By Hussein Shobokshi


The Arabs are very proud of their proverbs. The Egyptians for example never shy away from showing their pride in their capital Cairo which they joyfully refer to as “Umm El-Dunia” or “The Mother of the World.” The Lebanese, on the other hand, never wanting to be outdone by the Egyptians, describe their capital Beirut as “Sit El-Dunia” or “The Dame of the World”.

And now rumor has it that the people of Dubai, the new starlet of modern Arab cities, do not want to be outdone by the others and are opting to call Dubai “El-Dunia Nafseha,” which can be translated as, “Life Itself”!

Of course, it is quite normal for residents of large cities to boast of their love for their hometowns. New Yorkers are known to brag about the “Big Apple”, Romans are keen on their “Bella Roma” and Parisians are known to remind the world of their “Paris en Rose.”

While all these cities and others can claim their place in the hearts of all, it seems that London is the universal choice for citizens around the world as the destination they feel most “at home” in. The concept of “home” has a new meaning in a new and changing world. London has managed to be the pulse of the new world serving a unique blend of culture and services appealing to every ethnic community on the planet and doing it with efficiency and effectiveness unlike any other large city.

As London gets ready to showcase itself by hosting this year’s Summer Olympics, it is preparing quite an exhibition for the world. A complete facelift of the city’s premier services is under way as well as the most important security plan any major city has undertaken. London is playing a unique role indeed. While Great Britain’s political might has dwindled as it faces severe new competition from rising powers, such as China, Russia and its former colony India, it seems that London is moving in a completely different direction as its economy is expanding, services improving and its influence is at an all time high. What Athens, Rome, Venice and The Hague once provided, and which was later copied by Hong Kong and Singapore as the city-state model, London is today on a global stage. Fascinating!