The Burj Khalifa is certainly easy on the well-shaded eye. All who come to be near its looming construction become dazzled by its proportions…then become dizzy from all that reflecting glass and beaming sunrays. In the searing sunshine of a Dubai summer, sunglasses and sun protection factor are necessary lest the endless squinting develop into (gasp!) wrinkles around those peepers. Its inevitable, really: scorched skin; the odd furrow.
But have your eyes rested upon the dewy softness of a local Emerati’s cheeks?
The well-covered local community know a thing or three about maintaining a line-free complexion. Shielding the flesh from twelve months of relentless sunburn has been part of life in the Gulf since records exist, and is now refined with their wearing of traditional garments made of protective but lightweight fabric designed to defend against the elements: the male’s white kandora and the female’s black abaya.
Whether reflected from the Arabian waters, the yellow desert sands or a cityscape made entirely of stainless steel and glass, the Dubai sun burns. Like this local Emerati couple depicted in the art installations here, come rest your eyes upon this city, but do so with covered shoulders and knees. Your skin will thank you for it.
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