Dubai - What the hell is going on over there ?
Dubai in 1990 prior to the craziness
The same street in 2003
Last year
The madness. Dubai is said to currently have 15-25% of all the world’s cranes.
The Dubai Waterfront. When completed it will become the largest waterfront development in the world.
All of this was built in the last 5 years, including that island that looks like a palm tree.
The Palm Islands in Dubai. New Dutch dredging technology was used to create these massive man made islands. They are the largest artificial islands in the world and can be seen from space. Three of these Palms will be made with the last one being the largest of them all.
Upon completion, the resort will have 2,000 villas, 40 luxury hotels, shopping centers, movie theaters, and many other facilities. It is expected to support a population of approximately 500,000 people. It is advertised as being visible from the moon.
The World Islands. 300 artificially created islands in the shape of the world. Each island will have an estimated cost of $25-30 million.
The Burj al-Arab hotel in Dubai. The worlds tallest hotel. Considered the only ‘7 star’ hotel and the most luxurious hotel in the world. It stands on an artificial island in the sea.
Hydropolis, the world’s first underwater hotel. Entirely built in Germany and then assembled in Dubai, it is scheduled to be completed by 2009 after many delays.
The Burj Dubai. Construction began in 2005 and is expected to be complete by 2008. At an estimated height of over 800 meters, it will easily be world’s tallest building when finished. It will be almost 40% taller than the the current tallest building, the Taipei 101.
This is what downtown Dubai will look like around 2008-2009. More than 140 stories of the Burj Dubai have already been completed. It is already the worlds tallest man made structure and it is still not scheduled to be completed for at least another year.
The Al Burj. This will be the centerpiece of the Dubai Waterfront. Once completed it will take over the title of the tallest structure in the world from the Burj Dubai.
Recently it was announced that the final height of this tower will be 1200 meters. That would make it more than 30% taller than the Burj Dubai and three times as tall as the Empire State Building.
This is a city on crack.
The Burj al Alam, or The World Tower. Upon completion it will rank as the world’s highest hotel. It is expected to be finished by 2009. At 480 meters it will only be 28 meters shorter than the Taipei 101.
The Trump International Hotel & Tower, which will be the centerpiece of one of the palm islands, The Palm Jumeirah.
Dubailand. Currently, the largest amusement park collection in the world is Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, which is also the largest single-site employer in the United states with 58,000 employees. Dubailand will be twice the size.
Dubailand will be built on 3 billion square feet (107 miles^2) at an estimated $20 billion price tag. The site will include a purported 45 mega projects and 200 hundred other smaller projects.
Dubai Sports City. A huge collection of sports arenas located in Dubailand.
Currently, the Walt Disney World Resort is the #1 tourist destination in the world. Once fully completed, Dubailand will easily take over that title since it is expected to attract 200,000 visitors daily.
The Dubai Marina is an entirely man made development that will contain over 200 highrise buildings when finished. It will be home to some of the tallest residential structures in the world. The completed first phase of the project is shown. Most of the other high rise buildings will be finished by 2009-2010.
The Dubai Mall will be the largest shopping mall in the world with over 9 million square feet of shopping and around 1000 stores. It will be completed in 2008.
Ski Dubai, which is already open, is the largest indoor skiing facility in the world. This is a rendered image of another future indoor skiing facility that is being planned.
Some of the tallest buildings in the world, such as Ocean Heights and The Princess Tower, which will be the largest residential building in the world at over a 100 stories, will line the Dubai Marina.
The UAE Spaceport would be the first spaceport in the world if construction ever gets under way. I’m not joking…
Some other other crazy shit…
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The Dubai Metro system, once completed, will become the largest fully automated rail system in the world.
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The Dubai World Central International Airport will become the largest airport in size when it is completed. It will also eventually become the busiest airport in the world, based on passenger volume.
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There are more construction workers in Dubai than there are actual citizens.
WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON OVER THERE?
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#7. Tingle from Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
This eccentric little man sells you
February 19th, 2008 at 11:36 am
Dubai to Build the World’s Largest Arch Bridge in 2012
February 19th, 2008 at 4:48 pm
What’s going on over there? Koyaniskatsi.
February 19th, 2008 at 5:14 pm
Our oil money at work.
February 19th, 2008 at 5:33 pm
Dubai hardly has any oil left, real estate tourism is everything there
February 19th, 2008 at 5:49 pm
Yeah, Dubai is expected to run out of oil in less than a decade. They hope tourism will make up for their loss of their #1 source of income. And It seems like it will. Everyone I know can’t wait until most of this completed so they can go see it. Assuming they can get the money of course…
February 19th, 2008 at 6:33 pm
don’t think I’d ever go there even if I could afford it. las vegas is wacky enough for me and not run by overambitious slave driving sultans.
February 19th, 2008 at 6:36 pm
This is the new garden of eden for the elite of the world - weathermen anyone?
February 19th, 2008 at 7:07 pm
i agree with weatherman. this is the new garden for the elite of the world, but it won’t just be a garden, it will be a safe haven, and operations base. for when all the other crap comes crashing down after corporations have raped the rest of the world of its resources and the people begin to attack the headquarters of said corporations. the big whigs figure they best have a stronghold and Dubai is it. Mark my words, every super rich corp head, movie star, sports figure will be living in Dubai within ten years. maybe sooner.
February 19th, 2008 at 7:15 pm
tell me about it…dubai, been there, its crazy, thats not including all thats posted here 2! u hav 2 go there to c the full extent, so i really dont want 2 go bak there, other that all tourism, artifficial weather( yes, they make their own clouds) and a bunch of other stuff, its a desert, u go from 1 a/c 2 another(unless u wanna go dune bashing), well thats wat u get wen ppl hav oil and turn it into tuorism, i prefer things here in NY alot less sand.
February 19th, 2008 at 7:27 pm
These people play Sim City WAY too much!!!
February 19th, 2008 at 7:39 pm
i dont think they know about global warming, arent the islands gonna be underwater. looks like an easy terrorist attack waitingto happen
February 19th, 2008 at 7:56 pm
I admit I don’t know where it is off the top of my head nor do I have a map near me, but by the pictures I assume they are near the ocean, if so..do they not worry about tsunami’s (sp?)and hurricane/hurricane type storms?
February 19th, 2008 at 8:32 pm
[...] WELCOME TO DUBAI [...]
February 19th, 2008 at 8:56 pm
Building heights and underwater facilities will truly be in demand when Global Warming kicks in, and the tides rise 20-30 feet and Dubai once again becomes the Sea Bottom. A rather catch 22 situation wouldnt you agree?
February 19th, 2008 at 8:57 pm
As Americans we can only owe it to ourselves that once oil runs out we declare the dictatorship in Dubai as illegitimate and take it over.. As Americans we must have the biggest and tallest, its the American way.. “America, f#ck yea.”
February 19th, 2008 at 9:04 pm
Dubai is located in the persian gulf. Not many tsunami’s and hurricanes there. They woudntspend billions on the city without doing a little research….
February 19th, 2008 at 9:05 pm
“Mark my words, every super rich corp head, movie star, sports figure will be living in Dubai within ten years. maybe sooner”
Except the Jewish ones, who I think are still banned there?
February 19th, 2008 at 9:06 pm
Promises, promises… While in the meantime, the place looks like one giant construction site.
February 19th, 2008 at 9:08 pm
Places like Dubai frighten me. The world is competing for richest-looking, most elaborate and luxurious cities. What happened to camping in the woods? Hiking in the tundra? Biking in the Adirondacks?? We are wasting oil to create some version of beauty, while destroying what’s already beautiful around us. Artificial weather?? If you don’t like the weather, then move. Jeez. I don’t like the cold and wind everyday, but I’m not going to ask it to stop snowing - it’s freaking Alaska. We’re messing with something bigger than just oil and economy; there has to be some serious effects on whatever nature Dubai has slaughtered to build their arrogant, totally obnoxious currency district. Among my travels, I’ll make it a point to NOT go there. Cool site, though - well done. :)
February 19th, 2008 at 9:28 pm
In a sense, Dubai’s construction boom is less destructive of the environment than anywhere else the places could be built…it was a desert…better there than the rainforest or the Adoniracks, etc…
February 19th, 2008 at 9:39 pm
This is the biggest blunder ever, look at the massive scale they are building they want to make it for the elite since everything there will be so expensive. But there are not enough people in this world to fill it, ive seen interviews and most of the properties are still empty dubai will be a laughing stock.
February 19th, 2008 at 9:44 pm
This is incredible, but it makes me wonder if they’re setting themselves up for a fall. The amount of money and people needed to sustain something like this must be astronomical. Considering how luxurious all this is, I doubt your average middle eastern citizen (or anyone other middle class human being) can afford to live there, much less make it a repeatable travel destination. Seriously, how do you support a 100-story restaurant?
February 19th, 2008 at 10:18 pm
why does this sort of mass industry scare the shit out of me. We see growth every day but not with such jaw dropping but with out such blatent excess..I was reading others thoughts and I admit when reading the comment about terrorists I to had the same thought…but then it occured to me that the terrorists and big business are like whores and tricks lying in the same bed together so why fear an attack..in reguards to these big business types that own there..they do.. I saw a program I think was on a&e and it was about the actual construction and the machines used to do this project it was specifcally the palm islands …they named some of the celebrities..ppl like tom cruise, the beckhams and of course the trumps…wow…freaky shit people imagine the elite of elite we have no idea of the wealth or what these people do or who they are…
February 19th, 2008 at 10:20 pm
my grammer and spelling is abominable
February 19th, 2008 at 10:59 pm
All of this futuristic construction… who is it going to make happy? The businessmen who spend all day managing the most complex operations in the world? The elite who spend thousands to stay a night? The workers who spend all their waking hours hundreds of meters in the air? The citizens who will live in the world’s largest play tank?
I’d rather live in a quaint neighborhood with my family and friends than be in Dubai.
February 19th, 2008 at 11:11 pm
nice, but it’s dubai…the place that recently arrested a tourist who had .003 grams of marijuana on the bottom of his shoe. i think i’ll stick with disney, thanks.
February 20th, 2008 at 12:41 am
When whites enjoy double standards in the US and the minorities are indirectly opressed it’s OK- but when a developing Arab nation does it we have to bomb them?
The things you guys are questioning are things from your culture. Did you see the 1990 picture? Dubai didn’t ruin anything, it turned a desert into something like Vegas or NYC, except safer. Oh and I’ve went in and out of Dubai with hashish a bunch of times. Never had any problems with the friendly security. But then again I’m Arab and I can just tell him a few friendly words but be on my way.
These things will get supported, if only by the middle easterners. The well off hold weddings here, providing rooms for the family guests, etc. We also don’t pay taxes that helps A LOT.
February 20th, 2008 at 6:19 am
I find it interesting that those on the “Green Side” have no problem with the raping of a desert v a “rain forest.” I would think you idiots would demand an environmental study that would last decades before coming to such a conclusion. After all, how can you be certain there is not some “dry-toasted melly worm” in the desert that is not being put at the risk of extinction?
February 20th, 2008 at 6:25 am
Dubai will become a nightmare for those who have invested there. Dont believe the Hype about the place it will be very hard to sell on your investment later as the market will be saturated.
February 20th, 2008 at 6:34 am
In Dubai you go to Jail for carrying 0.003g cannabis in the tread of your shoe
or a swiss man was imprisoned for three poppy seeds on his clothing after he ate a bread roll at Heathrow.
still want to see that country?
just read the full article:
http://travel.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/travel/news/article3333905.ece
February 20th, 2008 at 6:43 am
Remark to Kelly:
No maybe Las Vegas isnt run by overambitious slave driving sultans, but it is run by killer drug dealing mobsters that dont give a fuck, so i think it evens out.
February 20th, 2008 at 7:10 am
One word: Spaceport.
February 20th, 2008 at 8:31 am
It’s wise to build tall buildings with the same oil resources that makes the ocean level rise..
February 20th, 2008 at 8:36 am
After reading the timesonline article about the justice in Dubai, I’d say let the gas burn and the waters rise…
February 20th, 2008 at 9:48 am
I think the world’s leaders are conditioning this place for their personal chill pad once they destroy the worlds majority population. They’re like, “Hmmm, when the world sucks, we need this one place we can hang out with all our money and have everything we’d ever want to do in one place…”
February 20th, 2008 at 9:52 am
Well both the cases cited (poppy seed and microscopic amount of cannabis) happened to white people, no? and an arab man claims he has gone in and out of dubai with hashish many times. Seems kind of like the way middle easterns have/had been treated after 9/11 in American airports.
Of course that does not justify it in any way. It’s just interesting.
and as far a letting them destroy themselves, the same thing could be said of the USA
February 20th, 2008 at 10:24 am
i like the pictures
February 20th, 2008 at 10:35 am
So they’re finally getting a piece of the pie. Good on them.
February 20th, 2008 at 11:30 am
This place is amazing. The tourism is huge. There is no Tsunami and no hurricanes at least not for now. Global warming, yes they are not thinking that much. Now, my question is? how is going to give the costumer services? there are too much services and no work force? well, there is low, low, low pay income for the construction workers which are Indias, Vietnamese and more. Still, there is a lot of job opportunity for all that lure of entertainment for the elite!
Plus, already athletes are moving there. No TAXES baby. But still there is a lot of things to consider. And they are actually very smart. They know oil is gone soon for them and they invested all the time and money on other venues to revenue. There some countries that have everything and are still POOR. Enjoy Dubai if you can afford it.
I will see you there.
February 20th, 2008 at 11:33 am
No, the microscopic cannabis was to a black man. I’m not sure about the poppy seed but he was English if I recall correctly. I’m saying that I can come in and out of Dubai int’l with a big stick of hash and not have any problems, because they’re not too strict with younger Arab students especially Saudis. However, when a western guy comes out with bloodshot eyes and acting like a dumbass, he’s going to get screwed. Arabs enjoy double standards in Arab countries just like whites enjoy double standards in the US. Get it?
February 20th, 2008 at 11:53 am
Now that the big corps no longer have the Bohemian Grove as a secret haven there’s got to be some place they can kick up their heels and plan nuclear bombs and things without any scrutiny or oversight. Id be willing to bet if the money used for this were to go to correct the economies of impoverished nations and organize humanitarian efforts, there would never be a human being going hungry ever again and also provide birth control pills to all women who wish to use it to control overpopulation. When the love of humanity overcomes the love of power the world will know PEACE!
February 20th, 2008 at 1:05 pm
and you can’t even take drugs there … sorry state of affairs :(
February 20th, 2008 at 1:49 pm
[...] Dubai - What the hell is going on over there ? - TutzTutz.com [...]
February 20th, 2008 at 2:52 pm
They should build a huge island, as far away as it goes of the shore, and then build the largest bridge of every possible kind, like foot and a half in spacing between bridges to save space.
Lol!
Nice post anyway, and they are building all that stuff cause they started to run out of oil, so now their main goal is to give a really solid foundations to tourism.
So they stay stinking rich even after the last drop of oil has been spilled.
I really don’t understand why they don’t do that in my country.
February 20th, 2008 at 3:39 pm
What good is an amusement park that big if you can still get imprisoned for four years for having as little as 0.003 grams of MJ on you?
February 20th, 2008 at 3:46 pm
well, i wonder if it’s for us- common folk? I sorta doubt it because most of us wouldn’t even have plane fare. One thing I do know- if they’re building a spaceport they almost with certainty know something we don’t know yet. These people are not stupid. If they plan to build a spaceport you can bet your last dollar they know there’s a good reason. These are people who look 150 years ahead. Another thing I know- whether we like it or not, and whether it’s good for us commoners or not, this is where the very big shots intend to take the world and we’re all gonna go along to whatever kind of world they have in their heads. It’s frightening.
February 20th, 2008 at 3:52 pm
This place looks amazing!!!! When I make my fortune I will be living there!!!! That place is way better than new york!!!! I don’t understand why you think its crazy, its a rising city in a non- corrupt country(unlike the US). Plus it has a SPACEPORT!!!!!!
February 20th, 2008 at 4:41 pm
Well, at least this tower of babel will be built a few miles down the road from the last. Personally, I find it hard to believe a world full of muslim people could justify their railing against the west when this is going on in their own backyard, by their own people (this is, after all a kingdom of united Arab royals). I was there during the Gulf War. We had to pick up some stuff and haul it back to Saudi Arabia. I thought it was cool at the time because they tolerate the consumption of alcohol.
February 20th, 2008 at 4:45 pm
[...] friends at TutzTutz just posted a great article with amazing photos of what theyre building over in Dubai these days. I looked a while back for [...]
February 20th, 2008 at 4:46 pm
I just linked you over from my site. These photos are incredible. Ive spend a ton of timing trying to pull them all together, but you’ve got ones I havent even seen yet.
Makes me wish I would win the lottery so I could (maybe) afford to spend an extended weekend over there.
February 20th, 2008 at 5:03 pm
This place looks amazing.
I especially love the whole palm tree islands.
I would definitely go there on vacation.
:]
February 20th, 2008 at 5:16 pm
The ignorance and underlying racism of these replies bother me.
One person hates on Dubai because its a desert and its hot. Perhaps they’re building all this so that they can get away from that?
Another person hates on Dubai because its making money from tourism. Don’t people have the right to prosperity?
Yet another person criticizes them on the basis that this is causing global warming. The UAE, which is where Dubai is located, accepted the Kyoto Protocol. The US did not.
Other people are expressing hate because Dubai has low tolerance for illegal drugs. They are illegal. Any non-corrupt, self-respecting nation will obviously not want illegal drugs being transported into their country.
Alot of people here seem annoyed that Dubai has money and is putting it into building their city. At least they’re not building bombs and weapons with their money to destroy the cities of other nations.
Sure, Dubai is a prosperous city and has a lot of luxury accommodations and such, but middle-class people also exist in Dubai and in the surrounding cities. It isn’t full of “slave driving Sultans”, and anyone that has been to Dubai, including myself, can tell you that the majority of the people there are actually foreigners, especially from Europe.
Is it really that hard for people to accept the prosperity of an Arab city?
February 20th, 2008 at 7:55 pm
[...] prove that the iPhone is worth it. 4. Mr. Hanson likes to talk about Dubai and so when I found this page I was read through it and it has some amazing picturesand shows the expansion of the worlds biggest [...]
February 20th, 2008 at 8:39 pm
Absurd. Dubai is built off of slave labor. what these photos do not show you, is the living facilities for all of these “construction workers”. they get paid horrible wages, work in completely unsafe conditions and ungodly hours. That’s what’s going on over there. This is meant to be a mecca for the sheiks, CEO’s and celebrates in the world. personally i hope people realize that Dubai is the definition of hypocrisy, all these world leaders and wealthy people speaking about change in the world, feeding the hungry and helping those truly in need, while they spend a vacation in the worlds most expensive/tallest/biggest hotel. blow the whole fucking thing up, the city and all those shameless enough to enter it.
February 20th, 2008 at 8:55 pm
I’d like to shag a few of these Dubai girls, they’re hot. Don’t you have better things to do than worry about Dubai? They’re just a bunch of rich (because of us clowns) Arabs, having fun at our expense. Buy a small car or bicycle.
February 20th, 2008 at 9:12 pm
I totally agree with samurai. There are far to many “close-minded” people in this country (U.S.) [the same people who might be thinking, why would he specify the U.S. aren't we the only ones on this site.]…idiots. Lets all just “assume” that just because they are in the “middle-east” they must be oil driven. Fact: The oil industry accounts for a whopping 5% of the revenue of Dubai… Look it up before you make stupid remarks. Then google JAFZA. Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority. It offers an economic zone with lucrative business and tax incentives to corporations. Dubai is a fast growing, centrally located, established major trade port, financial juggernaut… and oh yeah, the fact that we are talking about it and all its awesomeness is exactly what the royalty want us to do…think about it. It sure does make me want to go see. Tourism, it works (if you build it, they will come). I for one will be checking it out in a couple of years, as most of the construction will be done. All middle east countries are not oil mongers. Thats like people in other countries hearing George Duublya Bush speak and wondering if all Americans are mentally challenged.
February 20th, 2008 at 9:20 pm
+1 Smiz. Hypocrisy, greed, gluttony. On the backs of slave labor. If they are willing to throw all this mad cash at it, why still oppress the men and women creating it. Look underneath the surface boys and girls.
February 20th, 2008 at 9:23 pm
smitz - “blow the whole fucking thing up, the city and all those shameless enough to enter it.” The American way right? While you made a great point about the labor methods used (which I agree are at times awful), you lost all credibility with this moronic statement.
February 20th, 2008 at 9:25 pm
smiz…sorry
February 20th, 2008 at 10:09 pm
[...] They could have fed and housed all the homeless and hungry in the worl and still had enough left over to waste on similar bullshit. Posted in Alex’s Random Links | Trackback | del.icio.us | Top Of Page [...]
February 20th, 2008 at 11:51 pm
I think it looks like a fantastic place. I wouldn’t mind living there for a while. Certainly would be an experience.
February 20th, 2008 at 11:59 pm
One phuking nukee .. thats it .. lol
February 21st, 2008 at 12:21 am
A 43-year-old British man was imprisoned for 4 years after Dubai customs officials used highly sensitive screening equipment to detect 0.003g cannabis in the tread of his shoe. A trace amount of 3mg is invisible to the naked eye. The crucial point here is that it seems he simply had the misfortune of treading on the wrong piece of floor. Would you really risk it?
February 21st, 2008 at 5:08 am
Impresionante!!!!!!
February 21st, 2008 at 10:05 pm
Josh, it has nothing to do with being American. The truth is that the only way to get attention is to take physical action. I’m not saying blow it up because it’s in the middle east, I’m saying blow it up because it’s a physical summation of the decline of humanity. We’re past the point of words, I’m sorry to admit.
February 22nd, 2008 at 3:37 am
Ipressive and in a way beatiful. Personally, I’ve visited Dubai on more occasions and I’ve always felt welcome and cozy.
February 22nd, 2008 at 9:05 pm
Smiz, The truth is, I am a very respectful person. I respect your opinions and those of others included. We live in a world of a lot of negativity, hatred, jealousy, etc. and I try to be a positive person. Words are still a powerful tool and weapon. The reason I singled you out in my first response, was your stand against Dubai was based on more than ” If you have weed on you you can get busted dude… ” DUH! Your view had more substance,(basically slave labor). I understand, and have researched that as well. It is not something that I understand, but they are not the U.S. therefore have different Labor Laws than us. I understand that the labor laws have changed for the better over there, maybe not much but they have. Dubai is new to this, (note the first pic. is from 1990 and think about where we were in 1990 as opposed to Dubai) and naturally will have to work out the kinks. As far as the actual money that went into this… it is amazing how much else this money could have gone to. But the man wanted to build a city… a gaudy but architecturally brilliant city. My ma and pa always said” if you’re gonna go, go all out.” The man behind all this, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum (I know…its a mouthful, I copied and pasted.)he went all out and also spreads the love. In September 2007, he launched a campaign, Dubai Cares to raise money to educate 1 million children in poor countries. The campaign is Dubai’s contribution to the U.N. Millennium Development Goals for providing Children’s Primary Education to every child by 2015. The amount donated to this campaign has exceeded AED 240 million(Approximately US$ 65,573,770)six days after its launch. He isn’t just into making and spending money, he is into giving it away. My point of this whole thing is, you can find negative in anything, but it takes a lot of time and patience to stay positive.
February 23rd, 2008 at 2:25 am
One problem everyone seems to overlook and that’s the weather. In Summer, it’s impossible to last more than 5 minutes outdoors. I’ve lived there before, and I didn’t like it at all.
February 23rd, 2008 at 2:50 am
I would like to note that Josh has a really good point and it’s nice to see people trying to be positive.
Anyway, I have gone indoor skiing at the Emirates Mall in Dubai, and it was a lot of fun… There are things to do, but the negatives outnumber the positive in my opinion.
For example, Dubai is overcrowded. Traffic in the morning is insane, it takes you 3 hours to get to your work place. Sometimes it amazes me how there’s an accident everyday with all this traffic. :p
Another sad fact is that you can’t own a house or a business. If you want to run a business you need a local partner (Who usually lives off partnering with Foreigners without having an actual job himself.)
Censorship. You’re watching a movie, a scene in a bedroom with a couple talking while in bed… Well, the whole part is probably cut off, even when there’s no touching or kissing. You just miss part of the movie and it’s up to your imagination to make up what happened. I enjoy fighting. I try surfing the web looking for UFC results, but I end up with a page telling me that the content is blocked. I have been told that even MySpace is blocked, but that’s a little understandable with all those teenagers posing semi nude.
I am no drinker, but my friends that are, needed to have a license or had to go all the way to Ajman (Again, not sure about the spelling) to get alcohol because you can’t find them anywhere except in night clubs.
For me it wasn’t a good experience. I’m sure others might enjoy it, but Summer isn’t the best time to go. You just can’t breathe. The temperature alone isn’t the real problem. It’s the humidity that goes along with it. All indoor places are AC’d and the second you go out, you feel that you just ran out of air.
Everything felt so artificial and it felt like I was in prison.
February 26th, 2008 at 11:46 pm
and the world will end, and the world will end.
February 27th, 2008 at 4:24 pm
Accept it ..
is that beyond your understanding ..
this is the life cycle .. tops & downs
We are going up .. admit that or not
Dubai first & the whole Arab world follows ..
weather changes says it all .. Our Area is going to be Eden
February 27th, 2008 at 4:35 pm
Dubai …
a Utopian piece of heaven
Andulusian Proseperity in modern world
February 28th, 2008 at 8:50 am
Sea World just announced they are going to build 4 parks in Dubai.
February 28th, 2008 at 3:59 pm
In reference to the double standard on drugs. You guys are forgetting that whites are inherently better than arabs. We have better looking women, businesses that involve actual creativity instead of exploiting one high-demand natural resource, etc. Ever since the renaissance we have been beating you and beating you. 1492 Granada. Gradually beat the Ottomans in eastern Europe until their decline and explusionin the 19th century and their final collpase after WW1. Then we carved you up into little colonies. Then we let you go to exploit you economically. Have fun building up a city your own commoners can’t afford. You have a double standard for us because we like to have fun, we have one for you because you blow yourselves up on buildings. Can’t wait until we move past oil and you guys are back to cutting each other’s heads off in the desert.
February 28th, 2008 at 9:10 pm
As a ‘foreigner’ living in Dubai for the past 16 years, may I add :-
To clarify, Dubai is an emirate in the Gulf, that collectively along with 6 other emirates comprise the nation - United Arab Emirates. Dubai is not a country by itself - only an emirate ruled by Sheikh Mohammed.
Dubai, as per last estimates published in the local newspaper, Gulf News, has only a native (local) population of ~ 10%, the balance 90% being expatriates. Of this ~ 65% is South Asian (Indian, Pakistani). Western Expats comprise ~ 5%.
Dubai is not an ‘oil based’ economy but a trading economy. Dubai, in fact, had practically no oil. Dubai for decades has been the trading hub of the middle east, and almost everything coming into the Middle East passes thro Dubai. Dubai has exploited its close proximity to large consumer markets - Iran, Pakistan, hinderland of the Middle East, East Africa and made it’s fortunes from trading.
Now to the comments :-
- drugs & booze - well the min. penalty for possession or comsumption is 4 years - good for it!! - drug addicts - keep away. Again drinking is ‘controlled’ only in bars and you need a license to buy it from a liqueur store
- climate - Dubai is really hot around 4 months a year - but again ‘hot’ being a relative term. I’ve been in Spain, Greece, India etc and felt more uncomfortable - at least everything in Dubai is Air Conditioned.
- slave labor - in 16 years i’ve yet to see laborers in chains. The construction workers that come here, arrive of their own free will and they stay and work here - again of their own free will. Why do they do it - because, they are getting a better deal than what they have in their home country. Are labor rules and conditions upto ‘western standards’ - No!!, but again those arriving for work were never experiencing ‘western standards’. And guess what ? — you see them ‘returning’ to work in Dubai after going to their home countries for vacation. Slaves returning ??
- crowded - traffic - yes!!! very much However, this is seen in any fast growing city where the infrastructure is struggling to keep pace with the growth. However, the building boom, metro, tram network is expected to ease the problem
- Sponsorship - Expats have 2 options. Either start your business in a ‘free zone’ where you can have 100% ownership, or tie up with a local sponsor (licensee) and pay him a sponsorship fee (usually fixed) for using his license. Nothing different from paying tax every year to the Govt. Everywhere you pay corporate tax to the Govt - in Dubai, you pay sponsorship fee to the licensee.
- can’t own a house ?? Yes you can!!! in fact the building boom is fueled by purchases by foreigners.
February 29th, 2008 at 12:29 pm
[...] commemorate this odd day, I stumbled upon a link that details several of the crazy construction projects happening half-a-world away in Dubai. I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned Dubai a few years [...]
February 29th, 2008 at 11:00 pm
Err, Jose, I really hope you’re just amusing yourself by being a troll, because that was possibly the most ignorant statement I have ever heard (it’s currently wrestling with Larry King’s on-air question about the persistence monkeys). You seem to have missed the Crusades and their impact on European civilization- The Arabs were far ahead of Europe in many fields of knowledge. The Crusaders arrived, waged hypocritical war, committed acts of savagery that would make modern terrorists look like sheep, and in the end left with the inestimable prize of education.
March 1st, 2008 at 5:44 am
And when world peak oil is passed, and the price of air fuel doubles, it will be the largest and fanciest ghost town on the planet
March 3rd, 2008 at 5:49 am
[...] Cool link of the day: the incredible expanding Dubai. Yet we still haven’t rebuilt the World Trade [...]
March 3rd, 2008 at 6:37 am
This is the best argument I have seen for moving to alternate energy forms. If my hard earned dollar is going for this we definitely need to find other forms of energy.
March 3rd, 2008 at 11:42 am
yeh it’s crazy, i’ve lived here all my life, got to see it first hand, it’s crazy. but dubai is a great city to live in only problem is that when it comes to some hobbies/sports (magic TCG/paintball etc) there arent enough people it’s too sparse. also there are 8 construction workers for each expat resident approx :)
March 13th, 2008 at 9:53 am
And yet we still have people dying of hunger in Africa, Arabia(believe it or not there is alot of poor people) and yet what use are these buildings if a human is dying because of a single absence of a medicine or water supply.
Im a Muslim(Alhamdurillah) and this is not Islam, Dubai is designed for nothing but materialistic lovers which in essense is only a temporary thing.
I’d rather feed a hungry man (even if its only 1 I cannot afford) than having to builda city like Dubai.
Waste of human life, waste of resources and waste of money. These Arabs that own all this, if they are a true Muslim none will dare to spend their money on these except to help the needy and i guarantee all of you none of these people are geniune Muslims.
May Allah gave hidayet to them.
March 17th, 2008 at 5:46 am
I recently moved to Dubai. The place is really crazy. There is so much going on and everything is so artificial sometimes you wonder if there is anything real anymore. Nevertheless, once you are part of the system and able to deal with the problems that are faced by any modern city, and be able to afford what dubai has to offer, i think dubai is the place to be in the world. there is nowhere else i would rather be.
March 18th, 2008 at 11:30 am
By the comments of some Americans, it seems like someone should define the meaning of Jealousy. I love Dubai and happy for whatever work is being done there. You people just can’t stand some cities because of there prosperity and wealth. If they have money and resources, why not let them use whatever the way they want. Who the hell are we to comment on that. You guys should think of yourself and your country. Not whats happening into Arab world.
Keep one thing in mind, “They are Filthy Rich” and you can’t do anything about it.
March 21st, 2008 at 9:54 am
Hi everyone. My only hope is that they will support “Earth Hour” over there and help everyone solve the problem!
http://southshorenow.ca/blogs/carolyn/?p=41
March 23rd, 2008 at 7:50 pm
I’ll watch this city closely. I want to see what happens. I would be happy if I could visit that amusement park one day. I don’t want to go to jail for having a bit of dope on my shoe… I don’t think dope is that bad, but I don’t need it there. I just can’t help but worry I’ll have trace amounts on my feet. But maybe in a couple years things will loosen up enough I may venture in there and have a good time. Looser liquor laws too. That amusement park and mall look like a good time for sure though.
March 24th, 2008 at 3:56 pm
[...] thing that motivated me to play this classic game was Dubai: the what the fuck? new capital of the architectural world. More specifically, it was details of Dubai’s [...]
March 27th, 2008 at 1:28 pm
I think the problem with all the mudslinging here is not so much the American people themselves but rather semi-misplaced anger. The American Government started it’s life off as a republic(if you don’t believe me then say the pledge off f$ckin allegiance) and all was well. In the late 19th & early 20th century, things really started to take a turn. Republicans and Democrats were switching roles(Abraham Lincoln was republican and abolished slavery which a modern day republican would fight to keep). Then along comes a lot of war, which is always profitable to the right people, and laws created to help immigrants gain a foothold so they can make enough money to live in our country. I personally am all for that, however, I lose my ‘positive’ attitude when people take advantage of the system so that tighter rules need to been in place which limits the number of people who can participate, even if only for a short time. I urge all Americans to do some research and find out what is really going on in our own government and how it relates to the way our country was set up to run. If you look up the definition of a democratic government, “No universally accepted definition of ‘democracy’ exists”(WIKI) which makes it dynamic and maleable. Don’t hate Dubai for being rich and building it bigger, get your a$$ in school and learn how to make it bigger still, or better, more efficient. Also hate the american government for allowing people to take advantage of a system set in place to help people who need it and hate yourself for turning a blind eye to something that should be reported.
April 3rd, 2008 at 5:19 am
don,t worry it will come to an end soon.
sooner then you think,all it will take just an attack on Iran by U.S and ——–end of Dubai.Hmmm I wonder where will locals go?maybe to Europe
April 6th, 2008 at 9:00 am
Don’t forget it will be largest abandoned structure when the oil runs out (or fuelcells take over, whichever comes first).
April 16th, 2008 at 7:18 am
[...] Dubai – This is a cool post about the construction in Dubai. Other than perhaps the title it is a neat post. [...]
April 27th, 2008 at 5:52 pm
BEWARE! Dubai has detained many for just carrying prescriptions or cough syrup. Jail of up to four years!
The also will keep you for months EVEN if they found nothing, saying they are working on your paper work to have you released. Check your with your embassy BEFORE heading to Dubai.Trust me I found out the hard way!
May 6th, 2008 at 5:37 pm
I’ll agree there’s a good deal of excess here, but I can’t believe these jealous, racist, intolerant, bloodthirsty comments, from the armchair Nazi’s and generals on here.
It’s clear Dubai’s trying to reduced dependence on oil and shift it’s economy to tourism. As for highlighting social problems in someone elses country, take a good look at your own and make sure your own house is in order before you get on the high horse about someone elses.
Ok, so what is the US doing with their money? They dont build anything to be proud of anymore (that ISN’T a bomb, gun or other device of control and murder), they don’t even rebuild what they’ve got (ie, New Orleans).
Instead, they blow others things up. Disgusting.
May 6th, 2008 at 6:36 pm
American Idiots! I’ll bet most of you have not even left the shores of the country of your birth. Do you know that Dubai is at the forefront of building “green”? Leave it to the oil producer to be the first to cut their dependence on it. Obviously, they aren’t the fools. While the rest of you whine about how these A-rabs are all going to hell in a hand basket, you (I am sure mostly Americans) suck up the oil at $5 a gallon. Guess who is paying for the lavishness of Dubai? Those who will by left behind - the former superpower so full of itself that it never read the memo about what is going on in the rest of the world environmentally, technologically, socially and economically. Tata you knuckleheads… It’s not the dope on your shoe you should be worried about.
Oh, and be careful what you say. They hold the mortgage on your whole damned country! Just sayin…..
May 18th, 2008 at 5:37 pm
Excuse me? Aside from the fact this was first written in February…we don’t buy oil from Dubai. They are a wealthy and entrepreneurial society. They make money. They spend money. They can do anything they want to do with their money.
May 19th, 2008 at 6:23 pm
LOL @ terrorist, 99% of them are the terrorists :p
couldn’t recall but someone said that theres too much housing, and too few people, on the contrary, theres actually too little , dubai is just a city in the UAE, you should really get out of your cave, theres abu dhabi,Ajman and many many more in the Emirates evolving, Dubai just had a head start. And to whomever said theres not enough money.
The big oil is in Abu dhabi, and its calculated that they will still be extracting and exporting oil for the next 100 years at $200 000 000 profit per day and there foreign investments make much more than there oil, there is serious money in this country.Theres so much there that theres no income tax, no VAT because they don’t need the extra few cents, and if you are a Local and you marry a local you get a monthly salary of $3 USD, which doesnt seem to much but still giving every Emirati money for nothing., which, if you compare dubai’s quick uprising, you could see that it’s not going to stop there, theres also plans to go overboard in Abu Dhabi,
Other thing bout housing is, its very expesive but people make a shtload of money this side, and most companies provide housing in their contracts
Nuff said
June 1st, 2008 at 9:56 pm
Gotta say, as much as it pains me when filling up costs over $100, nice work Dubai. They’re actually creating something. This is what Riyadh could have been if not for the greedy royal family.
June 13th, 2008 at 3:23 am
No matter the religion or economy this place is still a desert, and look at a map nothing worthwhile for miles and miles. If I want to go to a beach there are far nicer ones in Europe, North and South America, Asia, here in Australia, and if I want to sit in the Air Conditioning I’ll do that at home. Tax Havens don’t produce wealth, and their market economy is still based on oil. If I wanna sit in the desert I’ll go to Las Vegas at least they have big fake American titties.
June 13th, 2008 at 3:30 am
ostentatious
June 13th, 2008 at 1:51 pm
They bury their culture under modern garbage, if i want a culture-less wasteland i’ll go to the states, Aussie is right at least they have barbie doll women.
June 16th, 2008 at 4:05 am
This is a land of opportunist mean people and they have managed to grow their economy because things around there country were never in peace
Our of most of the expatriates mostly are South Asian , Lebanese , Jordanian ( other Arabs ) etc
Dubai became Dubai because of BLACK ( illegal ) money ( money from mafia , underworld ,corrupt politicians ) from India and Pakistan
This money was routed and is still being routed to fuel in this unbelievable growth
The locals are rich because politicians in south Asia are corrupt and people prefer to work outside their homeland than in their own country
Another very important reason was decline of Beirut as financial hub for middle east due to war in Lebanon
Regarding situation and condition of work / living etc for labor it is worst than you can imagine , most of these people fall in pray by the “ agents “ in their own country and their passports are taken away by local companies in Dubai once they land here
They can make more money back home ( alteast these days ) for sure , Just for my American / European friends on an average
A Laborer gets about ONLY 165 USD a month for working outdoors -10 – 12 hours every day , even in summer when temperature is 50 degree Celsius
No insurance , no family , no bonus and most of the times they do not get paid for months and months
By they way you will never see them in main city of Dubai .They stay in their labor camps on out skirts of the city and are transported in NON AC busses every day in the morning and back to their accommodation in evening
I feel GOD in form ( no matter what religion ) does not exist for atleast these guys , It will be a mockery if you tell them they are free human beings who have right to live
It is very easy to sit and read this in you AC room with Pepsi and Hamburgers in Hand but it’s hard to live just one day of their life
As humans we have not developed too much for last thousands of years, Slavery still exists!!
Sadly, I guess this is the rule of jungle / sea where a Big fish will always eat small fish
June 16th, 2008 at 3:36 pm
fuck dubai! anyone interested in traveling to dubai be aware of their extreme drug laws. they will put you in jail for 4 years for posseing the smallest amount of narcotics, and even traces of drugs in your system is possession and will result in a helfty jail sentence. they will put you and your family through hell! trust me i know that for a fact. Even if you dont believe you are in possession of banned substances, it is likely they will set you up. The arresting officer recieves a reward for turning in “criminals” as an incentive and they take advantage of it. Dubai, beautiful city, too bad you may never get passed the airport. Just a warning.
June 24th, 2008 at 10:54 am
Wow. The Americans and the Arabs really don’t like each other.
Good thing I’m N.Irish. =P
Dubai looks absolutely fantastic. The before and after pictures literally had me staring slack-jawed at the screen. I hope global warming doesn’t wreck all those investments, because when it comes down to it, those businessmen have worked hard for their money.
Absolutely incredible place.
June 27th, 2008 at 10:55 am
This is really sad. Since the rise of oil prices most people are canning their travelling plans. Dubai will become a ghost town sooner than later and eco-tourists to REAL forests and REAL lakes and REAL islands will dominate. THink about it, in 20 years time what REAL thing will be left will be worth more than anything man made. Its harder to preserve nature than it is to have thousands of construction men creating man-made islands. Someday soon we will be going into a ‘dome’ to see a tree, and the governments will be charging us admission. Perhaps the first man-made nature conservatory will be created in Dubai, dome and all.
D-eveloped
U-nder
B-ad and
A-ffluent
I-ndividuals
June 29th, 2008 at 2:37 pm
look im a nigger and i cant wait to be eating my bananas while having some arab slut playing with my funky asshole
July 9th, 2008 at 7:44 am
bollocks to all you smelly sand niggers
July 17th, 2008 at 11:29 am
Its all because of no employee/human rights and available cheap labours.
Construction workers work here for 250$/M at 12 hours shift with MINIMUM 6 days a week. Mind you temp is usually 45+ in summer but who care because one die they bring 2 more.
If you see the labor residence here you won’t believe if these are humans or for animals. In Europe maybe Dogs & Cats live better life than labors here in UAE.
July 23rd, 2008 at 7:09 am
@Kish Khan
Your statement makes all above it irrelevant. This is the reality of Dubai, and its everything the world hates about America taken to absurd heights.
July 23rd, 2008 at 7:19 am
Kash Khan, apologies