Word play

Why are there so few good books about Dubai, a city of contrast and life?

Dubai non-oil economy continues to perform well on the back of global trade, tourism and investment in infrastructure related to Expo2020. Karim Sahib / AFP

If one had to name a city that stirs envy in the hearts of most, Dubai would be one of the first places that would come to mind. Many books written about the city adopt a satirical and acidic tone, either stemming from a negative personal experience or from broad misconceptions brought about by the briefest of surveys.

As The National reported yesterday, the swift ascension of the city of lights, dubbed “abracadopolis” by Joseph O’Neill in The Dog, has inspired more than one novel, although most of these works tend to be written by authors who have but a passing acquaintance with Dubai or Abu Dhabi. It’s not surprising that some of these novels barely move beyond shallow stereotypes. For a more nuanced survey of Abu Dhabi at least, Deepak Unnikrishnan’s fiction Temporary People reflects the life of migrants in the Gulf in a manner that conveys the reality of living in a place where elsewhere is “home”. We’d like to see more of that reality in future fictions.