Stay focused Dubai. The article is not about crime, or intelligent friends or living here since 1976. It's about conspicuous wealth and there is no question it's here in bucket loads.

Graham, dubai, UAE

Am rather amused at this big fuss about a rich Sheikh or an expat's life, more so since the comments here mostly seem to be from, sorry to say this, white-skinned expats in Dubai or ones who have lived there. I can't understand why everyone here is suddenly getting so defensive about their lifestyles. Agreed, there may be excesses and for each one of those there will be utter poverty. There can't be one without the other. On another note, truth be told, any white expat who denies feeling privileged only at being white-skinned is kidding himself. I am Asian and most Asians,like us, do have to work extra hard to prove ourselves, anywhere outside our home countries. For most of us it is not about a better lifestyle but about a livelihood and supporting whole families back home. So please, dear white-skinned expats, don't insult the Asian construction workers and their plight by using them to cover up your own privilged lifestyles. Live the way you want but don't apologise!

Kritika, Muscat,

What a load of tosh!! I certainly wish my expat husband was making £25,000 a month!! True there are plenty of places where you could certainly spend the money if you had it but oddly enough I have seen very few red Lamborginis - most people out there drive four-wheel drives. The vast majority of people of any nationality are working hard to earn ordinary salaries (the only concession is the tax free regime) and play hard. Accommodation costs are huge and that is where most people's money goes. On the plus side - eating out and entertainment (not the £5,000 hooker side of things) is good value and great fun - I 've always found that when Dubai does something - from eateries to art, to theatre, to family activities it 's done properly and compared to London and other European major cities priced reasonably - the streets are clean, the people are courteous and law abiding. For 'ordinary' people it is a very civilised place to be, not the Babylon you describe.

Jane Mayhead, Middlewich, England

The article fails to highlight the connection with Russians, Dubai and Prostitution - has Dubai become the money laundering capital of the world? It's not only the Russians of course with the Chinese exporting more than their fair share of prostitution to Dubai.

rabid, Dubai, Dubai

As I am a local from Dubai, the article is all hype the stories have been taken over the last 10 years. We keep all the really money in the local community. May be the writer of the article will get free entrance at one or all of the slezzy clubs in Dubai. As it is hooker city. It is nothing like described. The hookers are 500 dirham which is £65 all night. Please Charlie Norton I will ban you from our country. There are no VIP clubs in Dubai.The real estate boom was over in 2005. We can not sell what we have-hence the hype. There are no clebs hear. The british expats are the ones who could not make it in the UK. We are just using your labour and then you will be sent home.

Al Abdoula the 6th, Dubai,

Wow! What a picture Mr Norton has painted with his verbal diarreha. The guy has no clue what Dubai really is about. A huge percentage of people are working their hearts out and benefitting from the opportunuities available in the growing country.
Let's assume for a minute there is a section of the population flauting money as depicted above. The biggest difference is it is THEIR money! Whereas here in the UK the same happens with Public/Shareholders money.

Anjam Sohail, Reading, UK

Well, maybe is not so far from reality.......for some residents from the UK.
Ladies,
have a look at another read: http://www.7days.ae/showstory.php?id=52962

Umm Rashid Al Qubaisi, Dubai,

Lived in Dubai long enough to be amused by this article as to how ridiculous it is and to ask myself-how did Sunday Times approve of it and what kind of research was submitted to back the article up. Cause it cannot be farther from the truth...maybe true for 1% of the population. 60 % of the Dubai population are exploited in the heat construction workers who live in real ghettos, the other 20% are poor hotel and restuarant staff, who work themselves for poor tips and then there are the office crowd on moderate salaries and on a 60 hour week. Those who head for the cheesy 7 star hotel, why not make a short trip to Deira and see real poverty and misery

Cathy, London,

There are people here in Dubai who earn an obscene amount of money and have no problem flaunting it, but there are plenty of us who, even though we are hardworking professionals in quite senior jobs, struggle to pay the rent. The days of lavish expat packages for all and sundry are well and truly over. Then there's the issue of exploitation of labourers from countries such as India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. This place would not have sprung up so fast without the work of these underpaid guys - it's Dubai's dirty secret...

Georgia, Dubai,

As an avid reader (online, obviously!) of The Sunday Times I am usually impressed by the standard of reporting. However, I feel this article is stretching the truth; of course there is greed and excess in Dubai, but none more so than you would find in any other major city, and the type of gluttony your correspondent describes is just as prevalent in London and New York, probably more so. During my 18 months of living in Dubai, I don't think I have ever seen a £50,000 bottle of champagne, let alone anyone order one, and I don't think I am the exception.
As a journalist working in the UAE, I find that the best thing about the country is that everyone here is genuinely working hard and trying to get ahead in their chosen careers, on whatever level. 12 hour days and six day weeks are not uncommon, so by no means do Dubai residents get things for free.
Yes, there is much to dislike about certain Dubai residents, but much to like, also.

laura, Dubai, UAE

have you ever visited Dubai?
I understand from your way of writing, that you are a utterly confused, and have no knowledge of real life in Dubai.
I have lived in Dubai since the early 90s, and let me tell you, people work longer hours than in Europe, and are entitled to a little happiness, during the little time they have off.
Stop slagging off, and get a life, if you can afford one, by the sound of it, that is not likely to happen.
Regards
Happy in Dubai
Note; I assume you werent invited to Naomis party

Beate, Dubai, UAE

There is a limit to exaggeration, but this one takes the cake and eats it too. Dubai is nothing like this. I've lived in Dubai for more than 20 years and it is nowhere close to New York or Monaco when it comes to throwing money around. There are very few exceptions. True about Noami Cambell and Dallas but the rest are made up by the author to spice up the article. It is the government that is pumping money into the economy and that's where you use all the developments. There might be no income tax here but there are a lot of user fees and expenses that the middle class people are now feeling the pinch.

Wallen, Dubai, UAE

Interesting that on the same web page you advertise your 100 walks in the UK article. Of course nobody would be so stupid to walk around UK without an armed aurd lest you are stabbed by feral teenagers or drunks.
Unlike Dubai which is the safest place I have ever been.
Get your facts straight or come and visit me and I will show you the real Dubai.

Christine West, Mirdif, UAE

Utter rubbish! Dubai is a fantastic place to live and work. I have been working here for 15 years, my children go to the local British curriculum school and they love it! My wife and I have a wonderful set of intelligent, entrepreneurial friends and we all enjoy the fruits of success in terms of quality of life, world travel and the building of assets for our future. Opportunity abounds and is encouraged. I am surprised that 'The Times' allows the likes of Charlie Norton to vomit such opinionated nonsense all over an otherwise quality publication.

Con Lillis, Dubai, UAE

What a complete and utter load of rubbish. I have lived in Dubai for the last 18 months and been visiting for 25 years. One thing that is prevalant in Dubai is rumours and stories.
If I were connected with the Royal Family I would hock all the Swarovski plasters to sue the paper and its' writer.
Yes of course there is money here and some conspicuous excess but nothing in comparison to the champagne swilling idiots in the London financial centres.
Come out here and see for yourself.

Mike West, Dubai, UAE

This is frankly shoddy journalism. I've lived in Dubai for over twenty years and the author has highlighted a tiny minority of expats in Dubai. The kind of shallow idiots you've highlighted are usually mocked by many of the other expats out here. There is a lot of excess and conspicuous consumption here, but this article is a laughable caricature. It's like basing a description of British society on the activities of Premiership footballers and WAGS.

Cliff, Dubai,

I have only lived in this country for the last couple of decades and have never heard such ridiculous stories. Yes there are a lot of extremely wealthy residents and visitors, and they do have there extravegences. To say five sports cars is the norm is beyond ridiculous. Every third woman a prostitute!? My mother, sister and wife live here, should I be eyeing one of them suspiciously?

W Bowen, Dubai, UAE

Well I'm about to move out there and quite frankly your account has terrified me. I've lived in both New York and London and have had a fantastic time in each, earning a pretty rubbish salary in both cities. It's who you mix with, who your friends are and your attitude that makes a good lifestyle, not how much money you earn. Just my two dirhams worth.

Rebecca Wicks, London,

Lived here since 1976.None of these people would have come here then. Very sad people who never even meet UAE Nationals.

Cathereine, dubai,

Well, yet another journalist who decides to "play" with the rich and famous and therefore write an exaggerated piece on this, the World's Greatest Playground. Believe it or not, Mr Norton, that aside from your very short stay there is a life so worth living in Dubai - a life of balanced hard work and genuine fun. Not everyone earns crazy money, not everyone needs crazy money. Of course it's visible and all around you but it's just as easy to avoid those soul-less people, as it is to see them flaunting their money. Does London, New York or Paris not play host to some incredible wealth? Of course it does and beneath that rich exterior there is a life to be led too. Perhaps you'd like to join us for a day or so - "us" and then let us see you write a piece worthy of the city. What is being created here is historic and unreal at times but it is not simply a Playground for the rich and famous. Dubai offers so much for genuine people and it remains a fantastic city to live in. Try it sometime

Ed C, Dubai, UAE

What a load of rubbish. I wonder how long Mr Norton actually stayed in Dubai when he was "researching" this article. Is this the type of journalism that The Times is now lowering its standards to?

Hugh Jarse, Dubai, UAE

Charlie Norton obviously mixed with the dross of Dubai of which there are thousands.
I have lived here since 1976, a time when most expats now and I use the word with tongue in cheek would not have come here because there was none of the vacuous elements that exist here now. It never ceases to surprise me the people this place attracts. I feel very, very privileged
to have been here early on when the expats here were people with a sense of professionalism, integrity and loyalty with a respect of the country they were resident in. This is no longer the case. I think it fair to say the same it was also apparent in Bahrain, Oman and Qatar.

Catherine, Dubai. UAE

Cathereine, dubai,

What a load of twaddle! The majority of ex-pats are not living luxury lifestyles. Incomes are generally decent as tax-free, but rents are very high indeed.

This ridiculous article gives completely the wrong impression of Dubai.

Keren, Dubai, UAE

I have to agree with Claire,I've been here for 3 weeks to work permanently thanks to expat friends and I have to say that Dubai is amazing. I have been to some of the more upmarket bars,such as boudoir,360 and The Lodge and am yet to witness this champagne serenading or debauchery described,I agree that a more insightful journo than Charlie would probably have spent time to speak to the hardworking expats who are helping to build this city into a paradise in harmony with the arabian community.I had aconversation with a UK expat of 3 years,and we could only conclude that the UK is the worlds largest retirement community,full of dinosaurs living out their last days in misery,where success in the most lucrative industries are based on ties to the same 'old boys' network as ever,and might I add where taxation and crime are now beyond a joke.Charlie,you certainly missed the true Dubai here.Maybe you spent your expenses mixing in playboy bars and forgot to look at the City objecively? Shame.

DB, Dubai,

This article is a gross exaggeration of what Dubai is actually like. It just shows that Charlie is simply trying to be controversial about the hype that Dubai is currently enjoying. What he hasn't done is his homework. Yes Dubai has a lavish side, but what big city doesn't? Having lived in Dubai for six years I've certainly witnessed some changes but none have them have been soaked in champagne and the debauchery that Mr Norton describes. And to say that every third woman is a prostitute is insulting to someone who has a daughter here. Wouldn't it have been more informative (and intelligent) to have looked at what life is actually like for the many middle-of-the-road Brits that live here among the phenomenal development or to commend Dubai for being one of the few places in the modern world where East and West actually meet without malice. With this view of Dubai I guess it's no surprise that The Times is launching an edition here so they can get their hands on some of that cash!

Claire England, Dubai,

Shallow, ignorant and pompous...and I am talking about this report.
If the writer had talked to real residents and locals, he may have discovered a different face of Dubai.
One that is vibrant, interesting, challenging and diverse.
Then again, that might have spoiled his angle.

Rachel Morris, Dubai, UAE