Dubai has a reputation for towering skyscrapers, giant malls, and glossy luxury that looks made for social media. British actor James Sutton says that shine did not work on him, and he made sure people knew it. In a video he shared online, Sutton criticized the city as a place built for consumption and business rather than culture. His comments were later reported by the Daily Mail, which helped push the clip into a wider conversation about what travelers actually want from a destination.
Sutton is best known to many viewers for playing John Paul McQueen on the long running British soap ‘Hollyoaks’. He has portrayed the character for roughly two decades, and the report notes he is expected to leave the show during this year. That context matters because he is not approaching Dubai as a tourism official or an influencer selling an itinerary. He is an actor who lives around stages, scripts, and creative communities, and that lens shaped his frustration.
In the video, Sutton questioned both the vacation fantasy and the idea of making a life there. “I really don’t get why people go there on vacation, and even less why someone would want to live there,” he said. He followed it with a blunt conclusion, adding, “I don’t see the point.” From his perspective, the city felt like a repeating loop of shopping, restaurants, hotels, and office buildings that stops being exciting once the novelty wears off.
The sharpest part of his critique was about what he believes Dubai lacks. “There is no art, no theater, no poetry, no music, no culture, no history,” Sutton said. He argued that if you strip away the retail spectacle and the luxury branding, “Other than malls, hotels, and restaurants, there is nothing to see.” It is a complaint that goes beyond crowds or prices, because it challenges the idea that a modern destination can substitute comfort and spectacle for a deeper sense of place.
Even so, Sutton did not claim he could not understand why Dubai works for a certain crowd. He acknowledged the appeal for founders, executives, and anyone chasing a business friendly environment, telling viewers, “I understand the argument that it is a great place for entrepreneurs, the city is basically built that way.” In his view, the city’s core identity is commercial first, with lifestyle built around that priority. “The whole idea is to attract business because there are no taxes. That is the main point,” he added, describing what he sees as Dubai’s defining pitch.
He also focused on the natural environment, or what he felt was missing from it. “I mean, where is the nature. There are no forests, trees, lakes, rivers, no wilderness,” Sutton said, sounding more puzzled than performative. He pushed the thought further with another question, asking, “Where are the animals, anyway.” Then he circled back to daily life in a desert metropolis with, “How do people even live there?”
Reactions to comments like these often reveal more about the listener than the place being criticized. Some travelers build trips around museums, historic districts, live music, and the local arts scene, and they want to feel a city’s layers under their feet. Others want a smooth, sunny, high service escape where the hotel is the main event and the rest of the day is shopping, dining, and impressive views. Dubai has become famous for that second style of travel, and for many visitors that is not a flaw, it is the point.
There is also the bigger question of what kind of city Dubai is trying to be. It is not marketed as an ancient capital packed with ruins, and it rarely competes on that terrain. Instead it has presented itself as a global hub for trade, aviation, and tourism, and that focus shows up in its extreme scale and speed of development. One symbol of that ambition is the Burj Khalifa, which Encyclopaedia Britannica lists at 2,717 feet tall, turning the skyline into a statement as much as a view.
For readers who like a little background, Encyclopaedia Britannica describes Dubai’s historical center around Dubai Creek, tied for generations to fishing, pearl diving, and maritime trade. Over time it evolved into a major commercial crossroads with massive ports and a busy international air cargo network, while tourism became a major pillar of its identity. The desert setting is also part of the story, since the landscape, heat, and limited natural greenery shape what outdoor life looks like and how the city builds comfort through infrastructure. That does not automatically make Sutton wrong or right, but it helps explain why a visitor searching for forests and rivers might feel like they are looking for the wrong kind of magic.
What do you think Sutton’s comments get right or miss about Dubai as a travel destination and a place to live, share your thoughts in the comments.
