what about the world map islands? i heard its all sold out too. Heard people ended up fighting for islands which represented the country that was under some other country's rule and people bought the islands to have some self satisfaction :D
There was a really good article with pictures in Toronto Star recently.
I dunno how far that is true, but I'll verify...
ok i found something but love to see the pictures...
Dubai's Islands
By AFP/Fiona MacDonald
There are only so many islands in the world but the dream of owning one, for the super rich anyway, is becoming very much a reality -- in Dubai.
A cluster of 300 islands, shaped like a world map, is gradually surfacing on Gulf waters, making the dream of procuring a private water retreat within an ultra-luxurious setting very real indeed.
In this affluent emirate, construction is being taken to such extremes that there are no boundaries set by any lack of suitable real estate.
So, you can buy the island paradise of Iran, France, Texas, Lebanon, Sudan, Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia, New Delhi, New York or even Iraq, provided you're one of the world's wealthiest and accredited to own them.
Israel and Palestine won't exist. But neither will various other countries for merely design and practicality purposes, according to Wahid Attalla, Executive Director for Commercial and Operations at Nakheel, the property developer that has embarked on this most immoderate project.
About 10 percent of "The World" has been sold, Attalla told AFP, while around 12 islands are already above water, marking the beginnings of yet another extravagant Dubai landmark.
All of Australia, comprising 14 separate islands, has been snapped up by a Kuwaiti consortium planning a multi-purpose development. All that can be revealed of the other buyers is that they involve "some impressive names", among them celebrities.
"I think it's the most exclusive development in the world," said Attalla. "You're talking about buying an island for millions. You will need to spend twice as much to develop it.
"So it's a mega investment. That's part of the exclusivity, over and above, of course, that the project is unique.
"With the level of investment, we have been requested by the investors to give them the opportunity that when they are ready with their designs and everything, they will make the announcement."
The World will be 5.5 kilometres (3.5 miles) in length and width and cover 60 million square feet (5.5 million square metres), including 10 million square feet (930,000 square metres) of beach.
Prices for the islands range from 23 million to 135 million dirhams (6.2 million to 36.7 million dollars). They will measure between 120,000 and 450,000 square feet (11,148 and 41,806 square metres), separated by nearly 100 metres of water.
The three-billion-dollar development, forecast for completion at the end of 2007, will be located four kilometres (2.5 miles) off Dubai's shores halfway between the landmark Burj Al-Arab hotel and Port Rashid. Access will be by sea or air.
The project is along the coast from the world's largest two man-made islands in the shape of palm trees, The Palm Jumeirah and The Palm Jebel Ali, rapidly taking shape and also developed by Nakheel.
The grandiose developments are only some of a raft of pioneering schemes launched by Dubai, one of seven city states that make up the UAE federation.
Though buyers of property on both palm islands have to meet certain criteria, they are not under the strict guidelines for owning part of The World.
"We don't just sell to anyone who has the money, you have to pre-qualify," said Attalla. So unless purchasing an island for private use, prospective investors have to submit a company profile, bank references and a track record of hospitality or tourism developments undertaken.
Nakheel, which three and a half years ago didn't even exist, is targeting "the big investors, sea lovers and yacht owners," and heavily promoting its developments and Dubai in general at international shows attended by the like.
Given the extent of investment opportunity in Dubai and its booming real estate market, Attalla sees the islands being used more for commercial projects than private homes.
And "with the exception of one or two cases where buyers have an attachment to a certain country, some of the rest are planning to change the (island) name once it's developed," he said.
Affluent Dubai, which has launched a bid to establish itself as the Gulf's business and leisure hub, has ambitious plans to attract 15 million visitors by 2010 and 40 million by 2015.
DUBAI SUCKS!!!
trust me i was born and raised there, but if you wanna experience the real culture - go down to Al - Ain or Hatta
Al-Ain Rocks!!!
Al ain is a gaaon wat u talkin bout lolz
i recently passed through .. as i usually do every year.. it's still the same.. getting a little more expensive by the year though..
he has been to a disco in da gaoon of al ain & he loves it there…
^^ abey chuup! Al-Ain ko kuuch nahi kehna yaar...
I spent my childhood there - shyte - just thinking about it man... its so nostalgic - hehe... my tummy feels funny.
We used to live in the Kuweytat and Neyadat counties... friends were in Jimmi... wow, I still remember the names.
So many fond memories - those were the days, no worries...
Jabel Hafeet, Ain-al-Fayda, Hili Fun City, the 24 recreation parks... can't beat that now can you... I know its not a cosmopolitan city, but who says it has to be. Some people might just enjoy the serenity of the oasis.
It is the largest inland city in the Emirates nonetheless. We used to go to Dubai almost every month though, but even friends who moved from Dubai to Al-Ain later confessed that the experience is quite different. Kuuch baat hai Al-Ain mey :)
Just found these on the web... wow, its changed over the past 11 years!
if you guys have any more pics of Al-Ain, please post'em here. Man, I feel like going back.
[thumb=H]Downtown_Mosque1531_4454568.JPG[/thumb]
[thumb=H]whatever_alain531_4454568.JPG[/thumb]
[thumb=H]Al-Ain_A531_7446996.JPG[/thumb]
[thumb=H]alain2531_6267297.JPG[/thumb]
Al Ain rocks mate I was there on jebel hafeet on Eid, & it was chilly there…
it hasnt changed much, Xcept that da roads are newer & buildings are new…
man I'm teary eyed just reminiscing and thinking about ole times... heh.
dont, just take it cool pirawa...take a trip down memory lane, visit us...
I'm seriously thinking about it... may be in February.
ur phelgm, drop in a pm…before coming…omair is coming in february too…
WHAT!!! AL-AIN HAS DEVELOPED TOO!?!?!?! thats it i am moving to Hatta - hopefully that place is still a gaon and has respect for humanity
lol
al ain basically got a few extra bldgs compared to AJMAn thats bout itl.
diff expericence form dubai someone was talkin bout it up there..
ofcourse diff ..
Shehr sey gaaon mein jaao gey to different to hoga naa....
phir bhi Gaon ahi...
^ u're just jealous cuz u dunn have the peace, serenity noise and pollution free air... khair sannu kee... tussi gaoN kehna hai tey gaoN hee kawo - khuush.
al ain will always rock if it is da greenery & serenity that u want……ozzy we will build a home similar to that sheikh who has built one on that high peak…
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by nikhil25: *
I heard the same thing from a couple guys last week. I think the obvious reason is that Dubai is ultimately an almost 'artificially' wealthy society (oil revenues). Other cities with such appearances and facilities have been the products of industrialization and diverse economic input from various sectors. Dubai has done a great job of growing a free economy recently, but that core sense of industry does not exist. As a result, all the firms and enterprises that would exist in a comparable city simply do not exist in Dubai. This is gradually changing as Dubai adapts and braces for significantly slowed oil production (estimated by 2010). It will be very interesting to see how everything works out in 10 years or so.
[/QUOTE]
all the fuzz about oil shortages doesnt exist right now! There is no proof for it and there will be coz no one can estimate it with any existing method. So thats why you will see Dubai and all the other OIL buddies alive for the next 50 yrs and more...til then who knows where we will be.
Re: Take a look at the new Dubai
ANYONE HERE KNOW SHARJAH??
P.S. Plz moderators have some mercy on this fellow who couldn't resist to answer your tantalizing GupShup threads..
Re: Take a look at the new Dubai
bus aur kaam hee kya hai inhain 