i was living in dubai and i quit it and i want to emigrate, nothing compared to US
It's really a matter of perspective I suppose. I travel to Dubai very frequently for work (and retail therapy of course) but in terms of amenities e.g. malls, franchises, facilities, Dubai has everything in that respect hence me saying I'd not move if I lived there.
However in terms of open space, weather, places to go, expenses/costs, real estate Dubai doesn't have it (yes nice houses but BLOODY RIP-OFF for a desert city!) so I'd agree with you in that sense in terms of emigrating from there.
In deeper perspective I just find the quality of life in America much better and real (Dubai is pretty artificial and very money orientated) and people in America are more human and have a personal touch.
Money-wise despite all the taxes in the US I feel my money would be better stretched there and not ripped to shreds like Dubai. Hell a house in Dubai goes into millions of Dollars and for $250,000 I can get a beautiful family home in America and for $300,000 I could get a mansion in Florida with a pool!
Dubai is one of those places I can handle for 3-4 days max once I've done my work and shopping but then I start counting the days till I am going to get on a plane and get out of there lol
Traveling-wise its a perfect hub for me in terms of work because I can head in any direction be it JFK or China or Europe and Emirates is much more cheaper than any airline I've ever flown.
Ultimately it comes down to money. I'd not live in Dubai because its damn expensive to live in Dubai even if I had money and I'd be paying too much for something not worth all the hype.
As you said quite correctly my friend, Dubai is NOTHING compared to America. There's no way Dubai can beat a city like New York or the Marina in Dubai can never beat the real deal like the ones you find in San Diego or Miami.
Today I read they're making a replica of the Taj Mahal there...I mean WTF I've seen the real Taj Mahal which has historical value and culture behind it so copying something doesn't make it unique!