Conjured from desert sands through nothing but willpower and well-located real estate, Dubai is a city unlike any other. Three and a half million people live a glimmering fever dream of reflective glass, stainless steel, and stone taken to wild extremes: the tallest building, the biggest mall, the deepest pool, the largest picture frame, the most expansive performing fountain, the most audacious artificial islands.
Add to this mix nearly 17 million annual visitors (pre-COVID), and you have a playground where anything seems possible. The flash in Dubai is unparalleled, as hypercars speed down 14-lane highways lit with glowing LEDs while helicopters twirl overhead like dragonflies among massive, fantastical skyscrapers.
All of this might seem inimical to a down-to-earth and sustainable movement like veganism, but if you know where to look, there are some beautiful plant oases here,…