Singing Pig

Tale of two cities: See the dazzle of Dubai, quiet of Muscat

DUBAI - At 5:30 a.m., even before the sun has come out over Jumeirah Beach on the Arabian Gulf, early risers are taking cooling dips in the jade-green water. The mercury already hovers above 30 degrees Celsius, portending another hot day where midday temperatures can soar as high as 40 degrees Celsius.
Joggers run on the fine white sand beach past a backdrop of the magnificent Burj Al Arab, the iconic Dubai hotel which, standing at 312 meters is the tallest hotel in the world, built on an artificial island about 300 meters offshore and connected to the land by a bridge.

Also on the beach at this early misty hour are several Pakistani workers collecting garbage and a specially equipped truck that evens out the coral sands, to create a postcard-perfect, untouched look.

Such is the meticulous care taken to keep Dubai, the second largest city of the United Arab Emirates that suddenly burst onto the world map during the last decade or so, spic-and-span. At Dubai Museum, located at Al Fahidi Fort, you can see how Dubai grew from a small trading and fishing port with a population of about 6,000 in 1950 into one of the most modern and cosmopolitan cities in the world today.

Of a total population of about 1.1 million, about 70 percent are expatriates with locals only accounting for 25 percent. Most of the expatriates are from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and the Philippines who press on, day and night, building the city.

And what constructions! The Dubai Marina, currently under development, is a spectacular sight to behold. This skeleton city comes to life at night when white lights light up its high rises and towering cranes, creating a Matrix-like landscape.

Development projects in Dubai are audacious, if not mind-boggling. The three Palm Island projects on the Arabian Gulf, artificial islands in the shape of a spread out palm tree that will feature resorts and residential properties, and The World project, 300 artificial islands that together look like a map of the world, are typical of Dubai projects: large-scale, expensive and wholly contrived.

Burj Dubai which will be the tallest tower in the world with 180 floors when completed in 2008, is being constructed at a pace of one floor per week by the Korean firm Samsung. The exact height of the building is being kept under a veil - rumor has it that by not disclosing the exact height, the developer can add on new floors should another building in the meantime beat its record height.

The Mall of the Emirates, part of the mammoth Dubailand project which will be eight times larger than Disneyland, according to Ali Bin Abdul Wahab, missions executive of Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, includes a 330 meter-long ski slope, scheduled to open later this month.

All these developments are aimed at promoting Dubai as a tourism destination and part of government efforts to diversify resources. With oil reserves that are expected to dwindle over the next few decades, the emirate of Dubai chose tourism to be its growth engine.

"Live Life Grand," extols a gigantic banner advertising residential spaces in a brand new residential building on Sheik Zayed Road, in the heart of Dubai.

And people here do know how to live it up. If it is the world's tallest or largest, it's likely to be in Dubai. By attracting the world's best with cash, Dubai has put itself on the world map: If the mesmerizing deserts and the pristine beaches are not enough to pull the crowds, Dubai will go to no end to create something spectacular to grab your attention.

In this very modern, vibrant city, it is still possible to experience something of the nomadic lifestyle. The desert safari at the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve involves driving into the desert for an hour in a four-wheel sports utility vehicle. The first thing our driver, Mohammad, a Syrian, does upon reaching the gates of the reserve is to deflate the tyres. "We get more traction this way. If we have too much air, the car will topple over," he explains.

Once Mohammad begins driving, it is clear what he means. Although the GM Yukon never goes faster than 45 km, driving on the edge of sand dunes, "skiing" down the slopes and climbing uphill is a wild rollercoaster ride.

The caravan of cars moves in convoys of three, with the most experienced driver leading the pack. Once in a while, a car gets stuck in the sand and the nearest car pulls it out.

Watching the sun go down in the desert is a unique experience. The setting red sun is reflected on the sand dunes, turning the whole desert into a landscape of dusty orange and pink rolling hills.

And then, darkness falls. "The temperature inside the desert at night is about six degrees lower," explains Mohammad. With the fine desert sand firm but yielding under barefeet, it is a perfect Arabian night: The crescent moon reveals silhouettes of endless sand dunes while a cool desert breeze breathes and absolute quiet descends.

The safari ends with a desert feast. Weary travelers are welcomed with a glass of Arabian coffee that is taken with sweet dates. A traditional Arabian barbecue follows and the night ends with a belly dancing performance and the smoking of sheesha or water pipes.

The next day, our group heads for Muscat, the Omani capital, some six hours drive away, in the 15-seat chartered bus. The scenery outside changes as we leave Dubai. The skyscrapers disappear and on either side of the six-lane highway are deserts. And then suddenly there are spatterings of green trees and shrubs. The sand here is darker and co****. About an hour into the journey, the gentle sand dunes give way to harsh-looking dark, jagged rock mountains as we approach the ancient fortress village of Hatta.

At the Omani border post at Al Wajajah, our passports are collected for stamping. When they are handed back, mine is given to our tour guide. It is not good Omani manners to have eye contact with a woman or to shake hands with one.

By the time we arrive in Muscat, more than three hours after the border crossing, it is evening. The difference between the very cosmopolitan Dubai and the old city of Muscat is striking. The city is nestled among rough rock mountain valleys so that right behind a low-rise white building stands a majestic mountain.

The morning reveals a spectacular view of the blue Gulf of Oman contrasting with the jagged, serrated mountains inland. The city is green, thanks to the efforts of Sultan Qoobos, who is very eco-conscious and intent on keeping his sultanate green and clean.

The date palm trees lining the streets are fed water via a black watering hose that runs the length of the street.

Unlike its neighbor, Dubai, Oman, a country with 5,000 years of history, has chosen to strike a balance between tradition and modernity. For now, Oman is taking things slowly.

Tahani, our guide, is a German woman who has converted to Islam and has been living in Oman for a year. Fed up with the ills of materialistic capitalist society, she says she has found peace in Oman. So much so, that next year she plans to marry a Bedouin and live in the desert.

Religion holds a central place in people's lives in Oman, as men are required to pray at a mosque five times a day. The Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque opened in 2001 is the largest mosque in Oman. Five minarets adorn the mosque that can hold more than 20,000 worshippers at once and has a separate prayer hall for women with a capacity of 750.

The main prayer hall is resplendent with a spectacular Swarovski crystal chandelier and ceramic floral patterned arches. The carpet in the main prayer hall is the largest in the world, measuring 70m by 60m. Some 600 Iranian women were employed to weave the carpet in 42 separate pieces, a task which took three years to complete. Once shipped in from Iran, it took another four months to put the pieces together into a single seamless-looking carpet.

On our way back to Dubai, we are joined in the bus by Michael, a Canadian, who has been living in Dubai for about a year. After several years in the Middle East, he is betting Dubai will make him rich. He plans to launch a yachting lifestyle magazine next year. When the Dubai Marina project is completed, Michael reckons the whole yachting scene will take off. "People are just loaded with money. They will take it up quickly," he says.

Dubai Metro, the ambitious light rail project that will cross the city, will handle 1.85 million travellers a day by 2020, according to a project official.

The fast-track project, which started work at the end of August, will be focused around two metro lines connecting strategic locations on Dubai. The first trains are scheduled to be in operation as early as summer 2008, according to Dr Abdelgarder Elshabani, Assistant Director General for Dubai Metro and Public transport Affairs.

In his opening speech at MEED’s 2nd Middle East Rail Project Conference in Dubai, Dr Elshabani said: “Dubai’s population is increasing at an average of 6 per cent a year – a figure that is due to increase. Meanwhile, visitor numbers to Dubai are set to skyrocket, Dubai would have ground to a halt if the transport challenge hadn’t been addressed quickly.

“In 1997 we looked at the infrastructure in Dubai and it became apparent that the fastest growing city in the world could no longer just rely of its road network to meet all its mobility demands. The light rail system will answer this need.”

The metro project is part of Dubai Municipality’s masterplan for an integrated transport system that will consider rail as part of a network including buses, water transport and cars. These will all work in conjunction to make sure that mobility demands are met efficiently.

“It is paramount for a project of this magnitude to be supported by policies that will generate the right environment for the new infrastructure to thrive,” said Dr Elshabani.

The two lines - named the red and green line - will be partly underground and partly raised above ground according to the best environmental fit. All stations will be ultra-modern and environmentally friendly and trains will include first class and women only sections, to ensure maximum appeal for passengers.

“In order to ensure that the Metro is right for Dubai, we have travelled to Europe and South East Asia to learn about other experiences and then adapt them to Dubai. In particular we borrowed best practices from London with the smartcard access concept and the automated driverless system from Paris.”

Dr. Elshabani also touched on the connection between infrastructure development and new real estate opportunities. “We are already seeing that the planned stops are attracting new real estate developments and we know their success will depend on ours.

Dubai Metro will be too little, too late!!  Traffic here is a major issue and is having a huge impact on quality of life.

A new development in Dubai Marina.  It is part owned by Vinny Jones (footballer) and Frankie Dettori. Pretty good location in Dubai Marina 

 

• Plot Number 9H

 

• Very big apartments – 1 beds from 854 sq ft – 1097 sq ft / 2 beds from 1404sq ft – 1671 sq ft / 3 beds from 2084 sq ft  Very cheap prices!!!!!!!

 

• Park on one side of it, Marina in front, nothing at back, therefore many apartments with good views

 

• Extras like plasma screens in units

 

• Can re-sell at any time.

Anybody want more detail contact me on arfanl@dubailuxuryhomes.com and I can send you a PDF on the the development. Anybody with any sort of property enquiries including getting finance please contact me.

HSBC Dubai has signalled a more aggressive approach to the Dubai mortgage market with the launch of the Flexi-Home Loan with interest rates from 6% on up to 80% of the market value of a property. Customers can repay any amount at anytime without penalty and later decide to borrow more again. Existing Dubai mortgage holders can remortgage for a negotiable fee.

Post Edited (yellow_bird) : 10/4/2005 11:26:51 AM GMT

Donald Trump and Nakheel join forces

Nakheel, the UAE's premier property developer, and The Trump Organization have entered into an exclusive joint venture to develop extensive real estate offerings throughout the Middle East.

The largest privately held company in New York, the Trump Organization is one of the world's leading real estate developers, with an estimated revenue of US $10.4 billion in 2004, and 22,000 employees. The Trump Organization has an extensive portfolio of properties including the renowned Fifth Avenue skyscraper, Trump Tower, luxury residential buildings Trump Palace - the tallest building on Manhattan's East Side - and The Trump International Hotel and Tower in New York, which is one of only three hotels in the USA to have received a double Mobil Five-Star rating for both the hotel and its restaurant Jean-Georges. Donald Trump, the company's Chairman and President, is recognised as one of the world's most successful businessmen and real estate developers, as well as developing and starring in the number 1 hit TV show The Apprentice.

Working in partnership with Nakheel, The Trump Organization's first developments will take place on Nakheel's signature development The Palm, Jumeirah. Following on from the successes of New York's The Trump International Hotel and Tower, the Condé Naste Traveller "Hotel of the Year 2004", the first project to be developed will be The Palm Trump International Hotel and Tower. It will provide a spectacular luxury centerpiece hotel on The Golden Mile - the exclusive residential and retail boulevard on the trunk of The Palm, Jumeirah. In addition to The Palm, The Trump Organisation will also be launching a development on Nakheel's other signature development, The World.

In total 17 names and brands have been secured, including The Trump Plaza and Marina Residences, Residences at Trump Tower and Trump World Tower. The Trump Organisation, as well as investing in the projects, will co-ordinate all sales, operate the hotels and manage each real estate development, as well as offering their unique concierge service Trump Touch.

Donald Trump said, 'We anticipate a long-term relationship between The Trump Organization and Nakheel that will involve direct investment, sales and marketing, and management.'

Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Executive Chairman, Nakheel, commented, 'The Trump signature brand is synonymous with the most prestigious properties in the world, and we embrace his interest in working together. This is the first time that The Trump Organization has invested in real estate development in the Middle East. This illustrates the present level of confidence in both Dubai and Nakheel's developments. We look forward to working with The Trump Organization - a world class operation who shares our commitment to excellence."

Donald Trump commented, 'The partnership with Nakheel represents an unprecedented mega-opportunity for us with the increasing popularity of the Trump brand on a global basis. Dubai has proven to be an economic anchor, an engine for growth and tourism in the Middle East. We have found a partner in Nakheel that shares with us the importance of vision and providing the highest quality in every undertaking.'

Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem added, "The Palm, Jumeirah has been an international success with buyers from more than 70 countries and extensive global coverage. The existing residential components on The Palm, Jumeirah, including hotels, condominiums, villas and townhouses, have already sold out. The Trump properties and others will offer additional opportunities for investment in the region's fastest growing tourist destination."

Mr. Trump negotiated the transaction with Mr. Bin Sulayem, assisted by Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump.

With 14 major developments in its portfolio, Nakheel, the Middle East's premier property developer, is a key player in building H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum's vision of Dubai: creating a world class destination for business and tourism.

yellow bird your information is invalueable, keep up the good work.

i have bought nine properties in dubai last year due to be ready in 2006 and am very confident of the market conditions at the moment

cheers

Works on Ski Dubai (http://www.skidxb.com/) - the first in-door ski resort in the Middle East - are well progressing. Construction works began two years ago. These are the first images published on the Internet of the inside of Ski Dubai !