4/6/2005: Your gas dollars are at work in Dubai, part 1
Have you heard of Dubai? If not, you will.
If you thought the Persian Gulf was all desert and war zones, think again. There's a revolution going on in Dubai, the second largest city in United Arab Emirates. A building revolution, and this is its centerpiece, the Burj Al Arab Hotel:
At 1,052 feet it's the tallest hotel in the world and billed as the most luxurious. It's built on a man-made island and has 202 deluxe suites, each with laptop, fax, copier, 42" plasma tv, dvd, and 24k (that's pure) gold leaf fittings. It also boasts six restaurants and bars, and a helipad. No pets.
You may have seen the helipad in use recently when Andre Agassi & Roger Federer lobbed a few balls around up there during the Dubai Tennis Championships. They turned it into a golf green awhile back too for Tiger Woods to putt around on. These folks know how to do a publicity stunt! Just don't go running for lost balls..
The Burj Al Arab site is worth a look, even if you can't scrape together enough change to make a reservation. Don't miss the virtual tour section.
But that's just the beginning. 
Dubai also has some of the most spectacular buildings and building projects in the world. Four of them are man-made island communities for the very very wealthy and like nothing you've ever seen: the Palm Jumeirah will be completed late this year and the Palm Jebel Ali will be completed in 2007. Each resort community is a palm tree-shaped series of islands with luxury hotels, custom homes, villas, apartments, marinas, theme parks, you name it. We aren't talking a few dozen mansions here - we're talking thousands of homes. And if that wasn't enough to make you realize just how un-wealthy you are, get this: the Crown Prince of Dubai ordered a third Palm to be built as quickly as possible "in response to popular request by investors" in the other two Palms. The Deira Palm will have 8,000 villas! 
Work is well underway on all three Palms as well as the fourth and even more unique island project: The World. Instead of building the islands in a palm shape, The World will be in the shape of - you guessed it - the world, to be completed this year. The lucky residents of The World will have to choose which of the 250-300 private islands they want to call their own. Starting price: about $6.85 million.. I'm sure most will go for a whole lot more.
Official sites for both The Palms and The World are definitely worth the clicks, and you have to watch the videos for these projects! They won't help the time pass any faster in your dead-end job, but they'll give you something to daydream about while you're there. Video links are at the bottom of each page:
The Palms video (mostly Palm Jumeirah)
The World video (the better of the two)
All four developments are selling now, so get your bids in soon.
Here's the kicker: these artificial island projects are being built without ecological damage. I know, that was going to be your justification to get pissy about the whole thing.. sorry. You're just going to have to be jealous and leave it at that.
I've made (and revised since this post) a Keyhole tour with overlay satellite & aerial photos of these projects showing where they are. Now that it's done and Part 2 is posted, I can get back to eking out my meager living.. sigh.
Aerial photo of Palm Deira island-building by Brian McMorrow
