We knew Dubai was growing uncontrollably, but this video demonstrates how absolutely crazy this growth has been. It covers 11 years, from 2000 to 2011. These sheiks and their real estate developers are completely nuts.
Made using images taken by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer on NASA’s Terra satellite, the video shows the Palm Islands growing, as well as The World, a constellation of islands resembling Earth. [NASA Earth Observatory]
John
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 10:57 AMAll built by virtual slave labour, using borrowed money that may or may not be paid back. Would not visit Dubai if you paid me.
Ben
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 11:07 AMPlease enlighten us with facts and evidence behind your claims (This’ll be good)…
And Dubai is most certainly on my bucket-list!
Lowselfesteem of Arabia
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 11:46 AMThose who admire the sickening excess and egotism of such places would be well-advised to look beyond the glitzy travel shows and their fawning endorsements.
Dubai is a classic example of people desperate to over-consume at all costs.
Their vacancy rates are huge (almost half their office space can’t be let – see below) yet they’re constantly over-extending to build the next monstrosity.
It wouldn’t surprise me if this is a factor in the inevitable next credit crisis.
http://www.zawya.com/story.cfm/sidZAWYA20120117111603/Dubai_property_prices_to_bottom_out_in_mid2012
“Office rents … down 10 per cent on average in Dubai … reflecting the slowdown in business activity coupled with relentless new supply … an estimated vacancy rate of 45 per cent in Dubai “
FactsAsRequested
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 8:26 PMhttp://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/johann-hari/the-dark-side-of-dubai-1664368.html
StevoTheDevo
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 11:51 AMCan’t comment on the borrowed money bit, but it’s common knowledge that the (generally) Pakistani workers are paid very little, live in squalid conditions and there is little to no safety concern.
They’re effectively slaves cause they are transported to Dubai on the promise of work and they’re required to work for a certain length of time to “pay” for the cost of transporting them and housing them.
Certainly, once the oil money runs out, you have to wonder where the money will come from to maintain all this unnecessary infrastructure and “tourist attraction”
CraftyNinja
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 3:26 PMtoo lazy to get you reference articles (do your OWN research dammit) but there have been tons of articles and exposes on the various goings on in Dubai.
The Sheikh of Dubai has no money because he had almost no oil, but he went ahead and borrowed tons hoping to make it all back when Dubai became the stopover capital of the world. Then the GFC hit.
He’s been bailed out a couple of times by the Sheikh of Abu Dhabi (same country, different emirate – a crucial difference).
Dubai isn’t as great as you claim to think it is. Its pretty pathetic and my recent trip saw me have a 2 day layover over there (I flew Emirates, FYI). Things were more expensive over there inspite of the Annual Dubai Shopping Festival, the malls were empty and the city was boring.
You can have a lot more fun in most other Arab countries. Like Oman for instance.
Steve
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 4:13 PMno idea about the borrowed monies but after staying in Al Sharjah, basically the workers part of dubai, they are yes virtually slaves, Getting paid less than they would in pakistan but at least its some money vs nothing back home.
PJD
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 11:12 PMMost of the persian gulf countries went from poor to rich, in a generation or two.. Many of the local natives there will not touch jobs like cleaning, manual construction labour, driving, etc.. they only want cushy jobs and a bigger pay check.. this explains the influx of foreigners ( who are not always treated with respect)
Noddy
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 11:53 AMJust goes to show what you can achieve when you have more money than sense!
Daniel
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 12:18 PMso what if they borrowed money, every country just about owes money
but anyway i just booked my hoilday for Dubai this year! bring it on :)
Dubaizzler
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 12:18 PMI lived in Dubai for many years and spend about 1 month a year there still and i can tell you it is a fact the workers there are basically slaves. and about 400-500 of the workers die a year. They are building in 45 degree heat with very little water. Its not like in australia it gets to 30 and everyone knocks off.
JonBOY
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 2:15 PMTHAT’S PROPOSTEROUS!
Since when do Aussies knock off at 30 degree heat? In a good summer it’s already 30 degrees by 10am, yet the country goes to work!
Noidberger
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 4:26 PMRubbish mate. You just knocked off our resources, agricultural and construction sectors with that comment. No siesta’s here.
PJD
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 11:05 PMGee whiz, Dubaizzler.. we’re not a bunch of laidback individuals here in OZ… we dont knock off when its 30 degrees…
But yea, our Health and Safety laws here, are much better than those in dubai and other persian gulf countries..
JonBOY
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 2:12 PMWhat’s with all the red? Do their houses and buildings have red roofs?….similar to how Chinese residences all seem to have blue roofs.
PJD
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 11:06 PMlol i think its the way satellites work… if u view other satellite photos ( from the 70′s till present) there’s different colours used in the imagery… some of them are also false colours
KW
Thursday, January 26, 2012 at 3:03 AMThese images are in “false color” (they involve thermal wavelengths in addition to a couple visible bands to make the images) so it is the vegetation that appears red.
Dennison
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 8:35 PM^ Nah I want a house with a Green roof in Chinese tradition means its a whore house :-)
I have been very interested in the economics of the world, and the interesting thing is (as everyone has mention) Dubai is not only broke, it super broke. They are now scrambling to try to get tourists, that’s why some many movies have been filmed there (the new Mission Impossible, and Sex in the City 2 just to name a few).
A fact that not many people know is Dubai pays it citizens to remain citizens. I knew a guys that said the government gave him a substaintial amount of money every year to stay a citizen, so that’s how he could afford a $120,000 GT-R while he was a 19-year old “student”. Doing that no wonder why they are broke.
Also a lot of news doesn’t get out because of strict media policies. They can demand websites be shut down for “slandering” the countries name.
Also I know from a first hand source that the Burj Khalifa (World’s tallest building) is 80% vacant. And that the government has instructed the demolition of other buildings that were in construction to make it seem that dubai isn’t / going to be a ghost town.
Abe
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 10:18 PMWasn’t sex and the city 2 filmed in Morocco?
Dubai really needs to change its extreme policies as well to become a better tourist destination, country is full of pointless rules thanks to extreme muslim poiicy being pushed around(i am muslim btw).
Such a modern country but crippled by extreme laws.
RH
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 10:26 PMThey might as well call themselves China due to their strict media policies! I wont be surprised if this site isn’t shutdown as we haven’t said one good thing about Dodgy Depressing Dubai. And yes, I have every right to speak because I have been there before. I don’t fancy getting groped by a local store owner while trying on an outfit, and then being followed around the streets of Dubai City by a guy carrying a stick thinking I was a local female out on my own. Not happy!
PJD
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 11:08 PMActually, it was going to be filmed in Abu Dhabi ( Dubai’s little more conservative neighbour), but they then went to film in Morocco… i reckon if they were to film in Dubai, they would have got clearance to do so…
Dennison
Thursday, January 26, 2012 at 9:51 AMSorry my bad! Yes it was filmed in Morocco, I should ask my sister, she’s nuts for the show.