Dubious Dubai

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/feature3/gallery1.html

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-dhabi-goes-solar/

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

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/travel/malaysia/
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y66/pusiva/KLCC.jpg

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-have-six-tall-towers.html
http://vinayworld.blogspot.com/2007/04/dubai-construction-and-upcoming.html
http://vinayworld.blogspot.com/2007/01/dubai-to-have-worlds-tallest.html
http://vinayworld.blogspot.com/2006/12/hydropolis-worlds-first-underwater_22.html
http://vinayworld.blogspot.com/2006/11/worlds-tallest-hotel-burj-al-arab.html

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?