Dubai - The City of the Future

It isn't just technology that interests me. My whole life, I've been fascinated by cities and skyscrapers, which has fueled many of my choices for travel destinations (including New York, Chicago, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, and Singapore).

In recent times, I have come to look at a new destination: Dubai (United Arab Emirates).

It's a name I had heard of before, but it didn't mean anything to me. I knew the most highly-rated airport in the world was there. I had also heard that a new tower, to be the world's tallest building, was in the process of being constructed. Most bizarrely, I heard a story that they were building an indoor ski resort - interesting considering the place is a desert.

Finally, I decided to do a little research into this place. Here is what I learned.

Dubai is a city-state, part of the United Arab Emirates, situated on the Persian Gulf. It's ruler is an "enlightened despot" in the sense that he has opened Dubai to foreign investment. As Islamic states go, there are more freedoms found here than just about anywhere else. Of course, when over 80% of your population is comprised of expatriates, you can perhaps afford to ease up on the restrictions.

The real story of Dubai, though, is what is in the process of happening right now. Namely, construction of the most futuristic skyline and luxurious lifestyle of any place on Earth.

The crown jewel - and there are many to be found here - is the Burj Dubai (Dubai Tower), currently under construction. When finished, it is expected to be the tallest building in the world. A stunning virtual video of Dubai with the completed Burj Dubai can be seen here.

But there is SO much more going on in Dubai than just the Burj Dubai. There's a long list of the world's biggest or most unique: mall, hotel, tower, and so on. Read more here.

The Toronto Star recently described Dubai as a desert oasis. It isn't an oasis for everyone, though. Much of the construction work is being done by underpaid foreign workers. Alas, somebody always pays the price for something spectacular.

Anyway, Dubai is on my radar now. I hope to visit there, perhaps around 2010 when many of these construction projects have been completed. In the meantime, it'll be fun to watch this 'Star Wars' city rise from the desert.

Update (August 12, 2006): Recently discovered the following promotional video for the mega construction projects currently underway or in the planning stages for Dubai. If you have an hour to kill, watch this.