And to get anywhere you need a car. Sustainable and Dubai should never be in the same sentence. Despite the photos we are always shown about the construction boom and excess wealth, we are not often shown the slums that house the underclass and the impact rapid growth has had on the desert environment.
The buildings certainly are beautiful but I think it would be wise for them to place more of their wealth to developing in the manufacturing sector if this is at all possible. Just remember that only a few decades ago before the discovery of oil, many of the people lived in mud huts. They should use their wealth in planning for the time when their source of oil should become depleted.
adrianakau2aol.com
Preston
· 2 years ago
Incredible post. You're saying what're many are thinking.
Justin
· 2 years ago
Most green buildings are small oases amongst highly ineffective buildings that wheeze AC all day. It doesn't matter if it's in Dubai in Washington DC.
JL
· 2 years ago
Do they have tropical storms? If so, things could get exciting.
Anonymous
· 2 years ago
The stat about more than 1/3 of the world's cranes being in Dubai is wrong. I had heard 1/6 and that turned out to be a vast overestimate. I'd love to see some real research on these stats, because there certainly are lots of cranes there. But the global percentage is vastly overstated....
Anonymous
· 2 years ago
If there are more construction workers in Dubai than there are citizens, it stands to reason that with all these buildings going up they don't have the population to move into them.
So how will they lure CEOs and trust-fund babies from around the world to Dubai? I wonder if it's simply because since it's their oil, once we hit the peak they're going to be one of the few places left that can sustain such an infrastructure.
mark
· 2 years ago
I'm a bit skeptical of the claims in the article, construction is not mutually exclusive of sustainability. I understand that dubai has been car foccussed for a long time, but putting more population in one spot should help this. As I understand it some of these buildings have workplaces, recreation areas, and living space in the same building. This means instead of moving people large distances to these things, they take a lift, and go on foot. Seems like an energy efficient way of doing things to me.
Now, I realise it's unlikely all this stuff is completely green, but I think the truth lies in the middle of that, and the picture the article pains.
charles
· 2 years ago
i dont want to complain about the tremendous effort being put into sustainable engineering by dubai... but seems... shady that the greatest exporter of one of the underlying causes of global warming should tout that theyre eco-friendly...
Icelander
· 2 years ago
I wonder what they're going to do with all those buildings once the oil runs out...
Lucynda Riley
· 2 years ago
They are very beautiful, but somehow seeing those tall structures in all of the open space makes me nervous. The land looks flat and wide. The thought of what a truly bad wind storm could do to all of that glass.
Jeremy
· 2 years ago
Uh, guys, Dubai is building all this stuff because they KNOW oil is not the energy source of the future. They're focusing on tourism, banking, and dropping taxes to lure investors and residents alike, among other forward-thinking moves. There is also an extensive subway project begun, with a 2010 completion date.
Get your facts straight before you open your mouths. Research before comment.
LA: Jeremy, there is no need to insult the other readers. If there is no oil how are they going cool all these buildings? Do you see any nuclear plants going up?
brian
· 2 years ago
I recall an episode of Extreme Engineering on Discovery Channel, showing the construction of a ski resort in Dubai.
Seriously?
Dubai news
· 2 years ago
Dubai has only a 20 year oil reserve. All of the construction, expanding into service industries(banking, travel, tourism) and new factories are planned to replace oil as a source of income.
Also big on the Dubai list is investment ion major projects outside the UAE.
Mark
· 2 years ago
That's gonna be some slum some day..
John
· 2 years ago
adrianakau2aol.com,
Dubai actually gets very little of its GNP from oil... do your research! My biggest problem with bloggers is that they speak before they research when theyre using the internet as a podium in which all of the information is right there before them... and yet no research is done... its unfortunate and sad. I will not point you in towards one link or another, but google: Dubai GNP... see what comes up there, and then bitch about oil.
CK
· 2 years ago
As far as I know Dubai does not have any oil. All the all is in the next emirate Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi is and has always been a trading center. That is how it has made its wealth.
CK
· 2 years ago
As far as I know Dubai does not have any oil. All the all is in the next emirate Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi is and has always been a trading center. That is how it has made its wealth.
chaloobe
· 2 years ago
Jeremy there is right. Not just the city, but the whole country may have had this rapid development "sparked" by the oil, but today most of the profits are coming from tourism, banking, etc. I have no doubt that Dubai and the UAE are going to continue to prosper.
The city is amazing and constantly growing. I went for a vacation to Dubai a couple years ago and loved it. I just can't wait until I get the chance to go visit again.
Robert
· 2 years ago
Oil does not run out, it is not from fossils. The wells will replenish over time. Nice looking city BTW.
Robert
mikeanderson
· 2 years ago
lol, on SAND! this will be the archaeological find of the century in about one hundred years...
Paul Crompton
· 2 years ago
Blimey, get the facts the right. Most of that info is completely wrong anyway.
This is where the article is wrong.
#It does not have more construction workers than residents, Dubai has a bit over 1 million residents, it's basically impossible to have and house over 500 000 workers in a not-so-large area.
#Construction Cranes. Conservative estimates on the number of cranes here are from 10% to 20% at the most, we do not have over one third, implying at least 34% of the world total.
# We do not have the Worlds tallest Building. Currently, the Burj Dubai (Height when completed: 710-808 metres)
is currently the 2nd tallest building on earth, lagging about 50 metres behind Taipei 101 in Taiwan.
Phew!
luis
· 2 years ago
So thats were all of the Gas money is going...
James
· 2 years ago
For a contrast they should show pictures of the slums, the people from India and Pakistan that they are exploiting in construction and working around the clock are living in. Just so rich spoilt brats can have their future unsustainable playground.
Mike Kellner
· 2 years ago
Yeah, it's an indoor ski hill...you can go skiiing inside in the desert...dubai's a ridiculous place (they just started moving from their 3-4 year old airport to a new one FOUR TIMES the size, coz it was growing so fast...it's about the size of New York JFK now, i believe)
Omar
· 2 years ago
At least with density in place, transit can follow later.
This is where the rich live and will live. The affluent and the pampered. Wealth begets wealth and here is its nursing ground. I will never see or enter these "golden gates" nor my children. This will be a world that we will not be allowed to enter, and our dreams of it will fall short. This is not home for the masses, workers, or just plain Jane's. Life will be very good here, and anything will be possible. Perhaps the new Babylon?
Andreas
· 2 years ago
Very nice.
And then,,one beatiful sunny day, Al-Qaeda goes in and blows everyone up,,,unfortunately,,the Middle Est aint a great place to be anymore..
rahoorkhuit
· 2 years ago
This is not a city on crack, but more on speed and anabolic steroids.
http://www.templatestaff.com
rahoorkhuit
· 2 years ago
This is a town on speed and methamphetimines, not crack.
Also, does this city (or other arab/islamic states) have a decent red-light district or is all underground?
Raj Mohan Nambiar
· 2 years ago
Dubai doesn't have much oil. Abudhabi, another emirate is supposed to be having oil for next 100 years. Anyway, the economy of Dubai is not based on oil. Dubai is the only Arab entity in the Arab world which can boast of an economy based on business, and they do it pretty well. The internal human resources of the country in terms of knowledge is very very week, almost zero (like most arab countries - some of them have tried making an effort in those directions, but haven't travelled far) , but the ability to create wealth, is pretty good. They are proven their strength in that area and are continuing to strengthen their position, and the construction boom is really going to help in that process. If you have seen the construction activity in Dubai and the rest of the construction-active world, you will probably be willing to consider the talk about 1/3 of cranes as truth.
Holt
· 2 years ago
Guy who lived in Dubai 16 years since birth here and returns frequently.
I'd like to correct a few misconceptions.
Dubai is well aware that oil will run out. In fact, Dubai doesn't have much oil in comparison with the other emirates like Abu Dhabi, and Saudi Arabia. That is exactly why they are building all these cool buildings. They are trying to put Dubai on the map and make it into a financial and tourist capital of the Mid East. Like a Hong Kong of the desert if you will.
Currently, the pollution is terrible. Everyone has a car. Public transport is next to non existent. A new monorail is being built. However, this monorail will only span the modern skyscraper rich people part of the city. The original city centre (which has few skyscrapers and is packed fill of gridlock and smog and incidentally where I now have residence) will not be included in the route since it is too built up already. At least not initially.
Dubai has no tectonic activity, neither is it plagued by extreme weather apart from extremely high temperatures. Occasionally there is a huge sand or rain storm that floods the place and blows things down. I assume the buildings will be built to withstand this. I can't imagine they'd be so stupid as to not anticipate it.
Construction workers are very exploited. You can read about that anywhere. BBC for example.
Brian, the ski slope was opened months ago ;)
I've not been but I hear it's quite fun.
Chris L
· 2 years ago
"They should use their wealth in planning for the time when their source of oil should become depleted."
They are planning for the future. A future of tourism. This is the Disney/Vegas of the future. They are smarter than you think.
John
· 2 years ago
Nice, though I am pretty sure that in the "Blade Runner" pic, only the Burj Dubai is from Dubai. (Others being from China, Malasia, Taiwan)
hmmmOk
· 2 years ago
Dear Lloyd (the writer of this article)
I've never been to Dubai, but i did live in Malaysia for a few years, and one of the images you used in your article, captioned "bladerunner ones" looks like a composite of images that includes the Petronas Tower (KLCC), (once considered the world's tallest building) which is located in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, and not in Dubai.
I generally like this website, but this article, to use your words, seems more "dubious" than accurate. Please feel free to prove me wrong :)
As far as I know, there is no red light district or similar place in Dubai or the UAE. Pornography and such like is illegal. The internet is heavily filtered.
I have heard of illegal prostitution starting to appear in some of the inner city places but I can't confirm first hand I'm afraid ;)
furqan
· 2 years ago
everybody right there own way but i am sure dubai is going to be the hell of city in the world, where everybody will have a fun once dubai world get constructed.
Furqan
Archi
· 2 years ago
hmmmOK's right - the "Blade Runner" picture is a composite. From left to right, the buildings are Taipei 101 (Taiwan), Petronas (Malaysia), Burj Dubai (Dubai - I think), [unknown], Bank of China tower (Hong Kong), [unknown], and the Oriental Pearl tower (Shanghai).
Anyone recognize the small black building to the left of the BOC tower, or the large white "wall" behind the Oriental Pearl?
knicq
· 2 years ago
Dubai is crazy. They have concentrated all their skyscrapers on one road, the Shaikh Zayed Road; which means the office going public must snake through acres and acres of desert for hours on end everyday to get to work and back. The powers that be look at those traffic jams and pat themselves for having made Dubai one of those cities which can boast of traffic jams alongside the biggest and busiest cities of the world - with a fraction of population of those cities.
Planning is not exactly a strong point with Dubai; and with skilled as well unskilled work-force being the biggest import commodity in this predominantly import market, one sees little being done towards making the city/country self-reliant in any of the imported commodities.
The labourers - the very life-blood of the construction boom so eulogized in every thing that is written about Dubai, are the people who work under the worst conditions and live in inhuman conditions. Some steps have been taken recently towards alleviating their lot, but its too little, and hopes not too late yet.
g
· 2 years ago
I wasn't around the turn of the century but I'm guessing, what we are thinking of Dubai now, is the same as what the Europeans who immigrated to the US were thinking when they saw pictures of the first skyscrapers. Makes you wonder where the next land of opportunity is?
Vinay
· 2 years ago
Being a Dubai resident for 10 years let me state a few things:
1. Dubai has oil reserves for max of 5 years. It is true the capital Abu Dhabi has oil reserves for 100 years. I
2. The construction activity in Dubai is to be seen to be believed - The world's tallest tower being built "The Burj Dubai" will eventually lose it's position to another tall tower called "Al Burj" which will be built by Developer Nakheel in Dubai again.
3. The ruler of Dubai, H H Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum is a visionary and is solely responsible for the changes. He's ambitious and gutsy. He well knows that if he does not reinvent Dubai it will be nowhere in the world map. He has succeeded already. His goal is to turn Dubai into a tourist hub and a export/re-export center which it has already become to all GCC/Gulf countries.
4. Dubai will have the largest shopping mall, several tall towers in the range o 80-100 floors and at least 6 towers exceeding 100 floors. Check out these links on my blog:
If the world's sea level is going to rise a couple feet in the future you can consider that palm tree island they created for beach front property as good as gone...
rigatos
· 2 years ago
THE NEW BABEL TOWER IS RISING AGAIN. PEOPLE CLIMBS HIGHER AND HIGHER . WHY?
ummabdulla
· 2 years ago
Correct me if I'm wrong, but some of the buildings shown above haven't been built yet.
To whoever asked about prostitution, there's no "red-light district", but you can see prostitutes pretty openly selling their wares in the lobbies of hotels. (There used to be a lot of Russian women.) Although it's supposed to be a Muslim country, alcohol and pork are allowed, and they host revivals by Christian missionaries.
I just read that a Kuwaiti businessman is looking at sites to open a Hooters there.
I don't know if all the articifial islands will survive global warming, but the dredging that they required didn't do much for the marine enviornment.
Dubai is crowded and the traffic is horrible. The government is consumed with having the tallest building, the biggest mall, the biggest this and that... there are some nice activties for families, but for the most part, the few actual Emiratis who live in Dubai don't have anything to do with this stuff, for the most part. It's all for expat workers and tourists - from Europe, the Gulf, the subcontinent, and Russia.
Now the other emirates, and the other Gulf countries, are all trying to imitate Dubai... The more quiet, beautiful, remote emirates are competing to become crowded tourist resorts, too, and lose their heritage - except for when it helps with tourism.
Jeremy
· 2 years ago
Wow, of all the comments on here, mine was the one that got the moderator to insert a complaint?
I didn't insult anyone, but maybe now I will: many of the posters on this site are dingbats. "Like omg globl warmin is gonna like totally reck tose islinds! so dats where all my gas money is going!" The moderator's response to my comment is the dumbest of all: "If there is no oil how are they going cool all these buildings? Do you see any nuclear plants going up?"
I never said anything about how Dubai would POWER all those towers, I said it is developing an alternative economy to oil because it knows oil is not the energy of the future. I mean, how will the rest of the world power its buildings in the future? Trust me, the people on this planet who matter, who actually do things, rarely leave matters like sources of energy to chance.
anil
· 2 years ago
I want to know some informations on the making of the resorts like burj al arab hotel , world & palm oil resort.
foreign body
· 2 years ago
For a critical glimpse of yet another very unsustainable city,
I feel 'stupider' after reading most of the comments above. The internet is dead to me.
Live long and prosper,
Joe
Properties in Dubai
· 2 years ago
The country is growing very quickly, there are so many investment opportunities here. Here's hoping they plan to offset their emissions with green practises.
koshish
· 1 year ago
Buildings buildings and more buildings .....!
where we are leading with this????
jasmine
· 1 year ago
wow!!!!!!!!!!! this is really cool pictures i really like it
why is Dubai fun? what is there to do there? shop? is this a tourist destination to shop and eat? I have heard that one can drink at the hotels, even thought it's a Muslim country. so that's something. but how else is it fun? I really don't understand what the appeal of a highrise desert city with no natural or cultural attractions-- or history. am I blind to the fun of consuming? is that it?
Dan
· 1 year ago
yeah seriously, I mean okay, yes Dubai looks AMAZING, the buildings and the attractions, but Dubai is a destination for the rich only, and maybe some upper middle class, which is a small population of the earth keep in mind, also, there is a huge amount of expatriates residing in Dubai, aka the construction workers (42% of the Dubai population is Indian, and 13% are Pakistani), and there has been plenty of evidence that the construction companies have been treating them horribly, paying them close to nothing, housing them in these crappy shacks, they are treated less than human, just check out various human rights sites, and you will get plenty of results, of course this is probably filtered if you look for this in the UAE, because the government monitors the country's internet and blocks anything on the internet that is against the UAE, or any basic human rights found in westernized countries. Sure, the city may look great now, but when and IF all these rich people from around the world movie to dubai, they are going to want basic human rights that are offered in other luxurious places, smog will get worse, there will be an even bigger income distribution gap, then people will start to move out unless the UAE cleans up its act soon, really, how many people can afford to rent a room in the Burj al Arab, or buy a house on "the palms", "the world", or any other of these luxurious high rises? Do they think that EVERY wealthy person in the world will move to Dubai?
Dubai one
· 1 year ago
Sometime I feel that many persons here only want
say something without knowing anything not only
about Dubai but what is going on the rest of the
world.
Is there a storm effect Normally Dubai !
so what are the engineers so stupid not to put that
consideration when planning.. very simple mind!!
just not to go through all those purring rubbish.
I remember when Dubai built its largest man made port late 70s,, most of the western "intelligent" experts ,said its waste of money!!
now that port is not enough and need to be extended.
what that’s prove its only jealousy of people , `cos all this things happening in the middle east.
by the way when the oil well finish in this part of the world, mostly the western will suffer not Dubai :)
another thing to know you guys that most of the investors or whom buying properties are from the west ! you know why: it’s the safest place and all the year round sunny days.
The last thing is when Dubai or the middle east will finish the oil, they can still have another source to sell to the western it the SOLAR. 24 hours a day ,7 days a week and 365 days a year sunny day.
Keep wondering with your jealous guys.
JLuis Franco
· 1 year ago
I need information about cost live in Dubai, General services p.ej. gas, water, electricity, telephon, gasoline, diesel, for car and truck. cost cel call.
cost use car.
I am apreciate this information, because I am intented job in Dubai or Abu Dahbi..
Arthur Bell III
· 1 year ago
Dubai rocks! I enjoyed my stay there, that's for sure!
Armando Gascón
· 1 year ago
Ski slope: There is a ski slope in Milton Keynes, England. Not more nor less sustainable than this one in Dubai. Expatriates: The English do not like to call themselves Immigrants, but that's what they are. Most speculate they can buy (a mortgage) a flat or something, then sell it for 3X, while working as hairdressers, such like jobs. I wish them luck.
cellulartraders
· 1 year ago
crazy,crazy,crazy
cellulartraders
· 1 year ago
crazy,crazy,crazy. They should spend some of those money to build farms that can produce fruits and vegetables so they do not import from overseas and help save the earth.
Chase
· 1 year ago
there is no way 1/3 of the worlds cranes are in Dubai , that has to be the dumbest thing I
have ever herd, look at how many large developing cities there are in this world, to make a claim like that is just ignorance
J
· 1 year ago
I would love to live there, if it wasn't in the middle east...
Sir Roland
· 1 year ago
some of your comments remain a very good piece of advise to those who look forward to travelling to the United Arab Emirate
Sir Roland
Dubai
· 10 months ago
right now Dubai is affecting the financial crisis. since October 2008 until now, large company are laying off employees more than 500 to 2000 people, like Emaar & Nakheel the largest property development.. Hundreds of property was delayed including the Metro and the famous burj Dubai.
We hope that mid this year Dubai will raise up again and continue to become one of the fastest booming city.
Dubai Hotels
· 3 months ago
Dubai since the start had a vision and built the largest Free zone and one of the largest port in the world where the hip can turn into 360 degrees without reversing and The ruler of Dubai always knew the importance of its geographical location and importance and therefore is a hub between the east and the west and will always be.
All Comments
And to get anywhere you need a car. Sustainable and Dubai should never be in the same sentence. Despite the photos we are always shown about the construction boom and excess wealth, we are not often shown the slums that house the underclass and the impact rapid growth has had on the desert environment.
National Geographic has an excellent article about the city: http://www7.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0701/fea...>
The buildings certainly are beautiful but I think it would be wise for them to place more of their wealth to developing in the manufacturing sector if this is at all possible. Just remember that only a few decades ago before the discovery of oil, many of the people lived in mud huts. They should use their wealth in planning for the time when their source of oil should become depleted.
adrianakau2aol.com
Incredible post. You're saying what're many are thinking.
Most green buildings are small oases amongst highly ineffective buildings that wheeze AC all day. It doesn't matter if it's in Dubai in Washington DC.
Do they have tropical storms? If so, things could get exciting.
The stat about more than 1/3 of the world's cranes being in Dubai is wrong. I had heard 1/6 and that turned out to be a vast overestimate. I'd love to see some real research on these stats, because there certainly are lots of cranes there. But the global percentage is vastly overstated....
If there are more construction workers in Dubai than there are citizens, it stands to reason that with all these buildings going up they don't have the population to move into them.
So how will they lure CEOs and trust-fund babies from around the world to Dubai? I wonder if it's simply because since it's their oil, once we hit the peak they're going to be one of the few places left that can sustain such an infrastructure.
I'm a bit skeptical of the claims in the article, construction is not mutually exclusive of sustainability. I understand that dubai has been car foccussed for a long time, but putting more population in one spot should help this. As I understand it some of these buildings have workplaces, recreation areas, and living space in the same building. This means instead of moving people large distances to these things, they take a lift, and go on foot. Seems like an energy efficient way of doing things to me.
I also recall the UAE announcing it was going solar. So it could be that these buildings are all powered on green energy. http://www.blog.thesietch.org/2007/02/25/abu-dh...>
Now, I realise it's unlikely all this stuff is completely green, but I think the truth lies in the middle of that, and the picture the article pains.
i dont want to complain about the tremendous effort being put into sustainable engineering by dubai... but seems... shady that the greatest exporter of one of the underlying causes of global warming should tout that theyre eco-friendly...
I wonder what they're going to do with all those buildings once the oil runs out...
They are very beautiful, but somehow seeing those tall structures in all of the open space makes me nervous. The land looks flat and wide. The thought of what a truly bad wind storm could do to all of that glass.
Uh, guys, Dubai is building all this stuff because they KNOW oil is not the energy source of the future. They're focusing on tourism, banking, and dropping taxes to lure investors and residents alike, among other forward-thinking moves. There is also an extensive subway project begun, with a 2010 completion date.
Get your facts straight before you open your mouths. Research before comment.
LA: Jeremy, there is no need to insult the other readers. If there is no oil how are they going cool all these buildings? Do you see any nuclear plants going up?
I recall an episode of Extreme Engineering on Discovery Channel, showing the construction of a ski resort in Dubai.
Seriously?
Dubai has only a 20 year oil reserve. All of the construction, expanding into service industries(banking, travel, tourism) and new factories are planned to replace oil as a source of income.
Also big on the Dubai list is investment ion major projects outside the UAE.
That's gonna be some slum some day..
adrianakau2aol.com,
Dubai actually gets very little of its GNP from oil... do your research! My biggest problem with bloggers is that they speak before they research when theyre using the internet as a podium in which all of the information is right there before them... and yet no research is done... its unfortunate and sad. I will not point you in towards one link or another, but google: Dubai GNP... see what comes up there, and then bitch about oil.
As far as I know Dubai does not have any oil. All the all is in the next emirate Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi is and has always been a trading center. That is how it has made its wealth.
As far as I know Dubai does not have any oil. All the all is in the next emirate Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi is and has always been a trading center. That is how it has made its wealth.
Jeremy there is right. Not just the city, but the whole country may have had this rapid development "sparked" by the oil, but today most of the profits are coming from tourism, banking, etc. I have no doubt that Dubai and the UAE are going to continue to prosper.
The city is amazing and constantly growing. I went for a vacation to Dubai a couple years ago and loved it. I just can't wait until I get the chance to go visit again.
Oil does not run out, it is not from fossils. The wells will replenish over time. Nice looking city BTW.
Robert
lol, on SAND! this will be the archaeological find of the century in about one hundred years...
Blimey, get the facts the right. Most of that info is completely wrong anyway.
This is where the article is wrong.
#It does not have more construction workers than residents, Dubai has a bit over 1 million residents, it's basically impossible to have and house over 500 000 workers in a not-so-large area.
#Construction Cranes. Conservative estimates on the number of cranes here are from 10% to 20% at the most, we do not have over one third, implying at least 34% of the world total.
# We do not have the Worlds tallest Building. Currently, the Burj Dubai (Height when completed: 710-808 metres)
is currently the 2nd tallest building on earth, lagging about 50 metres behind Taipei 101 in Taiwan.
Phew!
So thats were all of the Gas money is going...
For a contrast they should show pictures of the slums, the people from India and Pakistan that they are exploiting in construction and working around the clock are living in. Just so rich spoilt brats can have their future unsustainable playground.
Yeah, it's an indoor ski hill...you can go skiiing inside in the desert...dubai's a ridiculous place (they just started moving from their 3-4 year old airport to a new one FOUR TIMES the size, coz it was growing so fast...it's about the size of New York JFK now, i believe)
At least with density in place, transit can follow later.
Dubai is my favorite tourist destination.
Jenny
http://www.spaml.com</p>
This is where the rich live and will live. The affluent and the pampered. Wealth begets wealth and here is its nursing ground. I will never see or enter these "golden gates" nor my children. This will be a world that we will not be allowed to enter, and our dreams of it will fall short. This is not home for the masses, workers, or just plain Jane's. Life will be very good here, and anything will be possible. Perhaps the new Babylon?
Very nice.
And then,,one beatiful sunny day, Al-Qaeda goes in and blows everyone up,,,unfortunately,,the Middle Est aint a great place to be anymore..
This is not a city on crack, but more on speed and anabolic steroids.
http://www.templatestaff.com
This is a town on speed and methamphetimines, not crack.
Also, does this city (or other arab/islamic states) have a decent red-light district or is all underground?
Dubai doesn't have much oil. Abudhabi, another emirate is supposed to be having oil for next 100 years. Anyway, the economy of Dubai is not based on oil. Dubai is the only Arab entity in the Arab world which can boast of an economy based on business, and they do it pretty well. The internal human resources of the country in terms of knowledge is very very week, almost zero (like most arab countries - some of them have tried making an effort in those directions, but haven't travelled far) , but the ability to create wealth, is pretty good. They are proven their strength in that area and are continuing to strengthen their position, and the construction boom is really going to help in that process. If you have seen the construction activity in Dubai and the rest of the construction-active world, you will probably be willing to consider the talk about 1/3 of cranes as truth.
Guy who lived in Dubai 16 years since birth here and returns frequently.
I'd like to correct a few misconceptions.
Dubai is well aware that oil will run out. In fact, Dubai doesn't have much oil in comparison with the other emirates like Abu Dhabi, and Saudi Arabia. That is exactly why they are building all these cool buildings. They are trying to put Dubai on the map and make it into a financial and tourist capital of the Mid East. Like a Hong Kong of the desert if you will.
Currently, the pollution is terrible. Everyone has a car. Public transport is next to non existent. A new monorail is being built. However, this monorail will only span the modern skyscraper rich people part of the city. The original city centre (which has few skyscrapers and is packed fill of gridlock and smog and incidentally where I now have residence) will not be included in the route since it is too built up already. At least not initially.
Dubai has no tectonic activity, neither is it plagued by extreme weather apart from extremely high temperatures. Occasionally there is a huge sand or rain storm that floods the place and blows things down. I assume the buildings will be built to withstand this. I can't imagine they'd be so stupid as to not anticipate it.
Construction workers are very exploited. You can read about that anywhere. BBC for example.
Brian, the ski slope was opened months ago ;)
I've not been but I hear it's quite fun.
"They should use their wealth in planning for the time when their source of oil should become depleted."
They are planning for the future. A future of tourism. This is the Disney/Vegas of the future. They are smarter than you think.
Nice, though I am pretty sure that in the "Blade Runner" pic, only the Burj Dubai is from Dubai. (Others being from China, Malasia, Taiwan)
Dear Lloyd (the writer of this article)
I've never been to Dubai, but i did live in Malaysia for a few years, and one of the images you used in your article, captioned "bladerunner ones" looks like a composite of images that includes the Petronas Tower (KLCC), (once considered the world's tallest building) which is located in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, and not in Dubai.
I generally like this website, but this article, to use your words, seems more "dubious" than accurate. Please feel free to prove me wrong :)
For reference, a couple of photos from the web:
http://dsphotographic.com/index.php/category/tr... />
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y66/pusiva/KLC...>
question:
"So thats were all of the Gas money is going..."
answer:
Bush and all of his friends in big oil companies
Oh I forgot to mention.
As far as I know, there is no red light district or similar place in Dubai or the UAE. Pornography and such like is illegal. The internet is heavily filtered.
I have heard of illegal prostitution starting to appear in some of the inner city places but I can't confirm first hand I'm afraid ;)
everybody right there own way but i am sure dubai is going to be the hell of city in the world, where everybody will have a fun once dubai world get constructed.
Furqan
hmmmOK's right - the "Blade Runner" picture is a composite. From left to right, the buildings are Taipei 101 (Taiwan), Petronas (Malaysia), Burj Dubai (Dubai - I think), [unknown], Bank of China tower (Hong Kong), [unknown], and the Oriental Pearl tower (Shanghai).
Anyone recognize the small black building to the left of the BOC tower, or the large white "wall" behind the Oriental Pearl?
Dubai is crazy. They have concentrated all their skyscrapers on one road, the Shaikh Zayed Road; which means the office going public must snake through acres and acres of desert for hours on end everyday to get to work and back. The powers that be look at those traffic jams and pat themselves for having made Dubai one of those cities which can boast of traffic jams alongside the biggest and busiest cities of the world - with a fraction of population of those cities.
Planning is not exactly a strong point with Dubai; and with skilled as well unskilled work-force being the biggest import commodity in this predominantly import market, one sees little being done towards making the city/country self-reliant in any of the imported commodities.
The labourers - the very life-blood of the construction boom so eulogized in every thing that is written about Dubai, are the people who work under the worst conditions and live in inhuman conditions. Some steps have been taken recently towards alleviating their lot, but its too little, and hopes not too late yet.
I wasn't around the turn of the century but I'm guessing, what we are thinking of Dubai now, is the same as what the Europeans who immigrated to the US were thinking when they saw pictures of the first skyscrapers. Makes you wonder where the next land of opportunity is?
Being a Dubai resident for 10 years let me state a few things:
1. Dubai has oil reserves for max of 5 years. It is true the capital Abu Dhabi has oil reserves for 100 years. I
2. The construction activity in Dubai is to be seen to be believed - The world's tallest tower being built "The Burj Dubai" will eventually lose it's position to another tall tower called "Al Burj" which will be built by Developer Nakheel in Dubai again.
3. The ruler of Dubai, H H Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum is a visionary and is solely responsible for the changes. He's ambitious and gutsy. He well knows that if he does not reinvent Dubai it will be nowhere in the world map. He has succeeded already. His goal is to turn Dubai into a tourist hub and a export/re-export center which it has already become to all GCC/Gulf countries.
4. Dubai will have the largest shopping mall, several tall towers in the range o 80-100 floors and at least 6 towers exceeding 100 floors. Check out these links on my blog:
http://vinayworld.blogspot.com/2007/06/dubai-to... />
http://vinayworld.blogspot.com/2007/04/dubai-co... />
http://vinayworld.blogspot.com/2007/01/dubai-to... />
http://vinayworld.blogspot.com/2006/12/hydropol... />
http://vinayworld.blogspot.com/2006/11/worlds-t...>
Enjoy!
If the world's sea level is going to rise a couple feet in the future you can consider that palm tree island they created for beach front property as good as gone...
THE NEW BABEL TOWER IS RISING AGAIN. PEOPLE CLIMBS HIGHER AND HIGHER . WHY?
Correct me if I'm wrong, but some of the buildings shown above haven't been built yet.
To whoever asked about prostitution, there's no "red-light district", but you can see prostitutes pretty openly selling their wares in the lobbies of hotels. (There used to be a lot of Russian women.) Although it's supposed to be a Muslim country, alcohol and pork are allowed, and they host revivals by Christian missionaries.
I just read that a Kuwaiti businessman is looking at sites to open a Hooters there.
I don't know if all the articifial islands will survive global warming, but the dredging that they required didn't do much for the marine enviornment.
Dubai is crowded and the traffic is horrible. The government is consumed with having the tallest building, the biggest mall, the biggest this and that... there are some nice activties for families, but for the most part, the few actual Emiratis who live in Dubai don't have anything to do with this stuff, for the most part. It's all for expat workers and tourists - from Europe, the Gulf, the subcontinent, and Russia.
Now the other emirates, and the other Gulf countries, are all trying to imitate Dubai... The more quiet, beautiful, remote emirates are competing to become crowded tourist resorts, too, and lose their heritage - except for when it helps with tourism.
Wow, of all the comments on here, mine was the one that got the moderator to insert a complaint?
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/06/dubious_dubai.php#comment-139892
I didn't insult anyone, but maybe now I will: many of the posters on this site are dingbats. "Like omg globl warmin is gonna like totally reck tose islinds! so dats where all my gas money is going!" The moderator's response to my comment is the dumbest of all: "If there is no oil how are they going cool all these buildings? Do you see any nuclear plants going up?"
I never said anything about how Dubai would POWER all those towers, I said it is developing an alternative economy to oil because it knows oil is not the energy of the future. I mean, how will the rest of the world power its buildings in the future? Trust me, the people on this planet who matter, who actually do things, rarely leave matters like sources of energy to chance.
I want to know some informations on the making of the resorts like burj al arab hotel , world & palm oil resort.
For a critical glimpse of yet another very unsustainable city,
check out
http://sustainablehongkong.blogspot.com<br />
I feel 'stupider' after reading most of the comments above. The internet is dead to me.
Live long and prosper,
Joe
The country is growing very quickly, there are so many investment opportunities here. Here's hoping they plan to offset their emissions with green practises.
Buildings buildings and more buildings .....!
where we are leading with this????
wow!!!!!!!!!!! this is really cool pictures i really like it
jasmine
tech-chek.blogpsot.com
why is Dubai fun? what is there to do there? shop? is this a tourist destination to shop and eat? I have heard that one can drink at the hotels, even thought it's a Muslim country. so that's something. but how else is it fun? I really don't understand what the appeal of a highrise desert city with no natural or cultural attractions-- or history. am I blind to the fun of consuming? is that it?
yeah seriously, I mean okay, yes Dubai looks AMAZING, the buildings and the attractions, but Dubai is a destination for the rich only, and maybe some upper middle class, which is a small population of the earth keep in mind, also, there is a huge amount of expatriates residing in Dubai, aka the construction workers (42% of the Dubai population is Indian, and 13% are Pakistani), and there has been plenty of evidence that the construction companies have been treating them horribly, paying them close to nothing, housing them in these crappy shacks, they are treated less than human, just check out various human rights sites, and you will get plenty of results, of course this is probably filtered if you look for this in the UAE, because the government monitors the country's internet and blocks anything on the internet that is against the UAE, or any basic human rights found in westernized countries. Sure, the city may look great now, but when and IF all these rich people from around the world movie to dubai, they are going to want basic human rights that are offered in other luxurious places, smog will get worse, there will be an even bigger income distribution gap, then people will start to move out unless the UAE cleans up its act soon, really, how many people can afford to rent a room in the Burj al Arab, or buy a house on "the palms", "the world", or any other of these luxurious high rises? Do they think that EVERY wealthy person in the world will move to Dubai?
Sometime I feel that many persons here only want
say something without knowing anything not only
about Dubai but what is going on the rest of the
world.
Is there a storm effect Normally Dubai !
so what are the engineers so stupid not to put that
consideration when planning.. very simple mind!!
just not to go through all those purring rubbish.
I remember when Dubai built its largest man made port late 70s,, most of the western "intelligent" experts ,said its waste of money!!
now that port is not enough and need to be extended.
what that’s prove its only jealousy of people , `cos all this things happening in the middle east.
by the way when the oil well finish in this part of the world, mostly the western will suffer not Dubai :)
another thing to know you guys that most of the investors or whom buying properties are from the west ! you know why: it’s the safest place and all the year round sunny days.
The last thing is when Dubai or the middle east will finish the oil, they can still have another source to sell to the western it the SOLAR. 24 hours a day ,7 days a week and 365 days a year sunny day.
Keep wondering with your jealous guys.
I need information about cost live in Dubai, General services p.ej. gas, water, electricity, telephon, gasoline, diesel, for car and truck. cost cel call.
cost use car.
I am apreciate this information, because I am intented job in Dubai or Abu Dahbi..
Dubai rocks! I enjoyed my stay there, that's for sure!
Ski slope: There is a ski slope in Milton Keynes, England. Not more nor less sustainable than this one in Dubai. Expatriates: The English do not like to call themselves Immigrants, but that's what they are. Most speculate they can buy (a mortgage) a flat or something, then sell it for 3X, while working as hairdressers, such like jobs. I wish them luck.
crazy,crazy,crazy
crazy,crazy,crazy. They should spend some of those money to build farms that can produce fruits and vegetables so they do not import from overseas and help save the earth.
there is no way 1/3 of the worlds cranes are in Dubai , that has to be the dumbest thing I
have ever herd, look at how many large developing cities there are in this world, to make a claim like that is just ignorance
I would love to live there, if it wasn't in the middle east...
some of your comments remain a very good piece of advise to those who look forward to travelling to the United Arab Emirate
Sir Roland
right now Dubai is affecting the financial crisis. since October 2008 until now, large company are laying off employees more than 500 to 2000 people, like Emaar & Nakheel the largest property development.. Hundreds of property was delayed including the Metro and the famous burj Dubai.
We hope that mid this year Dubai will raise up again and continue to become one of the fastest booming city.
Dubai since the start had a vision and built the largest Free zone and one of the largest port in the world where the hip can turn into 360 degrees without reversing and The ruler of Dubai always knew the importance of its geographical location and importance and therefore is a hub between the east and the west and will always be.