What I learned in Dubai, Part 3 – Going big

The leaders in Dubai wanted to build a destination that would attract tourists so when they ran out of oil, they’d have a future.  It’s clear to me when seeing what they have done and continue to do, that they had a clear goal.

In only 20 years they built some of the biggest and best ad most amazing things mankind could dream up – and most of it built in the last ten years.

First, they built the Burg Khalifa, the tallest building in the world.  To give you an idea, the new World Trade Center in New York is 1368 feet tall.  The Burg Khalifa is twice as tall at 2717 feet!  It is a beautiful building too. 

I understand in a year or two they are breaking ground on an even taller building – over 4000 feet tall!  That’s a world trade center taller than the Burg Khalifa!   

At the bottom, it’s connected to the world’s largest mall.  1500 stores – packed with people.  The mall features a giant aquarium so you can walk by sharks swimming around while you go buy your designer shoes or anything else you want.

They built the world’s largest Ferris wheel.  At 620 feet tall, with air-conditioned capsules that can hold 65 people.  You can rent one of the capsules for a party!

They have what they claim is the most beautiful building in the world.  It’s the museum of the future and the design is incredible.  It’s hard to describe so you’ll have to look it up.

There’s a Marina – a winding harbor with coves and docks that stretches for miles in the city.  Along it are luxury high rises and a walkway around with shops and dining that attracts people from all over the world.  It’s beautiful.

Dubai had 25 miles of coastline.  Waterfront property is very valuable anywhere.  So – they built a lot more of it.  They designed an island that when viewed from above is the shape of a palm tree.  Each branch has a street down the middle and waterfront property on the left and right.  

To build it, they pumped sand off the sea floor and sprayed it, like from a fireboat, to build-up the sand.  If you ask me it would never work because the sand would settle and erode.  But they didn’t ask me, they just did it anyway and figured it out – and it worked.  It sold out so fast that they built two more Palm islands with even more branches on the tree.  They sold out in days.  

Then they built a cluster of many islands which form the shape of the continents.  One guy bought the island of Great Britain and is building a replica of London on it.  They increased the waterfront property in Dubai by 500%!

The leaders dream big and do not take no for an answer.  Now they have a space program and want to go to Mars!

Because of this, money flows in from all over the world, and so do foreign workers to help build it all and work there.

Honestly, as an American, I was humbled.  

To be continued….