The Universe in the centre of Dubai

by Abha Malpani on

As if building islands in the shape of the world weren’t enough, Dubai has just announced the construction of islands representing the Universe. The islands will take the shape of the sun, moon, planets and other elements of the solar system.

Most new projects in Dubai sound wow, and most of the times they are. But when they are not, they are totally not, like this Universe project for example. Look at the picture and tell me which part of the islands are supposed to be the Universe.

Clueless? Confused? So was I. It’s the section in the middle-right, between the two Palm Islands, surrounding the islands that form The World. From which angle does this look like the Universe?

I had to laugh when I read that Dubai has been dubbed “Donald Trump on Acid.” The problem with all this crazy construction in the city is that Dubai doesn’t know when to stop. Oh well.

Dubai shuts down for Bush visit

by Abha Malpani on

It has been declared a public holiday in Dubai tomorrow because of Bush’s visit. The notice people get? Not even 24-hours. All private and public sectors will be closed, and so will all the main roads. In other words, doing anything tomorrow will either be painful, or impossible.

Dubai abruptly declared dysfunctional like this for a day, is an example of how your life can be thrown into unpredictable pandemonium if you live in the city.

I can imagine the situation in my office had I still been working there: some people rejoicing as others curse their way out of frustration. All major events or even personal plans for tomorrow need to be canceled immediately and rearranged: conferences, meetings, press-events, lunch at Gran’s, a visit to the zoo. You really learn to “go with the flow” in Dubai where you have no other option.

Can you imagine this in any other country? I think not. Sure, it’s Dubai’s way of maximizing security for a presidential visit, but Bush’s visit has been in the schedule for a while and I don’t understand why the city couldn’t have pre-planned this. French President Sarkozy is supposed to visit Dubai on Tuesday; will that mean another public holiday? I think Dubai should have just declared the entire week off. Easier for everyone, don’t you think?

Mini-Lyon to be built in Dubai. Sigh.

by Abha Malpani on

The fact that I left Dubai and continually seem to be ranting about the city here might make you think I hate it. Truth is, I don’t. I’ve just had enough of it, and would never want to live there again. The city does have its own charm, something I will write about when I’m inspired to. However, the idea of building a mini-Lyon in Dubai isn’t part of it.

You would think that a city that is hardly 40-years old and has no money issues, would put in some effort to nurture and display to the world a culture it can call its own. But it always takes pride in doing the exact opposite.

Dubai is a strange, though fascinating, concoction of everything it isn’t but wants to be. This is why people like me who have spent a significant amount of time there often perceive its new ventures to keep the city in the world’s limelight as superficial ludicrousness.

The project to build a mini-Lyon in Dubai that will copy the city and even reconstruct the cafes, cinemas and schools, will be a €500 million project due to finish in 2012.
Why do you want a mini-Lyon in Dubai? It’s going to be “a small city with the accent on the best of French culture, and particularly Lyon culture.” Lyon is the 3rd largest metropolitan in France with a history that goes back to the 1st Century BC. This is impossible to imitate to any level of significance in 4 years.

Why doesn’t Dubai understand that copying cities and building “only-possible-in-Dubai” structures and islands, creates nothing but a confusion over the very word ‘culture’. I suppose in Dubai they would call it “redefining culture”.

When Dubai plans things like this, I think it just reinforces the cultural crisis it is in, but will never admit. It probably won’t affect its tourism industry, so I guess it doesn’t matter. Sigh.

Dubai Shopping Nightmare 2008

by Abha Malpani on

By now, you all must be familiar with the Dubai Shopping Festival. In its 12th year running (this year January 24-February 24), for the world it is a shopping wet-dream; the height of splurge — justified because it’s “the best bargain on the planet”; a gold-lover’s paradise; unlimited opportunities to win multiple cars, money and kilos of gold. But, for people who live in Dubai, it is hell.

I lived in Dubai from 1998-2006, and I hated the festival. Everything that stands on the road is lit up: lamp-posts, trees, buildings, bridges, bushes, gas stations, restaurants, shops — all have lights twirled around them; stand still for more than 5 minutes and odds are that you will be wrapped in lights too. It’s so illuminated, you need sunglasses at night.

Dubai probably has the worst traffic in the world: it would take me 45 minutes to drive to work on a normal morning; my office was only 7km from my house. It worsens during the festival as people from neighboring cities and countries drive in. Going anywhere is self-inflicted pain. To add to the chaos, the metro is under construction and half of Dubai’s roads are dug up, already causing havoc on the roads. I don’t even want to think about the what the festival traffic mess will be like this year.
The population of Dubai is about 1.25 million; in 2005, 3.3 million people visited Dubai during the festival month. And where do all these people go? To the malls to shop. DUH!

Shopping during the festival is punishment that begins the minute you head in direction of a mall: the traffic, the lines to park (most malls have at least 10-levels of parking but it’s impossible to find a spot quickly), and once you get in, don’t be surprised if you are part of a stampede waiting to happen. As for the shops, the prices are hiked pre-event, so come festival and the offers seem like a super-bargain. Not true. Also, shops often use the festival to get rid of old stock.

There are fun fairs on some of the main streets which means Disneyland type music blaring and a gazillion people walking around. The Global Village takes the fair concept to a different level as it promises a flavor of every country in the world. Although excellently marketed, it is a total anti-climax once you get there. Very little is authentic; most of the stuff is commercial and expensive. It is a rip-off and very crowded, so in general it magnifies the annoyance value of fun fairs.

And lastly: every night, for the whole month, at 8pm there is a 20 minute, non-stop, eardrum bursting firework display. It’s just about tolerable the first week, but after that you really want to hunt down and kill the person who invented firecrackers.

I suffered a serious and extended bout of migraine when one year it was canceled and the following year they decided to make up for it by having it for two months rather than one.

In conclusion: keep in mind that only a city like Dubai can pull something off like this with such audaciously ludicrous opulence (this year you can win 2 Lexus’s and up to US$205,000 EVERYDAY). Like the city, it’s worth visiting for amusement value.

No man is an island, but some build them

by Aaron Hotfelder on

Citing concerns regarding overcrowding and rising sea levels, the Dutch Parliament recently announced it is seeking to build a tulip-shaped island in the North Sea, just off the country’s coast. (Check out Brett’s post on that subject here). Artificial islands have already been constructed in places throughout the world, with probably the most famous being the Palm Islands in Dubai. This all seems to beg the question, just how do you build an island?

Samantha Henig, Slate’s resident Explainer, has posted an informative video answering just that question. Apparently, dumping large amounts of sand and gravel into the ocean is a good place to start.

Of course, there’s always the method that Richie Sowa employed in constructing his Spiral Island off the Mexican coast– round up 250,000 plastic bottles and simply float. Come to think of it, anyone wanting to build their own island might be better sticking with the sand and gravel method– Spiral Island was destroyed by a hurricane in 2005.