A number of celebrities have >flaunted their never-ending love for Dubai in recent years, and the latest to do so is American comedian Steve Harvey.
During his time on stage at Dubai Lynx, an annual festival in the UAE focused on creativity, the comedian talked about how his hard work over the years got him to where he is today. He called the opportunity to be speaking at an event in the UAE a dream come true.
"Let me say thank you because for me to be here is really humbling. This is like a dream come true. I'm in the UAE, how did I get here? You asked me to come. How did God make you know me?" he said.
Harvey continued his talk by addressing all the obstacles one faces before reaching the peak of success.
"I was not a good student. My gift has nothing to do with school. I was homeless for three years, I lost everything twice. But now I'm in Dubai," he said.
He also gave a little insight on his city preferences, saying:
"I tell my wife all the time that Dubai is my favorite city because I respect culture, and I respect people."
He praised the city for being a melting pot of nationalities.
"Your culture is different. There's a lot of nationalities here," he continued.
Harvey talks crime rates; praises UAE's high level of safety
During his talk, Harvey shed light on the high level of crime rates in the U.S. and the obstacles black individuals face on a daily basis - from racism to violence.
"I'm a black man from the United States of America. They have so much to stop you. It's tough," he said.
The comedian went on to praise the high level of safety and security in the UAE.
"I like no crime. I like walking and no one is shooting at me. I don't know if you understand the blessing it is to live in a place where crime is so low."
In 2017, the UAE was >named the safest place in the Middle East for visitors and tourists alike, according to the data produced by the security specialist firm International SOS.
That same year, the UAE's capital city Abu Dhabi was >named the safest city in the world by Numbeo, "the world's largest database of user contributed data about cities and countries worldwide." The city came in first, scoring the lowest crime index of 13.09 and the highest safety index of 86.91 during the course of six months.