Building People Instead of Buildings (or why would Amman even WANT a skyscraper)

I'm not sure why people think of putting up buildings or trading in land as progress or an economic boom. Somehow the excitement of throwing up yet more apartments that no one can afford and that will simply sit empty escapes me. I was talking to someone recently about the challenge in the Jordanian landscape of companies that spend money upon money to build fancy new offices. These same companies spend nothing (or next to it) on developing their people. They are rotting on the inside, but pretty from the outside. The same might be said of this "economic boom" in Jordan. If all it does is move land from one person to another or put up a skyscraper, the country has not benefited. When, I ask, when will Jordan begin to place building people ahead of building structures?

I belong to fairly small professional association with maybe 200 members. In the US, a group like this is typically purely volunteer-managed. While they might (okay, most likely not) acquire a part-time staff person, they would NEVER consider having a physical location. And, what is this group in Jordan fixated on? Hiring staff and opening an office. Why? Because somehow doing this provides status and that, apparently, is why the group exists. Now, call me crazy (many do), but I think the purpose of a membership organization is... (wait for it, here it comes...) serving the members. How does opening an office do that? How does having someone to answer the phones do that?

For those of you who've been to Dubai recently, I imagine that you likely saw what I did (and it's been over a year since my last visit). Dubai is a town that beggars the imagination. Buildings are springing up everywhere with no thought the the necessary transportation and infrastructure to support the residents. It is actually surreal to see the cranes out as far as the eye can see. It also feels very artificial to me. So they have the tallest building in the world (or will when it opens, for like 10 minutes). So what? Has that built the people of Dubai? Do you see significant improvement in the lives and fulfillment of the average Emirati? I don't get the sense that you do.

One of these days, Amman will have to throw off this inferiority complex it has about its rich cousin Dubai. But perhaps, that's one of the foundations of Jordanian culture, the pursuit of the other. Keeping up with the Jones' is a national past time. But, at some point, one must learn to appreciate the absolutely stunning beauty that is Amman - its people, its structures, its lifestyle. El 3atal has tried to convince me upon occasion that we should consider moving to the Gulf. And each time I think about what life might be like there. I consider the benefits we've found living here, and I say I just can't imagine it. For me, Dubai holds no allure. I look at its skyscrapers and see parking troubles. I look at its 8 lane highways and see traffic jams. I look at its new museums and airports and see the attempts of a country to buy credibility. And, I'd much rather keep what Amman has. Tomorrow I'll be posting about what I see when I look at Amman (and the 10 most awesome things from this Southern gal's perspective). But even today I'm thinking about how much I love this city that I've adopted and that seems to have adopted me...

Happy people-building!