Before I give you a run down on the ins and outs of doing business in Dubai the question on the mind of everyone who hasn’t visited the middle east is: How safe is Dubai?

Well personally, I felt just as safe as I do in Auckland, New Zealand - which is pretty safe. In Dubai and the other Emirates I felt far removed from the turmoil in Iraq and the sporadic terrorist attacks happening in Saudi Arabia.

In Dubai its business as usual and there’s a lot of money to be made even when war is going on in neighboring countries.

And here’s why. Whether you’re a Hindu from India, a Muslim from Pakistan, a Buddhist from China or a Christian from Britain everyone’s in Dubai to make money and or have a good time. And everyone understands that.

60% of the Emirate population is mainly men from the sub continent who are there to build the ever-expanding modern UAE infrastructure. (Over the last 30 years this has happened at an incredible pace.)

Considering the ongoing hostilities between India and Pakistan this is where the most likely conflict is to occur - but it rarely happens. Security is strong in the Emirates. Police are quick and effective. The court system is efficient.

The army is well equipped. You’ll find parts of New York and L.A. more dangerous than Dubai. Here’s a tip though, while you can go to bar or a nightclub and have a few drinks don’t get drunk. The police arrest drunks and throw them in jail no questions asked.