POV: Your Dubai dream became a nightmare

You can tell how long ago I went to Dubai, because I was still a columnist for The Guardian. This was around the turn of the 21st century, when the paper had enough influence to bag two first-class flights and two suites at the Burj Al Arab hotel, which opened in 1999. Everything was so computerized that I couldn't work out how to open the curtains until I was packing my case to leave. This led a friend to quip: "At least you've had the local female experience — sad, in a darkened room."