I know of at least a few people who have been looking for my write up of my most recent mid east trip. Well, here it is to those interested:

First off, I’m extremely happy to have such a great network of friends and clients in the mid east. There is no substitution to meeting people face to face and spending some quality time. Lately I’ve been feeling like my connections and network in the mid east is getting stronger than my connections in the US. I’m not entirely sure how that is possible after ten years of business now in Los Angeles, but yet I think that miraculously my connections are just that strong already in the mid east. It is really wonderful to have such good friends and contacts, I’m really happy about it.

I owe such a huge thank you to so many people for this last trip. I know many people wanted to remain anonomyous so I wont mention any names or show any license plates to keep my friends off the internet. Anyway, to those of you in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Bahrain that hosted my stay and made me feel at home, thank you all so much! The mid east is quickly becoming like a second home for me. The people I have met are so incredibly kind and fun to spend time with. At this pace I may be going to the mid east this year more than I’ll be going to Japan, which is crazy because I need to be in Japan somewhat often.

So what can I tell you about the mid east that I didnt mention during my write up of my last trip to Dubai?

First off - They have the number game on lock! Any desirable number for a car license plate or a mobile phone is worth big money and is traded like a hot stock. That is, if you’re lucky enough to get your hands on a desirable number. The rules of the game are to get either the lowest number you can for a license plate (under 50 is great, under 10 is epic) or to get a series of the same number (like all 5s or something). The car license plate game starts with the ruler who is the only one allowed to get #1. So if you manage to buy plate #2 you’re pretty much the man. Of course getting #2 in Dubai is way more impressive than getting #2 in a less prestigious UAE reigon. Seeing this lust after numbers makes perfect sense to me since prestige and exclusivity is a universal lust regardless of culture. Yet in the US I don’t see people playing this game so seriously as the do in the mid east, which makes me really wonder if it will become an emerging market outside of the mid east (I think it will).

Secondly - To continue my exploration, I noticed something that amused me. Before I mentioned that Rolex is the official clock of Dubai’s airport. Well I was surprised to find that Breitling is the official clock of Bahrain’s airport! A nice little clock rivalry is brewing between Dubai and Bahrain. Man…what does the US get for airport clock branding? We cant even afford a swatch watch for our airports I bet. We are totally outballed by the mid east. When you get to the airport over there you really know what time it is!

Thirdly - Check back tommorow and I’ll bring you more. (I’m short on time today)