Possible Dubai Pre-season tourny for Western Force in 2009

[pieter blackie]

I lived in the capital city (Abu Dhabi) for 3 years until a couple of years back and watched some pre-S12 warm up games between RSA teams in Dubai.

My sister and some other people I know lives in Dubai currently and let me tell you that the RSA contingent in Dubai is huge. But that aside any western sport in Dubai is big, just because it is western! They are currently going out of there way to get Westerners to visit Dubai.

[The Man]

Hear Hear!!

[Blackswan]

My sister and some other people I know lives in Dubai currently and let me tell you that the RSA contingent in Dubai is huge. But that aside any western sport in Dubai is big, just because it is western! They are currently going out of there way to get Westerners to visit Dubai.

At the last count I think it was around 5000 yappies and zims in the uae. Not as many as there are poms. It just seems like it A couple of my mates there are the biggest yappies I've seen - and that includes those playing for the Boks !

Dubai never had much oil and it's probably a little known fact that the only thing that keeps Dubai from bankrupcy is the money it gets from Abu Dhabi. Dubai is spending more than it can afford on the various initiatives it has taken in the last decade and many of the city's landmarks are owned by the Sheiks in Abu Dhabi - the Burj Al Arab for example (the sail shaped hotel on the outskirts of Dubai city).

Abu Dhabi is the third largest producer in OPEC, producing more than Iraq, and its proven reserves are much the same as both Iran and Iraq. Abdab donates 4% of its oil revenues each year to each of the other 6 emirates (24% is a generous total) and provides Dubai with additional funds to keep it solvent.

I'm looking forward to the pre-season tournament coming to fruition. It could be the basis for a great couple of weeks holiday in January.

[pieter blackie]

I'm looking forward to the pre-season tournament coming to fruition. It could be the basis for a great couple of weeks holiday in January.

My exact thoughts
I have a Sister to stay with in Dubai so all I need is money for beer

[AndyS]

Will you be able to drink at the matches?

[Blackswan]

Will you be able to drink at the matches?

It's not a problem at the dxb 7's tournament and in fact Dxb is quite "liberal" wrt bars etc. There's a few "rules" to remember though, just so that some stroppy plod doesn't have an excuse to cause you grief (and trust me, you don't want to spend time in a dxb or auh prison cell !!).

There's several types of police to look out for - the traffic police, the security police, the "plain clothes" guys and the undercover guys. The first three are easy to spot - even the "plain clothes" guys are dressed in standard issue grey shirts and trousers. The fourth isn't as they frequent the bars etc in the sort of gear any of us might wear.

Happy to provide some "advice" if anyone is thinking of going there at some time.

[The InnFORCEr]

The fourth isn't as they frequent the bars etc in the sort of gear any of us might wear.

You mean to say they wear Western Force jumpers

[JediKnight]

A mate of mine is just about to move to Dubai so I've got a place to sleep....reckon it's a semi-definite for me this year.

[brokendown gunfighter]

hotel rates in Dubai arent exactly cheap,even in the off-season

[travelling_gerry]

I got a bed there ok.......

[Blackswan]

You mean to say they wear Western Force jumpers

only next January and when i'm in town.

hotels in dxb are definately NOT cheap. especially when there is an event organised. better off staying in abdab if there's a group of people and then just organising transport to get to dxb and back. it's only an hour to the ground from abdab and there's taxi and bus services that can be arranged. even for 2 people it would be cheaper to stay in abdab and get an "Al Ghazal Express" to get to/from the ground.

I'm advised that the "entertainment" is also nicer in Abdab.