Dubai is registered as one of the seven Emirates of the UAE. Its reputation as the central business district of the country gives it much more prestige than the capital itself, Abu Dhabi (also one of the Emirates). Only a few foreigners acknowledge the fact, I guess, that the biggest part of Dubai's income has always come from international trades and businesses, instead of oil & gas. Today, Dubai is a major hub connecting Africa and Middle East from the rest of the world. Downtown Dubai is divided by the Dubai Creek into two, Bur Dubai and Deira, both parts equally lively.
Dubai is also often associated with out-of-this-world projects. They’re everywhere, growing and expanding in an unbelievable pace. Everyone knows Burj Al Arab, the most prestigious hotel ever in the world, Burj Dubai (expected to be finished next year), and the hottest of them all, the World and the Palm Islands around it. This world’s largest man-made groups of island will have exclusive villas as well as upclass hotels in it. They say all the villas were sold out within 72 hours after the project was announced (and now, before they even materialize, the prices have increased at least triple the initial ones). Sale was also boosted high up by the government’s decision to allow non-UAE nationals to "own" properties in Dubai (you can rent the land for 99 years, and your whole family will be granted residential visa valid accordingly).
However, I must say that quite contrary to what many imagine, Dubai is not that developed… yet. The most common "panorama" I see is construction sites and sandy grounds spreading along its oh-so-wide streets. Trees are very scarce, except in some spots scattered in the city (obviously, it’s not cheap to plant trees in such sandy area), and many of its residents are still ill-mannered. Even queueing isn’t common here. This is perhaps due to the continuous, massive international recruitments they do. Many of the low-level immigrant recruits don’t speak English good enough, much less Arabic.
Considering how fast it grows these years, though, it’s safe enough to say that Dubai will be a real developed region within the next 10 years (provided Israel no longer continues its wicked expansion, that is). The MRT projects have also been planned. However, I personally doubt that the emirate has anticipated this massive immigrant booming as an inevitable side effect of its super ambitious development. Even now, housing is already a big problem for low to middle level employees. When a monthly rent for a shabby one-bedroom apartment reaches AED 3,000 (± USD 800), an average salary of AED 4,000 for entry level executives is definitely insufficient.
Dubai is also often associated with out-of-this-world projects. They’re everywhere, growing and expanding in an unbelievable pace. Everyone knows Burj Al Arab, the most prestigious hotel ever in the world, Burj Dubai (expected to be finished next year), and the hottest of them all, the World and the Palm Islands around it. This world’s largest man-made groups of island will have exclusive villas as well as upclass hotels in it. They say all the villas were sold out within 72 hours after the project was announced (and now, before they even materialize, the prices have increased at least triple the initial ones). Sale was also boosted high up by the government’s decision to allow non-UAE nationals to "own" properties in Dubai (you can rent the land for 99 years, and your whole family will be granted residential visa valid accordingly).
However, I must say that quite contrary to what many imagine, Dubai is not that developed… yet. The most common "panorama" I see is construction sites and sandy grounds spreading along its oh-so-wide streets. Trees are very scarce, except in some spots scattered in the city (obviously, it’s not cheap to plant trees in such sandy area), and many of its residents are still ill-mannered. Even queueing isn’t common here. This is perhaps due to the continuous, massive international recruitments they do. Many of the low-level immigrant recruits don’t speak English good enough, much less Arabic.
Considering how fast it grows these years, though, it’s safe enough to say that Dubai will be a real developed region within the next 10 years (provided Israel no longer continues its wicked expansion, that is). The MRT projects have also been planned. However, I personally doubt that the emirate has anticipated this massive immigrant booming as an inevitable side effect of its super ambitious development. Even now, housing is already a big problem for low to middle level employees. When a monthly rent for a shabby one-bedroom apartment reaches AED 3,000 (± USD 800), an average salary of AED 4,000 for entry level executives is definitely insufficient.
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