Dubai, United Arab Emirates - February 2008; Over recent decades, upmarket shopping arcades proliferated throughout Dubai, each more extravagant and less tasteful than the one proceeding it. A bit like casinos in Las Vegas... These high temples to consumerism were sprinkled like shiny baubles over the desert. Strangely, they never seemed busy. In fact, whenever we were in one, it seemed deserted. Here we see one of the army of workers pushing a luggage trolley along an Egyptian-style colonnade at Wafi City shopping mall. Unlike the originals, of course, these decorated pillars are brand new, spotless and utterly ersatz; a bit like a Dubai Disneyland, in fact.