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| Dec 14 2006, 4:28 PM EST (current) | Patty | 1 photo added |
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city guides
by Marcus WebbJune 2005
A glittering oasis of wealth, influence and indulgence
(And the Burj Al Arab ain't bad either.)
The age of pearling and black gold is long over, and now international media ventures and Dubaian dotcoms fill the city's coffers.
For all its seven-star hotels, gargantuan malls and man-made islands visible from space, the most startling thing about Dubai is its age, or lack of it. Circa 1970, the city was little more than a sand pit—there was no official flag, no roads to speak of, very few buildings (let alone anything over 50 floors) and certainly no tourists. But since the formation of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 1971, this piece of scrubby desert on the Arabian Gulf has been transformed into one of the world’s richest and fastest-growing economies.Boasting the cockiness that comes with youth, the trade-driven city continues to develop at a breakneck pace, and a citywide army of cranes keeps the skyline in constant flux. New hotels, office blocks and residential areas are thrown up almost overnight and yet are still unable to sate the waves of tourists and expat workers that continue to flood into town.
Capitalizing on its unique location as the crossroads between Asia, Europe and Africa, Dubai has grabbed the position of trade, commercial and financial hub for the region. On the outskirts of the troubled Middle East—Iran and Saudi Arabia are near neighbors—Dubai is an oasis of stability. Free from political upheaval, the city actively courts the world’s businesses through cluster concepts. Services zones such as Dubai Media City, Dubai Internet City and the Knowledge Village offer tax breaks and 100 percent ownership (outside of the free zones, businesses need a local partner). The age of pearling and black gold is long over, and now international media ventures and Dubaian dotcoms fill the city’s coffers.
The wooing of the tourist dollar has been just as aggressive and even more successful. Despite lacking any deep-rooted public culture or heritage and suffering from overpowering heat and humidity during the summer months of May through September, the city attracted more than five million visitors last year and plans to double that number by 2010. Its success lies in appealing to the basics: sun, sea and shopping, with lavish creature comforts on offer at every turn. Immaculate five-star hotels with white-sand beaches line the coast of Jumeirah, more than 30 shopping malls satisfy retail therapists, and the annual Dubai Shopping Festival in January and February brings in an average of 2.6 million spenders who leave some US$2.5 billion lighter. Add to that a liberated and bustling entertainment scene and top-notch cuisine, and the appeal becomes evident.
An astoundingly safe city, Dubai is all but free of crime, and there has been no reported terrorist activity. Police are armed and can often be seen patrolling the roads in well-marked cars,but spend the majority of time dealing with traffic offenses. The police headquarters (941 4 269 4848) is based opposite Al Mullah Plaza in Deira. In case of an emergency, dial 999 for police, 998 for ambulance or 997 for the fire brigade.
How long can Dubai’s growth continue? Doom mongerers talk of bubbles popping and white elephants being exposed, but the truth is that Dubai, Inc., is working and looks set for a gloriously profitable future. The city’s PR machine has generated such a global buzz that travelers who would never have previously considered a Middle Eastern winter break are now flocking to the City of Gold in droves. The full occupancy of many hotels and the increasingly jammed-up status of Dubai’s road system testify to a city running at 110 percent.
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Inside the Dubai Guide
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