They were trying to turn themselves into Singapore, but they missed the most important factors. Singapore is secularist, open to immigration, easy to immigrate to, and actually invests its money only building things when needed or as part of an intricate plan.

Dubai is like someone said, hey if we make our skyline look like Singapore, we'll be set. Now all they have is debt, a foreign slave army that outnumbers natives, a small native population, represive laws that are highly restrictive to outsiders, and a bunch of big empty buildings.

I wanted to believe in you so bad Dubai. My father had his life saving operation there, my uncle once had a lovely estate there, you're at the edge of a desert (heaven to me). I wanted to believe, but you lied to yourself. All those empty buildings... and if you have the money to build the rest you have planned, they will all be empty too...