The Dubaian Dream under Siege: Essay in DN

In this Dagens Nyheter culture essay I explore why youth lose themselves in digital flows and utopian imaginaries, and what Dream will take over now that the late American dream, not to mention the European welfare state dream, are crumbling fast.

For a while it looked like the “Gulfian” dream would take their place as the new grand narrative. And then came Trump’s war on Iran. Should the future in the Gulf states darken after the war, the dream will likely remain untouched. It will flow onward – to the next place where capital promises speed, spectacle, and limitless success. In this essay I explore why youth lose themselves in digital flows and utopian imaginaries.