Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Dubai or Bust

Just back from a trip to Dubai and Qatar -- and it was truly eye-opening. Since my last visit in the late 1990s, both have transformed from sleepy desert outposts to thriving metropolises -- with skylines reminiscent of Shanghai (think Jetsons). The Dubai airport was a madhouse - like JFK Airport on a bad day - full of the typical global mix of travelers.

Thanks to $100/barrel oil, these countries are now thriving financially -- with the 3rd largest natural gas reserves in the world, per capita GDP in Qatar is nearly $60,000. If you graduate high school, you are given a house. Now that's an incentive to get an education!

Imagine what the U.S. could do if it got its financial house in order, broke our addiction to oil and started incentivizing education -- free math and science degrees; housing for teachers. It is the way the U.S. can continue to thrive well into the future.

4 comments:

Solstice said...

This great nation was built on cheap energy. We need limitless energy without polluting-think The G8 and Fusion.... Oh, and for the jet set -there is no hybrid alternative to the gas turbine engine-so let's save the petroleum for jets and plastic - stop wasting it on cars.

Solstice said...

This great nation was built on cheap energy. We need limitless energy without polluting-think The G8 and Fusion.... Oh, and for the jet set -there is no hybrid alternative to the gas turbine engine-so let's save the petroleum for jets and plastic - stop wasting it on cars.

Solstice said...

Nina - I enjoyed seeing / hearing you on Bill Maher's HBO show tonight. Looking forward to reading your new book.

Matt said...

Oh, to have some hope of having a house someday in our country. After spending 10 years in college and going the route of academia (and living in LA), my version of the American dream is an apartment with my own washer and dryer.

p.s. Nina, the next time you're on a show with a guy who won't shut up (like Sullivan), just talk over him. (On Maher, it was a shame. You're 3x smarter than is Sullivan and have much better things to say.)