay fine dining scene
>low taxes (for living there)
Oman is kinda the exceptions i'd argue
all the UNESCO heritage sites are actually pretty decent
and the cities feel arabian (not like the urban hellscapes of the other 3)
have to visit all UAE/Qatar/Kuwait way to often for my job (well not anymore, thank you USA/Iran)
they really only are stopover destinations at best
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>>2887096
>The nature isn't actually that great. people think it's great because it's compared to UAE. Saudia has way cooler nature in SW Saudia.
while true
saudi arabia was far more difficult to travel to until a few years ago
Oman is still more approachable
and their reputation was build by being a cultural destination
also who the fuck goes to either saudi or oman for nature??
the arabian desert is probably one of the most boring deserts in the world
even in the region, why would you go there instead of e.g. Wadi Rum
literally the only interesting part of saudi arabia nature wise are the soudah mountains, maybe Farasan islands
but then again, there are plenty of places in the world that look almost the same, but are better / bigger / more beautiful
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>>2887126
>maybe people are interested in a particular locality
fair point
if you want to stay on the Arabian Peninsula, saudi Arabia is your best bet as nature destination
>rather than roaming the globe in search of superlatives?
but the better / bigger / more beautiful places aren't even far away
like mentioned, as far as desert landscapes go, Wadi Rum is hard to beat
and the hilly landscape around the Adriatic / Ionian / Aegean Sea are far more scenic than the soudah mountain
within a 3h flight you'll likely find something for most of saudis sights
unless you're hyperfocused on a specific one, but then you should go there anyway
so I don't really get going there for anything else but the cultural stuff
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>>2885137
>Kuwait
Mostly boring, extremely expensive, only one good city basically and rest is shit. Decent places to eat at
>Bahrain
Prostitutes
>UAE
Dubai, but only the fancy areas for yet another expensive luxury vacation. Or if you're a woman you're likely there as a prostitute for some older men who paid you to come out and do fucked up shit to them
>Oman
Actual decent place if you're into coast lines and mountains outside of just city life shit
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