When somebody ask you which cities in the world now has the characteristics of a futuristic city? Then, everyone would answer the same, Dubai.
Dubai is the most populous emirate out of the seven emirates in United Arab Emirates (UAE). Dubai is also the only emirate that undergoes tremendous development.
Few decades ago, Dubai is just a small unknown town in a hot desert. Now, it has been one of the world famous city due to the tourists’ attraction. Rapid growth still continues in the city despite the recent global financial and economic crisis…
There are so many developments in the city, with hundreds of constructions going on, including some extreme engineering projects that are to be mentioned below…
Dubai Internet City
– information technology park.
– free economic zone, strategic base for companies targeting regional emerging markets.
– officially opened in October 2000.
Dubai Media City
– a tax free zone, regional hub for media organizations.
– over 84 towers in the city section.
Dubai Knowledge Village
– offers facilities for training and learning support activities, a free economic zone.
– includes of training centres, HR companies and professional centres.
Dubai International Finance Center
– a near-shore financial hub for the MENA, containing a capital market designated as a financial free zone.
– There are six primary sectors of focus within the DIFC: Banking Services (investment banking, corporate banking and private banking); capital markets (equity, debt instruments, derivatives and commodity trading); asset management and fund registration (fund registration, fund administration and fund management); reinsurance; Islamic finance and back office operations.
Dubai Healthcare City
– targeted at the healthcare and the pharmaceutical industries.
– consists of collection of medical teaching institutions, private hospitals and clinics, pharmaceutical offices and research centres, and spas and rehabilitation centres. It also includes some residential villas, apartments, and 5-star hotels surrounding an artificial lake, and is designed to promote medical tourism.
Dubai Maritime City
– multi purpose maritime zone.
– consists of an Academic Quarter, Marine District, Harbour Residences, Marina District and Industrial Precint.
Dubai Sports City
– apartment building with several sports facilities.
– has a multi-purpose outdoor stadium (60 000 seats), cricket ground (25 ooo seats), indoor arena (10 000 seats), field hockey stadium (5 000 seats), a 18-hole golf course.
Dubai Studio City
– part of Dubai Media City too.
– cater to the production needs of the region and has plans to build movie studios.
– will have pre-built studios, sound stages, workshops, backlots and stage areas, a broadcast centre housing offices and post-production studios, and a business centre for freelancers. The cluster will also house film and television academies, location approval services, entertainment and retail spaces, and hotels and residential facilities to accommodate crews and casts.
Dubai Silicon Oasis
– technology park, aiming to become a world centre for electronic innovation, research, and development.
– Comprising office towers, R&D and industrial zones, educational institutions, apartments and villas, hotels, healthcare and a range of lifestyle facilities, DSO provides a dynamic commercial and social environment.
The World Islands
– man-made archipelago of 300 islands constructed in the shape of the world map and located four kilometres off the coast of Dubai.
– built primarily using sand dredged from the sea.
– 9km in length, 6km in width, surrounded by an oval breakwater.
– will have different type of developments on these small islands based on the needs of the buyers.
Dubai Marina
– district in the heart of new Dubai.
– whole marine is entirely man-made and will contain of over 200 highrise buildings like some supertall skyscrapers, Dubai Marina Towers, The Torch Dubai Marina, Infinity Tower, The Princess Tower, Tamani Hotel Marina, Marina Terrace, Le Rêve (Dubai) and Horizon Tower.
– when completed, will become the world largest man-made marine.
Dubai Business Bay
– a central business district which features numerous skyscraperslocated in an area where Dubai Creek will be dredged and extended.
– will have upwards of 230 buildings, attracting commercial and residential developments.
Dubai Metro
– driverless, fully automated metro network in Dubai.
– will be the longest fully automated rail system in the world when completed in year 2010.
Dubailand
– an entertainment complex, divided into four phases.
– will include 45 mega projects and 200 sub projects.
– will have theme parks like Dubai Walt Disney World, Sahara Kingdom Theme Park, Dreamworks Theme Park, Six Flags Theme Park, Freej Dubailand, Marvel Superheroes Theme Park, Legoland Theme Park.
– Other open attractions: Dubai Autodrome in Dubai Motor City, the Global Village, Al Sahra Desert Resort.
– Seven Zones (Worlds)
- Attractions & Experience World 13 km² (5.2 mile²)
- Warner Bros. Movie World
- Legoland Dubai
- Six Flags Dubailand
- Dreamworks Studios Theme Park
- Universal Studios Dubai
- F1-X Theme Park Dubai
- Tiger Woods Dubai
- Bawad
- Falconcity of Wonders
- Fantasia
- Freej Dubailand
- Marvel Super Heroes Theme Park
- Tourism world
- Legends of Dubailand
- Aviation World
- Islamic culture and Science World
- Global Village
- Kids City
- Giants World
- Water Parks
- Sahara Kingdom
- Dubai Snowdome- cancelled as of 2008
- Retail and Entertainment World 4 km² (1.6 mile²)
- Flea Market
- World Trade Park
- Auction World
- Factory Outlets
- Themed Leisure and Vacation World 29 km² (11.2 mile²)
- Women’s World (LEMNOS)
- Destination Dubai
- Desert Kingdom
- Andalusian Resort and Spa
- Eco-Tourism World 75 km² (28.9 mile²)
- Al Sahra Desert Resort
- Sand Dune Hotel
- Al Kaheel
- Bio World
- Animal World
- Sports and Outdoor World 19 km² (7.4 mile²)
- Dubai Sports City
- Emerat Sports World
- Extreme Sports World
- Plantation Equestrian and Polo Club
- Dubai Motor City which includes Dubai Autodrome
- Dubai Golf City
- Downtown 1.8 km² (0.7 mile²)
- Mall of Arabia, which will be the world’s largest shopping mall
- City Walk
- Restless Planet
- The Great Dubai Wheel
- Virtual Game World
- Science and Planetariums
- Astrolab Resort
Dubai Mall
– one of the world largest shopping mall.
– has the world largest acrylic panel for the Dubai Aquaria in the mall.
Dubai World Central
– consists of residential city, logistics city, enterprise city, commercial city, golf resort and an international airport.
The Palm Islands
– artificial islands on which major commercial and residential infrastructure will be constructed on.
– consists of Palm Jumeirah, Palm Jebel Ali and Palm Deira.
– will be over 100 luxury hotels, exclusive residential beach side villas and apartments, marinas, water theme parks, restaurants, shopping malls, sports facilities and health spas.
Hydropolis
– the world first underwater luxury hotel and resort.
– Reinforced by concrete and steel, its Plexiglas walls and bubble-shaped dome ceilings will enable guests to see fish and other sea creatures. It is basically divided into three sections: the land station, where guests will be welcomed; the connecting tunnel, which will transport people by train to the main area of the hotel; and the 220 suites within the submarine leisure complex. It will cover an area of 670 hectares, about the size of London’s Hyde Park, and will cost an estimated £300 million. It is self-acclaimed to be a 10-star hotel and will be charging circa $5,000 per room per night. The hotel was scheduled to open in late 2006, however due to the engineering and environmental difficulties of constructing an underwater hotel the project is currently delayed and is now expected to be complete sometime in 2009.
The Universe Islands
– a cluster of islands forming the shape of the universe (solar system).
– will be located between the Palm Jumeirah, The World, the Jumeirah coast and the Palm Deira.
Dubai Falcon City
– project to build a city in Dubai with life-size replicas of the seven wonders of the world plus modern wonders.
– when viewed from space, the city will looks like a falcon.
– project is on-hold.
Dubai Festival City
– large residential, business and entertainment development.
– Middle east largest mixed-use development.
– Once completed Festival City will comprise a series of residential communities, numerous hotels, malls, a golf course and other entertainment sites, and a full suite of public services, including schools.
Jumeirah Lake Towers
– 79 towers being constructed along the edges of four artificial lakes.
– centerpiece is the Almas Tower.
Pentominium
– 120 floors, 618 metres tall, currently under construction, will be completed by 2011.
– will be the tallest all-residential building when it is completed.
Burj Dubai
– almost completed, has already topped out at 818m, the only structure in the world that exceeds 800m or even 700m.
– 169 floors, designed by Adrian Smith (Skidmore, Owings and Merill).
– will be the world tallest structure and building when it is completed by the end of year 2009.
Proposed and Approved Constructions:
Nakheel Tower
– proposed and approved supertall skyscraper, standing at a height of over 1200m with over 200 floors.
– designed by architect, Woods Bagot, construction is currently on-hold and is to be continued by 2010.
Dubai Waterfront
– will be the world largest waterfront and world largest man-made development when completed.
– a conglomeration of canals and artificial islands, will occupy the last remaining Persian Gulf Coastline of Dubai.
– mixed use including commercial, residential, resort, and amenity areas. The vision of the project is “to create a world-class destination for residents, visitors and businesses in the world’s fastest growing city”.
– the artificial islands will form an arc, producing a shelter to the Palm Jebel Ali island.
Dynamic Tower
– proposed 420m skyscraper, 80 floors.
– architect: David Fisher.
– The tower is expected to be architecturally innovative for several reasons:
Uniquely, each floor will be able to rotate independently. This will result in a constantly changing shape of the tower. Each floor will rotate a maximum of 6 metres (20 ft) per minute, or one full rotation in 90 minutes.
It will also be the world’s first prefabricated skyscraper with 40 factory-built modules. 90% of the tower will be built in a factory and shipped to the construction site. This will allow the entire building to be built in only 22 months. The only part of the tower that will be built at the construction site will be the core. Part of this prefabrication will be the decrease in cost and number of workers (90 instead of 2,000 needed). The total construction time will be more than 30% less than a normal skyscraper of the same size. The majority of the workers will be in factories, where it will be much safer. The modules will be preinstalled including kitchen and bathroom fixtures. The core will serve each floor with a special connection for clean water, based on patented technology used to refuel airplanes in mid-flight.
The entire tower will be powered from wind turbines and solar panels. Enough surplus electricity should be produced to power five other similar sized buildings in the vicinity. The turbines will be located between each of the rotating floors. They could generate up to 1,200,000 kilowatt-hours of energy. The solar panels will be located on the roof. Construction of the Dynamic Tower, is expected to be completed in 2010.
There are actually a lot more projects in Dubai that are not mentioned here.
Built:
Burj al Arab
– 321m, 60 floors, designed by Tom Wright.
– stands on an artificial island 280m out of Jumeirah beach.
Rose Tower
– 333m, 72 floors, world tallest all-hotel building.
Emirates Office and Hotel Towers
– 355m (office) and 309m (hotel).
– symbol of Dubai city.
The Atlantis, Palm Island
– a five star hotel, including a water theme park, conference center and retail stores.
– grandest opening ceremony of a hotel ever, with $16 million spent just on the 100 000 fireworks that exploded over the whole Palm Jumeirah in around 15 minutes.
Information is taken from wikipedia and from some reliable websites. Pictures are from the internet too.
Really wished to go there for holiday trip!
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