Today's Show Is Brought To You By The Number 5 - For A Cost Of $6.8 Million

I had to refrain from doing it again, but I almost started this post with the opening "imagine." Now that I think of it, every aspect of "The Other Middle East" is seemingly unimaginable, so unreal that we have to sit back, close our eyes, and picture a world unlike any other we have ever witnessed. I suppose the only way to truly appreciate the prestige of a city such as Dubai, is to experience it first hand. Sometimes I cannot beleive everything that I discover about this region, the construction, the international influence and the plans that are sure to build this part of the world up to become the most attractive destination for business and leisure seeking travelers alike. I will begin to post more photographs and videos to deliver yourself just a bit closer to the "real" experience, because half of what I post probably seems overly embellished anyways...

Enough dreaming, but will you please just "imagine" yourself at an auction in the heart of Dubai City. This isn't an ordinary auction; there are dozens of incredibly successful businessmen bidding on numbers. Yes numbers. The lower the number, the higher the bid. If the number may fall into the double digits, or even single digits, prepare yourself for a heated battle ending with the winning bidder shelling out as much money Tiger Woods makes in one year of his professional career. What exactly are these men bidding on? Vanity license plates.

The video will explain everything, but I wanted to prepare you for the shocked reaction that is sure to ensue. The brief interview follows an incredibly wealthy stock broker in Dubai, bidding on a vanity license plate for his new Rolls Royce. I wont spoil the outcome, so here's the link:

Vanity Plate Auction

Now that you have hopefully viewed the video, you can begin to realize the scope of the wealth within the UAE. It is not just from big oil executives, because only 6% of the UAE's revenue is derived from fossil fuels. Hard working, high class citizens such as this stock broker are running the city, and it seems as if Dubai will soon turn into the new Hong Kong, or NYC, or Singapore.

On a side note, I cannot imagine what it must be like to drive around the city of Dubai, and how many 6 and 7 figure cars you would see. The only image that I can draw up in my mind is driving down the new strip in Las Vegas, only on steroids. Only this is what every major road in Dubai would look like.

-KD