I used to stop over in DXB on the way to and from SA, as I had friends there. I saw very little reason for living there other than worshiping money, and now that the economy there has taken a hit, at the same time as landlords becoming greedy, that's less of a reason too.
The people I met there seemed quite morose and could only talk about their 4 x 4's and the share they had in a boat (or luxury apartment/penthouse/diving club/Ferrari etc .... as another poster has said. They also drank to ridiculous excess and my closest friend died a horrible death due to complications from this.
I was offered a very good job there, but I never wanted to go back. Suffocating heat and definitely a second class citizen status as a White SAfrican or other expat. The heat didn't worry me but everything else did. I found the place oppressive, vulgar, repressive, shallow, and no place to bring up children.