# Dubai future:world class or just another city??



## shibuya_suki (Apr 24, 2005)

it is really interested some people said chicago is less famous than dubai
dubai is really world class,why no body knows? who no magazine said its world class? *why times magazine rather said third world city like shanghai more likely to become world capital rather than dubai??*

khouri:
As you said i can not represent the comment of other people,so i welcome othaer people to judge how city which is called dubai is......that why i open this thread 
i never said i turnes my image of dubai,in fact ,i have been dubai two times
i can say its fun,but any world class city fun than dubai by far.this city was really clean modern,and not to mentioned fast development speed(but isnt the same level of of shanghai),*since i have seen so many ignorant post i have seen in entire SSC from some people,i started to think this city has so many ignorant people ,thats it*


----------



## AltinD (Jul 15, 2004)

IJKT123 said:


> including sleep with you?? :drool:


Don't be ignorant. How can you judge in that way a sincere welcoming hospitality. 

Becouse western world has become a jungle of misstrust and personal glorification, that doesn't mean elswhere in the world, the simpliest and traditional form of hospitality and respect for the guests and visitors is eradicated. 

No wonder why Europe and North America have the WORST level of customer service everywhere you go.

:weirdo: :weirdo:


----------



## dubaiflo (Jan 3, 2005)

lol
a funny thread afterall.

The future. if you say the future is 2020, then dubai will be a worldclass city.
i just think of people who said: "Burj Dubai will never be built. this is fake." or "The palm will never be built" ... well everything is UC and going pretty well.

Dubai is not a city like las vegas, it is not made "for fun" but for reaching a top level in the world. both tourism and economy. 


I think this is a good possibility to post this one again:




dubaiflo said:


> My new strategy to teach people about dubai in those stupid city vs. city threads.
> i will just post the following in every single one of those:
> 
> 
> ...




i don't want to offend anyone. but you should really try to understand the vision of dubai and the way the city tries to become a global player.


----------



## pottebaum (Sep 11, 2004)

It depends on your definition of 'world class'.


----------



## dubaiflo (Jan 3, 2005)

oh right i forgot that .of course it does as well as the definiton of "future" .
but imo both are no words which can be definded in a proper way.


----------



## I-275westcoastfl (Feb 15, 2005)

Its just another city ask any average person in europe, america, or some where a considerable distance from dubai i never heard of dubai until early this year from this site i think. And i still dont think Burj Dubai is going to be as tall as they say i think its a media scam to get publicity and will until it reaches 1200ft


----------



## eastman (Feb 16, 2005)

dubai and world class??? dubai may build world class buildings but its not enough to make a city world class...what have dubai done for being a world class city? construction?


----------



## dubaiflo (Jan 3, 2005)

it is a world class tourism destination, for example. 
and a over regional business hub.
and burj dubai will be that tall. and you will be the one who will say, oh i always said it will be 800m.
i know that dubai is not that famous all over the world, but it has started to become with burj al arab, will be even more with the palms, and even more with dubailand and burj dubai... we are talking abt future here.


----------



## HKT (May 17, 2003)

dubaiflo said:


> lol
> a funny thread afterall.
> 
> The future. if you say the future is 2020, then dubai will be a worldclass city.
> ...



Yes, I can see Dubai being world class and their visions/projects/plans will be successful in the future.


----------



## 12231989 (Jun 29, 2005)

How fast is the population auctualy growing ? What will its population even be in 2020 ? What about when the oil runs out their ecomony is going to crash because all of there money in that country comes from oil.


----------



## VansTripp (Sep 29, 2004)

Chad said:


> Dubai?...-"Another" world class city-....


I agree


----------



## hngcm (Sep 17, 2002)

eastman said:


> dubai and world class??? dubai may build world class buildings but its not enough to make a city world class...what have dubai done for being a world class city? construction?


Agreed.

Just another city.


----------



## VansTripp (Sep 29, 2004)

Everyone need agree with Chad :|


----------



## xantarc (Jul 19, 2005)

Dubai has worst climate and surrounded by third world countries.

I'd say it can become a world city, doubtfully.


----------



## VansTripp (Sep 29, 2004)

xantarc said:


> Dubai has worst climate and surrounded by third world countries.
> 
> I'd say it can become a world city, doubtfully.


u must kidding :bash: 

Dubai has great climate but careless about hot and dry.


----------



## colombian_girl (Jun 14, 2005)

las vegas from the middle east
I doubt Dubai will become a major world city like london or NYC


----------



## 1st Division Marine (Nov 29, 2004)

world class i reacon.


----------



## dubaiflo (Jan 3, 2005)

12231989 said:


> How fast is the population auctualy growing ? What will its population even be in 2020 ? What about when the oil runs out their ecomony is going to crash because all of there money in that country comes from oil.


the aim is about 2.5-3.5m in 2010 and more than 5m in 2020 for sure.

the oil is not important to the economy for the 100000th time. 
it is 8 % of the GDP and this rate decreases every year.
nevertheless oil will not run out before about 2050 i think it was.
btw dubai is a city, not a country. dubai is an emirate of the United Arab Emirates.



xantarc said:


> Dubai has worst climate and surrounded by third world countries.
> I'd say it can become a world city, doubtfully.


i think most people want to live in a city where the sun shines 360 days a year, with only 2-3 months where it might be too hot.

if you consider bahrain, quatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman third class countries....


----------



## Muffin (Feb 8, 2005)

I think Dubai has a shot. The Arab world needs a main business location, and Dubai could very well serve that role. The two main contenders I see for being a central hub in the Middle East are Beirut and Dubai (I'm actually writing from Beirut, I'm here for my summer vacation.) Beirut mainly because it was so important in the 60's, and almost everyone here speaks English and French. Also, the fact that it's a democratic country and has the largest percentage of Christians in the Middle East is comforting to Westerners who incresingly see a schism the Muslim world and the West. Already a lot of Gulf Arabs have been pumping money back into Lebanon because it's sophisticated (thanks to French rule) and relatively loose. It seems like a good meeting place.

However, the political situation is not stable. The bomb that went off a couple nights ago was only about a block away from the restaurant I was in. Lots of artists cancelled for the Byblos festival, and tourism this summer has slowed. I think if the political situation calms down, Beirut could be the international hub of the Middle East, but until it does, I think Dubai has the edge because it's trying to be so progressive and attract business.

The Arab world is too large to ignore, and if there's a place where the nations can get together, then I definitely think you'll find there's a world class city. If Dubai can do that, more power to it. The key is that it can't rely solely on foreigners, or terrorists will bomb it, like they did with Sharm El-Sheikh, and drive the foreigners away. If that happens then I think Dubai will collapse.

It can go either way.


----------



## samsonyuen (Sep 23, 2003)

I'd say, based on your arguements, that Beirut seems more likely to become world-class first. Isn't Doha, Qatar, trying to do a "Dubai" also?


----------



## dubaiflo (Jan 3, 2005)

all these cities try to acchieve higher aims, nevertheless dubai has already gone quite far and the advantage of being a world class tourism destionation and regional business hub today.


----------



## LA1 (Sep 12, 2002)

brooklynprospect said:


> You're mom lives in America, right? I wouldn't be surprised if in many parts of the world, Dubai is more famous than Chicago (which doesn't get much attention outside of America or even inside, for its size).
> 
> As for taking 3 centuries, look at LA. It was a small town 130 years ago. Look at Hong Kong. It's big boom happened after WWII, as it took Shanghai's place.


Wg


----------



## luv2bebrown (Nov 4, 2004)

dubai = definitely world class

i was an arm's length away from Naomi Campbell the other day at the Peppermint Lounge in the Fairmont.


----------



## AltinD (Jul 15, 2004)

samsonyuen said:


> I'd say, based on your arguements, that Beirut seems more likely to become world-class first.


Lebanon has a foreign debt of 20 billion Dollars!!! 

Beirut lost his chance more then 30 years ago when the people decided that sectarian differences were more important then the unity and prosperity of the country.


----------



## VansTripp (Sep 29, 2004)

colombian_girl said:


> las vegas from the middle east
> I doubt Dubai will become a major world city like london or NYC


Oh please... LV is in west of USA. :rofl:


----------



## malec (Apr 17, 2005)

LA Lover said:


> Oh please... LV is in west of USA. :rofl:


What she said was that Dubai will be the Las Vegas equivalent of the middle east


----------



## Hed Kandi (Aug 29, 2004)

Dubai will be just an other world class city.


----------



## andrea_despentes (Apr 28, 2005)

yesterday Dubay was = absolutely nothing

today Dubay is = a wannabe metropolis

tomorrow Dubay will be = the epytome of urban failure


----------



## hngcm (Sep 17, 2002)

^^ likely to happen


----------



## london-b (Jul 31, 2004)

Maby in 300 years  Sorry I ment 3000, once again I apologise.....


----------



## ChicagoSkyline (Feb 24, 2005)

Just another city, what's the rush Dubai?
Most of the world city don't just jump to it in a century, it takes history to built that foundation. Maybe in 50 years, we will start to reconize Dubai is a great candidate!


----------



## dubaiflo (Jan 3, 2005)

you will do earlier...believe me.


----------



## AltinD (Jul 15, 2004)

ChicagoSkyline said:


> Just another city, what's the rush Dubai?
> *Most of the world city don't just jump to it in a century, it takes history to built that foundation*. Maybe in 50 years, we will start to reconize Dubai is a great candidate!


You lives also in *Miami*, right?


----------



## crazyeight (Dec 18, 2004)

Yeah, it's a shame how beirut lost it's chance..hope it becomes a world class city some day. Dubai isn't bad, just give it a chance and see what happens.


----------



## staff (Oct 23, 2004)

World class? Is this some kind of joke? Dubai will remain the "Disney Land" it is today. World importance equals zero.


----------



## DARKNIGHT (Jun 26, 2005)

staff said:


> World class? Is this some kind of joke? Dubai will remain the "Disney Land" it is today. World importance equals zero.


 :wtf: 

PPL'S IGNORANCE OF DUBAI NEVER STOPS :bash: ...this individual obviously knows nothing about Dubai other than their construction projects.


----------



## AltinD (Jul 15, 2004)

staff said:


> World class? Is this some kind of joke? Dubai will remain the "Disney Land" it is today. World importance equals zero.


I wouldn't be surprised if more Chinese live in Dubai then in entire Scandinavia, let alone Sweden.


----------



## pottebaum (Sep 11, 2004)

Well, Dubai's chances of becoming a world class city(although *not* on the same level as the big four) are completely reliant on the stability and economic prosperity of the Middle East--whether that's encouraging or not, you decide. 

Although, even then, its importance will likely be shared with the economic capitals of other Middle Eastern countries that account for this supposed growth in the region. Being the most vibrant city in a country of around 4 million isn't going to cut it.


----------



## london-b (Jul 31, 2004)

Dubai is so desperate to become a tourist Mecca because there oil is running out all they now do is build stuff like the biggest shopping mall in the world and the tallest building. This is why it's a fake city because most of the world cities in the world have became great over time because of the great people who live there and it's organic growth, Dubai has forgotten this and this will lead to it's downfall. Remember Dubai biggest is not always best!


----------



## AltinD (Jul 15, 2004)

london-b said:


> Remember Dubai biggest is not always best!



What if it is biggest AND the best at the same time. Dubai can afford to build both, becouse they don't build them with taxpayers money.


----------



## london-b (Jul 31, 2004)

AltinD said:


> What if it is biggest AND the best at the same time. Dubai can afford to build both, becouse they don't build them with taxpayers money.


Well that would be great if Dubai could build the biggest and the best things, but it does make the city a bit of a show off which isn't bad but if it does it too much people will be fed up with it. I don't think the big things being built in Dubai will be the best in the world, a good standard but not the best.


----------



## dubaiflo (Jan 3, 2005)

the thing is that because of building the best , tallest, biggest, people become curious about the city, and it becomes more famous.
it has started with with BAA, then the palm, now Burj Dubai, and in the future maybe Dubailand.


----------



## dubaiflo (Jan 3, 2005)

london-b said:


> This is why it's a fake city because most of the world cities in the world have became great over time because of the great people who live there



fake city. this word pisses me off. you have no idea man.

and i am sure every inhabitant of Dubai would say HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum or his father, grandfather etc are "great people" , if not the greatest.


----------



## AltinD (Jul 15, 2004)

london-b said:


> Well that would be great if Dubai could build the biggest and the best things, but it does make the city a bit of a show off which isn't bad but if it does it too much people will be fed up with it. I don't think the big things being built in Dubai will be the best in the world, a good standard but not the best.


None of the big projects (build, u/c or proposed) has mediocrity as part of their philosophy and that is what makes us or the people who visit, so passionate about it.

I visited my brother living what is considered the best North American metropol and the mediocrity clearly visible everywhere, in both old and new, was what caused daily arguing with him.


----------



## elliot (Dec 19, 2003)

I think most forumers who call Dubai fake are only aware of the "new" Dubai which arguably is prefabricated on a huge scale.

As for the thread topic, most people in the world couldn't even tell you where Dubai is... pretty good barometer of "world class" aspirations. 

As for human rights abuses, well suffice to say those don't remotely help Dubai's case.


----------



## london-b (Jul 31, 2004)

dubaiflo said:


> fake city. this word pisses me off. you have no idea man.
> 
> and i am sure every inhabitant of Dubai would say HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum or his father, grandfather etc are "great people" , if not the greatest.


Sorry I used the word fake, I meant it's a different approach to building cities, I could of used a better word and I do apologies  And I’m sure Dubai has great people, every city does but some have a different spirit to others if you know what I mean.


----------



## PeterSmith (Jul 6, 2005)

I think Dubai will become a worldclass city in the future. It's in such a great location and the fact that it is a major airport hub will draw business there. In my opinion, I think Dubai will resemble Singapore in the future. As a city - major, but the country is too small to make it one of the top cities in the world.


----------



## malec (Apr 17, 2005)

I'd say somewhere along the lines of Singapore too. That's what they're aiming for I think.
What does everyone mean by world class though? To stand alongside the big 4 or just a city that is internationally important for something. If it's the 2nd then I say yes.
If by world class you mean as great as Tokyo, NYC, etc, then I say no.


----------



## great prairie (Jul 18, 2005)

just another city with alot of money


----------



## Klugermann (May 7, 2005)

just another city


----------



## willo (Jan 3, 2005)

just another. they have to improve in human rights issues


----------



## AltinD (Jul 15, 2004)

Dubai is more important to the world, comercially and logistically, than you guys will EVER imagine, even now.

And yes, Singapore model is what they have followed most in the last 2 - 3 decades.


----------



## pottebaum (Sep 11, 2004)

^As far as importance, which cities do you think Dubai is on par with? Then explain why.


----------



## wjfox (Nov 1, 2002)

I admire the many projects going up in Dubai, but it's far from being a "world class city."


----------



## dubaiflo (Jan 3, 2005)

pottebaum said:


> ^As far as importance, which cities do you think Dubai is on par with? Then explain why.


don't know. maybe manchester or frankfurt...
it is hard cause dubai is both business and tourists, and both at a very high scale.
jebel ali free zone is home of 100s regional HQ as well as media and internet city.
Dubai ports are some of the biggest in the world.


----------



## npinguy (Apr 15, 2004)

don't get me wrong.

i orgasm every time i see the projects that are proposed/UC/and already built in Dubai. They're incredible.


But you need a lot more than a bunch of tall buildings to be a "world city"


population,history,culture,uniquness,individuality, being the BESt at something major comapred to other cities.

And not only that but..........everybody must KNOW about these things. Every world city has mental images people associate with them. And it's not just based on their skyline or buildings but all the other stuff I mentioned. What does Dubai have? A sweet skyline and.............mistreatment of women? I don't know.


All you forumers from Dubai - I know you have pride in your town, but you need to be more realistic. Being in the same category as Frankfurt or Manchester or Berlin is impressive enough. There is no way you can strive to match London, Paris, New York, Hong Kong, or even Sydney, Shanghai, Toronto, Chicago, or San Francisco.


----------



## wjfox (Nov 1, 2002)

^ 100% agreement. Good post.


----------



## Zaki (Apr 16, 2005)

I think dubai has a good chance of being worldclass, ofcourse not NYC, London, Tokyo, or HK but Toronto or Sydney. Most people keep saying that dubai is just buildings but if you actually go there you realize what it has. It too has historic buildings, just becuase they dont look european does not mean that they aren't historic. Its population is 4 million and growing. Its preety much the only free economic zone in the middle east so unique in that sense. Theres a lot more that a lot of people in ssc or the west dont know about dubai that doesnt have to do with constrution. Btw its interesting to see how most of the people saying that dubai will now be a worldclass city are americans who ON AVERAGE have a tendency to ignore preety much everything but themselves.


----------



## scorpion (Sep 14, 2002)

Dubai is a 21st century phenomenon, well-worth paying attention to 

i find its surreal mix of global business and tourist/pleasure/resort within a photogenic desert and sea-front provides a key level of eccentricity not found in most all/other cities of the world...

Dubai's grand topographical distinction~~


----------



## DARKNIGHT (Jun 26, 2005)

I have no doubt that Dubai will be a world class city by 2020...for now it's jsut another city...dubai already has a great culture, ppl keep making an issue about their human rights...That's all a load of BS!...ok maybe their human rights aren't as great as some countries like Canada, but I would rather live in Dubai than many other countries(Ofcourse I love Canada too ). You will not find a more liberal and free city in the middle east. Dubai is very similar to Toronto in terms of being very multicultural. 4 out of every 5 ppl in Dubai are originally from another country. It's one of the safest places in the world and the ppl are extremely friendly. If any of you travel to Dubai, visit the Dubai museum and you will appreciate what a great history it has. I can see Dubai becoming the top tourist destination by 2010 barring any crazy terrorist attacks.


----------



## Dubai-Lover (Jul 4, 2004)

pottebaum - that's what i listed as reputation
i will have to agree though, if you say a difference can be seen between these 2!

smussuw - thanks for doing this listing


and sorry guys, i totally forgot education as a factor
education in dubai is quite good from what we hear

we get a brand new university city and academic city which are under c right now
several schools and universities as well as other educational institutions can also be found in the major projects themselves


----------



## Dubai-Lover (Jul 4, 2004)

hm, this article comes to the right time, today 

the uae grows 9.4% but dubai's growth should be above 10%
as ras al khaimah, ajman, fujairah and umm al quwain don't have such a deep impact as sharjah, abu dhabi and dubai



http://www.gulfnews.com/Articles/BusinessNF.asp?ArticleID=175162


UAE's economy grows 9.4% annually 

Staff Report 

Dubai : 
The UAE economy grew 9.4 per cent annually between 2001 and 2004, according to the National Bank of Dubai's latest quarterly report.

The report provides a resoundingly upbeat assessment of the UAE's economic performance, with "remarkable growth performance" expected to continue for five more years.

The report examines the UAE economy since 9/11. It reveals the UAE's ability to resist a global slowdown, as well as to take advantage of an upturn.

The country's economy expanded across all sectors oil and non-oil related during the period.

Crucially however, the report shows the increasing contribution, relatively, of the non-oil sector.

The non-oil sector's share grew from 71.1 per cent in 2001 to 77 per cent per cent in 2004. This is in spite of the significant rise in oil prices during the period.

The nominal contribution of oil that is its contribution ignoring the effect of inflation grew during the period from Dh75 billion to Dh123.3 billion.

The most remarkable growth areas have been in manufacturing (between 9 and 15 per cent); trade (15.6 per cent average annual growth); finance (12 per cent annual average growth) and electricity, gas and water (10 per cent average annual growth).

To put this growth in perspective, while the hospitality sector has also been growing rapidly and highly visibly relatively its contribution to the non-oil sector has been in decline. It fell from 3 per cent in 2001 to 2.8 per cent in 2004.

A second area of decline in terms of overall GDP has been agriculture that fell from 5 per cent in 2001 to 4.4 per cent in 2004.

But the UAE's agricultural output represents a triumph of will over adversity.

The UAE does not possess the characteristics for agricultural production, and it has been through government subsidies that crops, livestock and fishing have become important parts of the economy.

The sector's decline has been attributed to severe weather and the competition from cheap imports.

Key to the success of the economy has been "the confidence level that economic participants have in the country's economy".

This confidence has helped it to remain resilient to the political and economic shocks that have affected the rest of the world.


----------



## dubaiflo (Jan 3, 2005)

i just want to show off a little bit. sorry 

by DUBAI, thanks.

JBR and Al Fattan twins, abt 30-54F, up to 245m.


----------



## smussuw (Feb 1, 2004)

Growth was 16% last year D-L for Dubai.


----------



## dubaiflo (Jan 3, 2005)

estimated 19% for 2005 i read, but i am not sure..?!


----------



## smussuw (Feb 1, 2004)

It was 16% for 2004 as Mohammed Al Abbar director of Department of Economics. I dont know about 2005. Where did u read about the 19%?


----------



## bs_lover_boy (Apr 16, 2004)

Wait and See!!!


----------



## dubaiflo (Jan 3, 2005)

don't know...could be everywhere, it just came to my mind.


----------



## smussuw (Feb 1, 2004)

okay.

It came to my mind that Dubai will have 25% growth this year


----------



## dubaiflo (Jan 3, 2005)

lol , i mean it just came to my mind that read dubai will have 19% growth this year.


----------



## Faz90 (Aug 24, 2005)

With its phenominal growth, booming economy, and enormous projects, I think it will be world class.


----------



## dubaiflo (Jan 3, 2005)

this has not been posted here so far:


----------



## LosAngelesSportsFan (Oct 20, 2004)

Here is an article form the LA Times today on Booming Dubai.

In Dubai, the Sky's No Limit
# The zany, ambitious Persian Gulf boomtown is chockablock with oddities. Man-made islands shaped like palms are just a start.

By Megan K. Stack, Times Staff Writer

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — When Salem Moosa looks out over the skyscrapers spreading like a metallic rash over the sand, this is what he sees: The Eiffel Tower. The Pyramids. The Taj Mahal.

He's angling to build all of them — but bigger than the originals. And, if you ask Moosa, perhaps even better.

ADVERTISEMENT
Moosa's constellation of head-scratching oddities would join the marvels already cropping up like mushrooms across Dubai. The man-made islands in the shape of palm trees. The indoor ski resort. The underwater hotel. The lost city of Atlantis. One of the world's largest aquariums, set inside the world's biggest shopping mall, sprawling in the shadow of what will be the world's tallest skyscraper.

At first blush, there's an existential question at the heart of it all: Why? And in the case of Moosa's creations, what kind of tenants would clamor to nest in a swollen pyramid?

In Dubai, a zany boomtown afloat in plastic fantasy, unbridled ambition and rivers of cold cash, such questions are dismissed as the calling cards of the unimaginative. Moosa waves them away like sand flies.

"Who wants to live in a pyramid? Everybody wants to live in a pyramid," he says with evident astonishment. "It's the only address in the world. Imagine your card: 'The Grand Pyramid of Dubai'! "

Bigger. Brighter. More outlandish. Construction-fevered Dubai is almost Gatsby-esque in its audacious thirst for reinvention. This once-sleepy port of pearl traders and pirates is gunning to turn itself into one of the great capitals of the postmodern world.

If Americans pushed west to manifest destiny, the Emirates are pushing into the sky. There is a vague consensus here that great cities arrange themselves around ambitious architecture, and Dubai is determined to outdo them all. You feel it when you drive down the highway, eyes assaulted by a string of quixotic slogans: "The earth has a new center." "History rising." "Impossible is nothing."

"We can't keep up with it. We're walking around and things are popping up, and we just had no idea," says Trevor L. Evans, a Canadian-born transplant who markets real estate here for Better Homes. "And some of it seems really wacky."

Perched at the crossroads of Europe, Africa and the Indian subcontinent, Dubai was among the old-style tribal sheikdoms that stayed under British control until 1971. Upon independence, it joined with its neighbors to form the United Arab Emirates.

With relatively little oil to bolster its economy, this trading hub has long used ingenuity to lure business. There are no taxes, and the city is endowed with an efficient, well-appointed national airline and relatively hassle-free airport.

The city cashed in on the chill that followed Sept. 11, which drove some rattled Arab and Muslim investors to pull their money out of the West lest it be seized under anti-terrorism legislation. Much of that cash has found its way into Dubai's explosive real estate market. So has money earned by Persian Gulf Arabs in the current oil boom, which has pumped up Dubai like some hyper-charged steroid.

Today's freewheeling Dubai is a bewildering stew of nationalities, a place where natives make up less than 20% of the population of about a million. It's also a place where politics is seldom spoken of — people are much too busy amassing cash and spending it as flamboyantly as possible.

Misgivings rumble into the conversation sometimes. People wonder whether the go-go economy has enough real stuff underpinning it to sustain itself, or whether the real estate bubble will pop. Human rights groups have accused developers of exploiting thousands of foreign men who come from countries such as India and Pakistan to toil in the hot sun for about $200 a month.

"The city is losing its authenticity. It's losing its past," says Abdel Khaleq Abdullah, a television talk show host. "Maybe in globalization, identity is irrelevant. That's what the government says. But in reality, hell no, you're losing something very precious."

He casts a bemused glance around him at the Wafi Center, a posh shopping mall where Yves Saint Laurent, Marks & Spencer and Tiffany cluster behind an exterior of glass pyramids. As he sits in a cafe, waiters brush past, trays of cappuccinos aloft. The floors gleam; expensive perfumes waft through the air; among the milling Asians and Europeans, there is hardly an Arab in sight.

"I'm not sure these guys know what they want to be," he says. "They're just riding the roller coaster and they haven't reached the top yet. Is this thing going to burst? And if it does, who will pay for it?"

But in times of spectacular growth, pessimism is not particularly popular.

"Since I got here 27 years ago, I've been hearing that it's a bubble," scoffs Ghassan Tahboub, an advisor to Dubai's crown prince. Night has fallen, and the Porsches and Jaguars and Ferraris are jostling and crawling along Sheik Zayed Road, the six-lane artery that serves as the backbone of the city.

"When they built this road, they said, 'Dubai is mad. Why do they need such a street?' " Tahboub says. Referring to one of the city's many development projects, he adds: "You've seen Internet City? Five years ago it was sand." By way of punctuation, he points outside to the dirt on the edge of the road.

Then he gets quiet and glowers, because another car is trying to squeeze him out. In a city like Dubai, you've got to keep your elbows sharp.

The high-rollers who plot Dubai's future from the polished heights of the skyscrapers like to describe their city as a model of something entirely new. They claim they are using the spoils of a boom to craft the Persian Gulf's first post-oil economy, a hub of commerce and tourism that will endure even if the wells of black gold run dry.

"You come here and you see a gimmick, but it's not," Moosa says. "You have to see the vision behind it. Oil is not everything. What about the next generation? Oil will be scarce. We need a national income aside from this oil."

In the heat of its frenetic boom, Dubai has developed a few tics. There is a preternatural fascination with how things will look when viewed from the sky. Then there's the obsession with breaking records.

Dubai has already swept up a trophy case of titles — packed the heftiest box of chocolate bars (Kit Kat), cooked the largest bowl of spaghetti, gathered the biggest group of people of the same name (Mohammed, natch). This town's bragging rights also include the richest horse race, tallest unsupported flagpole and biggest stained-glass mural.

No feat is too stupendous, and even the zaniest superlative is trumpeted proudly.

On a recent morning, as Dubai simmers in triple-digit heat, a developer named David Richmond lingers on the details of a massive fish tank planned for Dubai Mall.

"It will be the biggest piece of acrylic ever created," he says soberly, pointing out the front panel of glass that will, theoretically, protect shoppers from being walloped by a deluge studded with exotic fish. "It's going to take a year's supply of the world's acrylic to make the one sheet of glass."

The height of Burj Dubai, soon to be the world's tallest building, is a secret guarded jealously lest some other city plot something even taller. This paranoia persists even though, as Richmond points out sharply, "we're on the 12th floor, so we're at least two years ahead of any competitors."

The apartments and offices in Burj Dubai — burj means "tower" — are sold out already, not that "no vacancy" means much in Dubai, where properties are bought on speculation and often change hands three or four times before ground is even broken. The steel behemoth will poke high into the atmosphere — at least 2,313 feet, busting by far the standing record of 1,667 feet, held by Taiwan's Taipei 101 tower.

"I call it a sexy building," says Richmond, pointing to the petal-inspired elements that taper to a point at the top.

Not all Dubai's innovation comes in pretty packaging. The ski run has risen from an improbable little patch of asphalt, attached to one of the many shopping centers. It looks like a big tube of steel, twisted into an elbow and glistening blackly in the sun. Driving past, you don't really notice its size unless you happen to see a few workers crawling on its skin — they look tinier than ants on the flank of an elephant. Seen from the sea, the encased ski run rears up from the earth, taller than the surrounding buildings.

Lurching through the liquid turquoise of the gulf, hulking ships power-spray great arcs of sand, pounding it tight enough to make the man-made islands. Seen from above, the islands take the shape of palm trees (there are now three palms), a crescent and a map of the world.

It all began, this island-building craze, with the Palm off the shoreline neighborhood of Jumeirah — the original Palm, that is, which is not to be confused with the two that came after. The first palm-shaped island was the brainchild of Crown Prince Sheik Mohammed ibn Rashid al Maktum; his company later decided to capitalize on the buzz by adding two more.

"He wanted to put Dubai on the map with something really sensational," says Jacqui Josephson, whose title at development giant Nakheel is "tourism and VIP delegations executive."

And so he did.

British soccer star David Beckham owns a place on the Palm off Jumeirah, and the development is due to be finished next year. Hotel wizard Sol Kerzner is building his take on the lost city of Atlantis at the top of the fronds. And in the waters just off the man-made coast, the world's most treasured scuba diving sites will be re-created: the Maldives, the Barrier Reef, the Caymans, the Red Sea.

Another of the palm-shaped islands will be flanked by houses rising from the sea on stilts. Seen from overhead, the homes will be positioned to spell out a poem written by the crown prince: "Heed the wisdom of the wise: It takes a man of vision to write on water. Not everyone who rides a horse is a jockey. Great men rise to great challenges."

"It's not lacking in wow factor," Josephson says.

"But this is, to a certain extent, what people have come to expect from Dubai. People have these visions here, and they've got the guts to go through with them."

She glances at the satellite photos of the Palm and half-mutters, "The money doesn't hurt either."


----------



## PotatoGuy (May 10, 2005)

ncie article


----------



## DARKNIGHT (Jun 26, 2005)

GREAT ARTICLE INDEED! :cheers:


----------



## JohnStreet (Jan 6, 2005)

Dubai sucks


----------



## DARKNIGHT (Jun 26, 2005)

LoL...another intelligent comment made by a SSC forumer. :weirdo:


----------



## pottebaum (Sep 11, 2004)

I think Dubai will be a world city....it already is. I just don't see it being anywhere in the top 20. Then again, it depends how far in the future you're talking. Anything could happen!


----------



## DARKNIGHT (Jun 26, 2005)

I think top 20 within 10 years. They just need to work on making it a more social atmosphere than it already is.


----------



## source26 (Jun 27, 2005)

dubai competes with cities like vegas, not with new york, london or paris. you just cant buy character, no matter how much glits you build.


----------



## pottebaum (Sep 11, 2004)

DARKNIGHT said:


> I think top 20 within 10 years. They just need to work on making it a more social atmosphere than it already is.


But why would it be in the top 20 within the foreseeable future? I see no reason for such a claim.


----------



## spyguy (Apr 16, 2005)

Top 20 is reasonable, considering it will be at the forefront of the "emerging" Middle East. But top 10 is highly disputable.


----------



## PotatoGuy (May 10, 2005)

source26 said:


> dubai competes with cities like vegas, not with new york, london or paris. you just cant buy character, no matter how much glits you build.


good comparison, its true


----------



## pottebaum (Sep 11, 2004)

spyguy999 said:


> Top 20 is reasonable, considering it will be at the forefront of the "emerging" Middle East. But top 10 is highly disputable.


I still don't know; if the Middle Eastern economies were to become more developed and international, I think each country would have its own 'center' as opposed to relying on Dubai.


----------



## superchan7 (Jan 21, 2004)

Dubai will become much more functional than Las Vegas. Las Vegas is a collection of the country (and the world)'s gamblers and attracts a lot of scum.


----------



## nomarandlee (Sep 24, 2005)

dubaiflo said:


> lol
> a funny thread afterall.
> 
> The future. if you say the future is 2020, then dubai will be a worldclass city.
> ...



I think everyone here is missing something important. Many Dubai advocates say that since Dubai is "building" to become a world class city it will. While they may have the resources to put on a vainer of world class status it is the people that truly make a city world class. To make a world class city you need a MASSIVE assortment of professionals and high level professionals, academics, businessmen, intelligentsia, a highly educated population and so on.
What will happen to Dubai when they are done building all these projects and send many of these poorly paid laborers home? The population will decrease by half (even with the little they are paid this is still a large amount of money that will not be involved in the local economy anymore). Unless if it imports a MASSIVE amount of highly educated and qualified professionals it will not grow to real world prominence. Does Dubais native population have within the human resources to run the many financial, economic, and world class business that are vital to a world class city? As of right now I would say they probably do not. 
To make up for this differance Dubai would have to import and attract the best of the Arab world (from Egypt especially) and from India to run and grow many of these industries. They seem a bit averse to doing this but if they do then I think it has a chance to be world class. But Dubai will not be world class if it depends solely on its own native population (not to say there are many qualified individuals there but from a native population just under a million you need a much larger pool of qualified applicants). 

Will Dubai want to share its wealth and future with non-natives to make it world class? I think that is the most important question. Will it attract top talent world wide and pay those people competitive wages to make their economic institutions world class? Will Dubai want to share its wealth and future with non-natives to make it world class? I think that is the most important question. Will it attract top talent world wide and pay those people competitive wages to make their economic institutions world class?


----------



## Mosaic (Feb 18, 2005)

Dubai is just another city that is booming in property.


----------



## dubaiflo (Jan 3, 2005)

dubai has already passed this level, believe me.




source26 said:


> dubai competes with cities like vegas, not with new york, london or paris. you just cant buy character, no matter how much glits you build.



this is a point which is just wrong.
dubai's intention is not to be like las vegas, not to be a fun city, 
but a financial, economic and tourist capital.
and it already is on a very good way to achieve that!


----------



## dubaiflo (Jan 3, 2005)

nomarandlee said:


> I think everyone here is missing something important. Many Dubai advocates say that since Dubai is "building" to become a world class city it will. While they may have the resources to put on a vainer of world class status it is the people that truly make a city world class. To make a world class city you need a MASSIVE assortment of professionals and high level professionals, academics, businessmen, intelligentsia, a highly educated population and so on.
> What will happen to Dubai when they are done building all these projects and send many of these poorly paid laborers home? The population will decrease by half (even with the little they are paid this is still a large amount of money that will not be involved in the local economy anymore). Unless if it imports a MASSIVE amount of highly educated and qualified professionals it will not grow to real world prominence. Does Dubais native population have within the human resources to run the many financial, economic, and world class business that are vital to a world class city? As of right now I would say they probably do not.
> To make up for this differance Dubai would have to import and attract the best of the Arab world (from Egypt especially) and from India to run and grow many of these industries. They seem a bit averse to doing this but if they do then I think it has a chance to be world class. But Dubai will not be world class if it depends solely on its own native population (not to say there are many qualified individuals there but from a native population just under a million you need a much larger pool of qualified applicants).
> 
> Will Dubai want to share its wealth and future with non-natives to make it world class? I think that is the most important question. Will it attract top talent world wide and pay those people competitive wages to make their economic institutions world class? Will Dubai want to share its wealth and future with non-natives to make it world class? I think that is the most important question. Will it attract top talent world wide and pay those people competitive wages to make their economic institutions world class?



you miss sth out.
you are always talking abt "will" dubai attract....

dubai DOES already attract highly educated professionals from europe, india, and asia.


----------



## staff (Oct 23, 2004)

Dubai is grand in some areas (which can be "constructed" and will not develop over time) such as buildings (skyscrapers in this case), roads, transportation etc.

However, it will go hundreds of years until Dubai has got the culture, vibrancy, streetlife, and status to belong among the big players. As of now, I would say Dubai is on the level with medium sized American cities or small-medium sized European cities.

It will take a long time - 20 years is nothing, let's return to this thread in 100 years and see what has happened.


----------



## AltinD (Jul 15, 2004)

nomarandlee said:


> I think everyone here is missing something important. Many Dubai advocates say that since Dubai is "building" to become a world class city it will. While they may have the resources to put on a vainer of world class status it is the people that truly make a city world class. To make a world class city you need a MASSIVE assortment of professionals and high level professionals, academics, businessmen, intelligentsia, a highly educated population and so on.
> What will happen to Dubai when they are done building all these projects and send many of these poorly paid laborers home? The population will decrease by half (even with the little they are paid this is still a large amount of money that will not be involved in the local economy anymore). Unless if it imports a MASSIVE amount of highly educated and qualified professionals it will not grow to real world prominence. Does Dubais native population have within the human resources to run the many financial, economic, and world class business that are vital to a world class city? As of right now I would say they probably do not.
> To make up for this differance Dubai would have to import and attract the best of the Arab world (from Egypt especially) and from India to run and grow many of these industries. They seem a bit averse to doing this but if they do then I think it has a chance to be world class. But Dubai will not be world class if it depends solely on its own native population (not to say there are many qualified individuals there but from a native population just under a million you need a much larger pool of qualified applicants).
> 
> Will Dubai want to share its wealth and future with non-natives to make it world class? I think that is the most important question. Will it attract top talent world wide and pay those people competitive wages to make their economic institutions world class? Will Dubai want to share its wealth and future with non-natives to make it world class? I think that is the most important question. Will it attract top talent world wide and pay those people competitive wages to make their economic institutions world class?


To someone who knows Dubai, your rant above, seams like *written in 1990 *


----------



## dubaiflo (Jan 3, 2005)

agree with you altin.




staff said:


> Dubai is grand in some areas (which can be "constructed" and will not develop over time) such as buildings (skyscrapers in this case), roads, transportation etc.
> 
> However, it will go hundreds of years until Dubai has got the culture, vibrancy, streetlife, and status to belong among the big players. As of now, I would say Dubai is on the level with medium sized American cities or small-medium sized European cities.
> 
> It will take a long time - 20 years is nothing, let's return to this thread in 100 years and see what has happened.




mhm people underestimate dubai's vibrancy , how busy the city is, how much is going on , events etc, for example dubai desert classic or dubai world cup.
culture is maybe a little bit different, but there are opera houses etc announced within several projects.
also nobody seems to notice dubai has a lot of nightlife for example.


----------



## Dubai-Lover (Jul 4, 2004)

correct flo

dubai is a vibrant city but it's vibrancy gets lost between the construction somehow
anyway, this will relieve soon

concerning nightlife. what many people look for is nightclubs
we also have that here in dubai, of course not comparable to other prominent cities, but people here like it more decent. going out at night for dinner in one of the many fabolous hotels' restaurants is extremely popular here.

yesterday night i was out with a few colleagues. we went to madinat jumeirah
the many restaurants and bars were full of people. of course it's a hotel and we have peak season, but so many people came with cars and that on a night between wednesday and thursday!


----------



## great prairie (Jul 18, 2005)

Dubai: just another city.


----------



## staff (Oct 23, 2004)

For me - what really defines an urban epitome, a world city - is culture, sub-cultures and such. That is really what (especially) New York City, Tokyo, Paris etc. is all about. Even smaller European cities like Amsterdam and Copenhagen have really large culture scenes.

Graffiti, major music conserts, parks where people gather and drink/smoke, major local bands/artists, opera, skateboarding, gay happenings, b-boying, small nisched fashion shops (beyond the usual gigantic up-market fashion plazas), street life, club culture, rave parties, obscure sub-cultures etc. etc. are all very important parts of a vibrant and lively city.

I have never been to Dubai (only Sharjah, which seemed very conservative and fundamental), so I have no clue if things like those mentioned are big/popular, but I have a feeling that it might not be case...

If Dubai want to be a "real" city (that's how many define it - but everybody of course knows that Dubai *is* a real city already) it has to be more tolerant.

My opinion..


----------



## Dubai_Boy (May 21, 2003)

Staff so what your saying is , if Dubai , an arab islamic city , wont hold gay prades and opera events , its not world class enough


----------



## James Foong (May 12, 2005)

Dubai: Another grand city in the making. Liveable? I dont know whether a broken man like me can survive not?


----------



## RafflesCity (Sep 11, 2002)

I didnt read through all the posts here

but for me, Dubai is not just another city, and its trying very hard to be different.


----------



## smussuw (Feb 1, 2004)

oh Sharjah, I love this city.

Yea I like how fundamental Sharjah is, hope Dubai can achieve 1% of what Sharjah has achieved


----------



## James Foong (May 12, 2005)

Dubai_Boy said:


> Staff so what your saying is , if Dubai , an arab islamic city , wont hold gay prades and opera events , its not world class enough


You hv been misconstrued! It is just a part of making a world class city by his means, but not necessarily a criteria. Open up yr mind.


----------



## Dubai_Boy (May 21, 2003)

Just becasue You dont keep track of our singers and actors and musicians , doenst mean we dont have them smarty




major music conserts *have them all the time *

parks where people gather and drink/smoke *i am sure this even happens in somalia , jeez man , what sort of drugs are you on*

major local bands/artists *Man o man  we have LOTS of bands and artists , hundreds*

opera again , *nothing to do with our culture , but we are getting the biggest and best opera house , maybe even several + fat ladies to make everybody happy *

skateboarding we have that , *two places i can name from the top of my head , and if u walk on the AD corniche , u will find hundreds of those little rascals 
*

gay happenings , *againts our relegion , culture , values , but we do have openly gay artists !!
*




man , this is PATHETIC , this dude is making Dubai sound like some village with a max population of THREE !!!

We have people from over 100 countries , we have streets with shops on both sides , does that count as street life , geeeez


----------



## Dubai_Boy (May 21, 2003)

pity i had to spend my 2000th post on this kid !


----------



## staff (Oct 23, 2004)

Dubai_Boy said:


> man , this is PATHETIC , this dude is making Dubai sound like some village with a max population of THREE !!!
> 
> We have people from over 100 countries , we have streets with shops on both sides , does that count as street life , geeeez


I'm just saying, things like the ones I mentioned are a very important part of a city in my opinion. It makes the city more alive, and Dubai obviously is somewhat lacking in that matter. I'm sure it will come over time (it takes time to become a great city - European cities have grown and developed for 1000 years), but it needs to be more tolerant and diverse. That's what I think...

Stating that my opinion is pathetic, and that I "making Dubai sound like some village with a max population of THREE !!!" is just rediculous. Stick to the subject here. 

And don't call me "kid".

(1400 posts by the way. )


----------



## dubaiflo (Jan 3, 2005)

imo dubai should not be more tolerant , it already has gone far enough, of course some western laws etc should be passed like the freehold law, but dubai should not abolish its islamic background even more!! this is what makes the city special!

for diversity.. ehm well people from 100 countries? enough?

congrats to your 2000 Dubai boy.


----------



## Dubai_Boy (May 21, 2003)

Staff you stated that you have not been to Dubai , how the heck do you know if its lacks in those certain areas ??? man have a good night sleep and come back when you have a little more sense !!


----------



## firmanhadi (Aug 3, 2005)

Put some gambling in there and a real boulevard where people can walk around, and it'll be world class


----------



## thx-rvg (Oct 9, 2005)

I think we should all be grateful that the authorities and the people in Dubai have shown such remarkable willingness to give the greenlight to so many daring and dazzling projects. There is, in effect, no reason why a place should or should not be the location for a world class city, other than that there is a will to make it so. And there sure as hell is a will to go all the way in Dubai, so why not!


Cheers


----------



## Naga_Solidus (Mar 29, 2005)

today, I'd say it's a 4-point Gamma city, but in another 15 years, it's probably gonna be a 9-point beta, if not 10-point alpha


----------



## dubaiflo (Jan 3, 2005)

firmanhadi said:


> Put some gambling in there and a real boulevard where people can walk around, and it'll be world class



gambling? forget it, and also ..why?

boulevard?

www.dubai-marina.com

www.burjdubaiboulevard.com

for a start. also the old town has some nice kinda boulevards, on the creek for example.


----------



## staff (Oct 23, 2004)

Dubai_Boy said:


> how the heck do you know if its lacks in those certain areas ???


In my first post I wrote that "I have a feeling that it might not be case...", and you didn't prove me wrong, exept for some of the things (major music conserts). Remember this is just my opinion. I think that if a city wants to gain status and become even close to a "world city", it needs to be tolerant, liberal and have the things that I mentioned. That's what is urban. And if Dubai doesn't change in these areas, it's going to remain a tourist destination and a skyscraper city.

Remember - this is my opinion. 



> man have a good night sleep and come back when you have a little more sense !!


Enough with the insults already. Writing things like that make people not taking you seriously. Be a good representer for your city instead of bashing on other people.


----------



## dubaiflo (Jan 3, 2005)

staff said:


> .... And if Dubai doesn't change in these areas, it's going to remain a tourist destination and a skyscraper city.



....dubai is already home of dozens of regional HQ of the major companies of the world, its port is the 3rd largest on the world, and Jebel Ali Free Zone is home to about 2000 companies.


----------



## staff (Oct 23, 2004)

dubaiflo said:


> ....dubai is already home of dozens of regional HQ of the major companies of the world, its port is the 3rd largest on the world, and Jebel Ali Free Zone is home to about 2000 companies.


Eh, that's was not what I was talking about. I haven't even mentioned anything about regional HQ:s or such.

(Dubai's port has surpassed Rotterdam's?)


----------



## dubaiflo (Jan 3, 2005)

you said it will "remain a tourist destination and skyscrapercity" ; the point is it IS not only a tourist destination and skyscrapercity, therefor it cannot "remain" so.

btw new article abt dubai airport:

*New records at Dubai International Airport*

_Overall movement at Dubai International Airport in the third quarter has shown tremendous positive growth. _

Passenger movement in the third quarter has gone up to 18.5 million in 2005 as compared to 16.2 million in 2004 showing a 13.7% growth. The month of August has witnessed passenger movement of 2.3 million which is a new monthly record. Cargo movement is up to 967,806 tonnes in 2005 as compared to 810,726 tonnes in 2004, growing 19.4% over the same period last year. Aircraft movement has also shown positive growth by registering movements 159,738 in the last 9 months of 2005 as compared to 144,493 in 2004, showing a growth of 10.6%. 

March and June witnessed the maximum growth in passenger movement registering 16.7 % and 16.5 % respectively. The most productive months for Dubai Cargo Village have been January and August with 30.3 % and 29.4 % growth respectively. 

Executive Flight Services (EFS) showed a phenomenal growth of 60% growth in the nine months ending September 2005 as compared to last year. It handled a total of 4242 flights in the nine months of 2005 as against 2652 during the same period last year. Highest movement was recorded in the months of May and June with 126 % and 83 % growth respectively. 

In 2004, according to statistics released by Airports Council International (ACI), Dubai International Airport emerged as one of the fastest growing airport in the world in terms of international passenger movement. Dubai International Airport had 21.7 million passenger throughputs in 2004. 

According to projections, 2005 will witness around 25 million passenger throughput, while by 2010 Dubai will have 60 million passengers.


----------



## great prairie (Jul 18, 2005)

Dubai_Boy said:


> we have streets with shops on both sides , does that count as street life , geeeez


OH SHIT DUBAI HAVE STREETS WITH *SHOPS* ON BOTH SIDES AS IN 2 SIDES WITH SHOPS, STOP THE MOTHERFUCKING PRESSES!!! THAT SHIT IS OFF THE HOOK DAWG!!! I HAVE TO SEE THIS IN REAL LIFE!!!


----------



## dubaiflo (Jan 3, 2005)

that was sarcasm... you just didn't get it.. mr.texas.. :hahaha:


----------



## smussuw (Feb 1, 2004)

How dumb some americans in this forum can be :lol:

SSC is turning into another SSP hno:

Street life? :yes:






























































































Fake city? :no:


----------



## Dubai_Boy (May 21, 2003)

great smussuw , your doing a great job  and you too Dubaiflo


----------



## staff (Oct 23, 2004)

Great job? Defending the city, or what?

I'm not trying to bash Dubai here, I'm trying to figure out what has to be done if the city wants to recieve "world status", which I (unfortunately) think will not happen in the close future.


----------



## Faz90 (Aug 24, 2005)

firmanhadi said:


> Put some gambling in there and a real boulevard where people can walk around, and it'll be world class


Dubai is NOT trying to be another Vegas. Gambling is againat Islamic values and it would ruin Dubai. Gambling does NOT make a city world class.


----------



## Faz90 (Aug 24, 2005)

From those pictures Dubai looks extremly fake and nowhere near world-class. :jk:

We need to show those pictures to everyone, esp. Americans who think Dubai is fake or tacky with no culture.


----------



## staff (Oct 23, 2004)

Faz90 said:


> From those pictures Dubai looks extremly fake


Not at all.



> nowhere near world-class.


That, I can agree on. It looks like any middle east/north african city plus skyscrapers. That's a good thing.

I think the whole "religion rules the politics" thing has to be changed if Dubai wants to move further. There should be no restrictions like those existing.


----------



## Dubai_Boy (May 21, 2003)

Staff , leave the worrying to us , Dubai will become a world class city in the near future , 20-25 years max .


----------



## PotatoGuy (May 10, 2005)

Dubai_Boy said:


> Staff , leave the worrying to us , Dubai will become a world class city in the near future , 20-25 years max .


i must agree, if things keep growing the way they are now there than its inevitable. right now it might be a plastic city but with the way things are going that won't last long.


----------



## malec (Apr 17, 2005)

staff said:


> Not at all.
> 
> 
> That, I can agree on. It looks like any middle east/north african city plus skyscrapers. That's a good thing.
> ...


I agree but they shouldn't go too far because it would ruin their culture.


----------



## VansTripp (Sep 29, 2004)

Just another city... I don't like Dubai cuz it's very concerned with religion and politic but it always changing into bad or so-so like against on Christian and non-muslim people.

Well, I'm not Christian though... I don't have any religion for good.


----------



## pottebaum (Sep 11, 2004)

Dubai_Boy said:


> Staff , leave the worrying to us , Dubai will become a world class city in the near future , 20-25 years max .


I just don't quite understand _why_, though.


----------



## United-States-of-America (Jul 19, 2005)

10 point Alpha or 9 point Beta.


----------



## staff (Oct 23, 2004)

Dubai_Boy said:


> Staff , leave the worrying to us , Dubai will become a world class city in the near future , 20-25 years max .


What would make it a world city in 20-25 years compared to what it is today?


----------



## dubaiflo (Jan 3, 2005)

a population of 5-6million people who will bring culture, economy etc with them?


----------



## Faz90 (Aug 24, 2005)

staff said:


> Not at all.


I was being sarcastic. I never believed Dubai was fake.


----------



## Faz90 (Aug 24, 2005)

pottebaum said:


> I just don't quite understand _why_, though.


Check this out, and THIS 

Dubai is already one of the world's fastest growing cities, and it has an increasing significance to the world. Tell me one world city requirement that Dubai will not be able to have.


----------



## Dino Domingo (Jan 5, 2005)

World class absolutely. Dubai is really the only city in the Middle East that I can think of that is as grand, beautiful, reknown, as the world's other top cities. 

Can't wait for its most daring of projects to come into fruition.

I _really_ want to go there!


----------



## dubaiflo (Jan 3, 2005)

i am always surprised how MANY people want to go there, just look in this forum...

now do you see how it works...


----------



## Newcastle Guy (Jul 8, 2005)

I think it will soon become the best city in the middle east but it will be a VERY long time until it sees top 3 status.


----------



## dubaiflo (Jan 3, 2005)

nobody is talking abt top 3 here.
i think there are many more world class cities than 3 on this planet.


----------



## Faz90 (Aug 24, 2005)

Dino Domingo said:


> World class absolutely. Dubai is really the only city in the Middle East that I can think of that is as grand, beautiful, reknown, as the world's other top cities.
> 
> Can't wait for its most daring of projects to come into fruition.
> 
> I _really_ want to go there!


I completely agree with you.


----------



## Harkeb (Oct 12, 2004)

Just another city. The UAE is just not a big player in the international field and dont have the population to built really great cities.


----------



## dubaiflo (Jan 3, 2005)

that's why dubai's population increases by about 200000 a year! to get those people.


----------



## boto_mix (Sep 14, 2005)

Middle east will be nothing when ends the oil


----------



## AltinD (Jul 15, 2004)

^ And you have "United in Diversity" in your signature: :lol:

In another note, how does your country produces the energy? As far as I know, you don't have water reserves and Nuclear plants. :tongue2:


----------



## Faz90 (Aug 24, 2005)

boto_mix said:


> Middle east will be nothing when ends the oil












Look at oil in the yellow table for 2003, and tell me the percent of Dubai's income that comes from oil. If it is less than 10%, and continues to decline, then Dubai is a first world city.


----------



## dubaiflo (Jan 3, 2005)

I AM FREAKIN OUT SLOWLY... this makes me go .. puh.. :bash:

altin:


----------



## Anymodal (Mar 5, 2005)

Dubai's not fake, not real, not just another city, not a world class city. Each and every city is special and peculiar, dubai has it's things, just as Springfield, Missouri has it's own.

there isn't such thing as a better city, there are cities for everyone. you can't state that a city is better/worst because of it's quality of life, nightlife, skyscrapers or number of global companies (WTF really), maybe you like your little quiet house in the jungle in Congo, maybe you like your art-deco appartment in Manhattan.

Of couse there will be money and planning involved but IMO that's not good nor bad, it just is.


----------



## boto_mix (Sep 14, 2005)

AltinD said:


> ^ And you have "United in Diversity" in your signature: :lol:
> 
> In another note, how does your country produces the energy? As far as I know, you don't have water reserves and Nuclear plants. :tongue2:


You have any problem whit my signature? :sleepy: 
My country have Nuclear plants ¬¬'


----------



## James Foong (May 12, 2005)

AltinD said:


> In another note, how does your country produces the energy? As far as I know, you don't have water reserves and Nuclear plants. :tongue2:


Another example of talk crap... plz think twice b4 post. Get matured!


----------



## tpe (Aug 10, 2005)

Anymodal said:


> Dubai's not fake, not real, not just another city, not a world class city. Each and every city is special and peculiar, dubai has it's things, just as Springfield, Missouri has it's own.
> 
> there isn't such thing as a better city, there are cities for everyone. you can't state that a city is better/worst because of it's quality of life, nightlife, skyscrapers or number of global companies (WTF really), maybe you like your little quiet house in the jungle in Congo, maybe you like your art-deco appartment in Manhattan.
> 
> Of couse there will be money and planning involved but IMO that's not good nor bad, it just is.


This is pretty good.


----------



## [email protected]_Coast (Jul 30, 2005)

Cities take generations to become world class. Its too new on the world seen to be world class. Only time will tell if Dubia is world class or just another second rate city, like San Fan..... jk


----------



## staff (Oct 23, 2004)

[email protected]_Coast said:


> Cities take generations to become world class. Its too new on the world seen to be world class. Only time will tell if Dubia is world class or just another second rate city, like San Fan..... jk


San Francisco is by all means a world class city.

These are (my choice of) world class cities (I may, of course, have forgot some):

Toronto, Montreal, LA, San Francisco, Chicago, Boston, New York, Sao Paolo, Buenos Aires, London, Madrid, Barcelona, Paris, Milan, Rome, Brussels, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Munich, Berlin, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Warsaw, Moscow, Prague, Vienna, Zürich, Istanbul, Cairo, Seoul, Tokyo, Osaka, Beijing, Shanghai, Taipei, Hong Kong, Mumbai, Bangkok, Singapore, Manila, Sydney, Melbourne...

Dubai has a long, long way before it's even close to these cities in my opinion. For now, skyscrapers and some infrastructural issues (airport, seaport) are the only things Dubai can compete in.


----------



## Dubai_Boy (May 21, 2003)

Some of the cities you mentioned are way behind Dubai in so many ways , dude , your high and dont have a clue


----------



## staff (Oct 23, 2004)

Dubai_Boy said:


> Some of the cities you mentioned are way behind Dubai in so many ways , dude , your high and dont have a clue


Which cities and in which ways? I don't see anything Dubai would beat those cities in, except for skyscrapers (and some infrastructural matters).

The next you insult me, you *will* be reported.


----------



## dubaiflo (Jan 3, 2005)

yeah don't be so rude ahmed not in the world forums 

anyway the definition of world class city is sooo difficult there is almost no way to say a city is because it has the infrastructure, or a city is because it has the economy etc..


----------



## dubaiflo (Jan 3, 2005)

James Foong said:


> Another example of talk crap... plz think twice b4 post. Get matured!



:hahaha:


altin? how old are you? 32 if i am not wrong? 

anyway we know this guy already.


----------



## AltinD (Jul 15, 2004)

James Foong said:


> Another example of talk crap... plz think twice b4 post. Get matured!


Why you should answer for someone else? You're not from Spain. 

I guess you should READ thrice the post you'll trying to reply too. :tongue3:


----------



## Dubai_Boy (May 21, 2003)

staff said:


> Which cities and in which ways? I don't see anything Dubai would beat those cities in, except for skyscrapers (and some infrastructural matters).
> 
> The next you insult me, you *will* be reported.



Poo


----------



## James Foong (May 12, 2005)

dubaiflo said:


> :hahaha:
> altin? how old are you? 32 if i am not wrong?


32 ?? :hilarious This is the dumbest revelation. A man at this age is still living with a 10yrs old attitude. With this kind of attitude, I dont see a point to argue with him anymore. 



> anyway we know this guy already.


So, both of u n altin knows me 4 long time.... wah that's good! At least in your mind, u n altin knew someone is willing to shout back on you for your uncontrolled behaviour. Remember, i hv nothing to lose here... pick out any of my post and see if i ever belitle or insult some1?.. i don do that coz it is uncivilized. Btw, I shld follow others to just ignore your posts. It is very obvious u n altin loves to attack some1 together. Uncivilized manner from a world class city as they claimed.


----------



## malec (Apr 17, 2005)

I thought he was 19


----------



## dubaiflo (Jan 3, 2005)

no he's not.
anyway quite funny guy mr foong.
did i ever insult him or sth.
i can just remember him talking very rude and uninformed in several threads.


----------



## AltinD (Jul 15, 2004)

James Foong said:


> 32 ?? :hilarious This is the dumbest revelation. A man at this age is still living with a 10yrs old attitude. With this kind of attitude, I dont see a point to argue with him anymore.
> 
> 
> So, both of u n altin knows me 4 long time.... wah that's good! At least in your mind, u n altin knew someone is willing to shout back on you for your uncontrolled behaviour. Remember, i hv nothing to lose here... pick out any of my post and see if i ever belitle or insult some1?.. i don do that coz it is uncivilized. Btw, I shld follow others to just ignore your posts. It is very obvious u n altin loves to attack some1 together. Uncivilized manner from a world class city as they claimed.


What a TROLL! uke:

:bash:


----------



## AltinD (Jul 15, 2004)

malec said:


> I thought he was 19


You've mistaken me with juiced perhaps :?


----------



## pottebaum (Sep 11, 2004)

Are there any websites that document Dubai's population growth?


----------

