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Dubai

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I recently learned that Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, is soon to be the location of the world's tallest building, as well as the world's first 7-star hotel. (It was in an article in Men's Health or GQ, I can't recall which.) The website for the tallest building is at www.burjdubai.com. The amenities and stuff are just amazing. Supposedly this city is going to be the hub of commerce in the Middle East. I hope so, because the drawings I've seen of future skylines, etc., make it look like something out of a Bryan Larsen painting. (At the BD site, click on "The Tower" and you'll see what I mean.) Enjoy!

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From pictures I've seen, Dubai has a lot of very cool-looking towers.

I also think their "Palm Island" project is such fun. The basic idea is to reclaim land from the sea, but to to it in a way that can give people lots of sea-front. In a touch of extravagance, they planned the whole thing to loom like a palm tree from the sky.

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Wow! I am blown away. Makes me think of the thread where someone wandered into the forum and asked if their are limits to economic growth. Supposedly, the economist Solow has a formula that shows how things end up in a steadty state...blah, blah... it has just about as much worth as 90% of the other economic models out there.

The answer to all that is not another model or formula, it's a picture of what man can do: a ski resort in the desert.

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Wow. That's amazing. I know we talk about Israel a lot, but I really think that the U.A.E is the model for the rest of the Middle East to follow. They've done a very good job of staying out of the stupid affairs of others and profiting from the increased business.

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I think the 7-star hotel I mentioned is the Burj Al Arab.

Jeez, guys, the luxury in Dubai never stops. Apparently, someone's working on an underwater luxury hotel. It's called "Hydropolis." Here's an article. An underwater hotel! This is the kind of stuff I would expect to see in a LFC society. If this can be done in the Middle East, imagine what can be done in America, and what could be done if America became more free!

:D That's me when I hear about such ingenuity.

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Here's a consular information sheet on the UAE from the US State Dept. From the country description at the beginning:

"The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a federation of seven independent emirates, each with its own ruler. The federal government is a constitutional republic, headed by a president and council of ministers. Islamic ideals and beliefs provide the conservative foundation of the country's customs, laws and practices. The UAE is a modern, developed country, and tourist facilities are widely available."

[Edit: Link to background notes, which has the country "specs."]

Edited by Groovenstein
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Arab_Emirates

"The UAE has no political parties. There are steps toward democratic government: In December 1, 2005, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan announced that half of the Federal National Council would be elected while the other half appointed by the rulers. This is assumed to be the first of many steps towards a fully democratic government. The rulers hold power on the basis of their dynastic position and their legitimacy in a system of tribal consensus. Rapid modernization, enormous strides in education, and the influx of a large foreign population have changed the face of the society but have not fundamentally altered this traditional political system."

So, it seems to be like Singapore. Good economy, less then free politics, but not oppresive.

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Here's an interesting link Google returned: Index of Economic Freedom 2005 - United Arab Emirates

What caught my eye (just some highlights) ...

Government Intervention - According to the Economist Intelligence Unit, the government consumed 17 percent of GDP in 2002. In the same year, based on data from the central bank, the UAE received 64.5 percent of its total revenues from state-owned enterprises and government ownership of property.

Banking and Finance - There are 20 domestic banks, 14 of which have some federal or local government ownership, and 26 foreign banks.

Wages and Prices - The government affects prices through extensive government subsidies.

Property Rights - All land in Abu Dhabi, the largest of the UAE’s seven emirates, is owned by the government.

Regulation - Establishing a business in the UAE is easy if the business is not to compete directly with state-owned concerns.

Yep, they've got a ways to go economically. I also turned up a few articles on social issues, too. It seems the government's not taking human trafficking (forced prostitution, child slavery) too seriously, religious intermarrying is a crime, and women have a poor standing in society.

Of course, all I did was a little Google-skimming, so I'm making an assumption here ... but it appears the UAE is a smaller Saudi Arabia.

(woohoo! 100!)

Edited by synthlord
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  • 1 month later...

Thanks for that article, David. Here are a couple of great ones:

"This strange land and its buoyant economy has no income or corporation tax, no national insurance contributions, no inheritance tax and no capital gains tax. . . . [T]ax is largely limited to administrative fees and indirect levies on hotel bills and restaurant meals (though banks and oil companies also have to pay some tax on profits)."

And, get this, emphasis mine:

"He is not having a nightmare, only dreaming of Dubai – a tiny city state, part of the United Arab Emirates, a country as different from Brown’s crumbling Britain as it is possible to get, a unique cross between a traditional Islamic Middle Eastern emirate and a scene from one of Ayn Rand’s novels."

It IS possible!

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  • 3 months later...
Amazing!

This is what buildngs should be, a testament to man's ability to shape this world.

I think the island that it will be built on is a better testament to man's ability to shape this world...this time, in the literal sense.

http://www.curbed.com/archives/2005/10/13/...oomtown_uae.php

Edited by Moose
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  • 1 year later...
  • 3 months later...
They just keep achieving. Now they've got a bar/lounge made of ice. The article is mostly good, save for the tripe about energy consumption, to which I respond: Look what man can do! Consume away!

I've actually seen the ice lounge in other places before, as far back as 6 or 7 years ago. Not really anything new - basically just a giant freezer that you can sit in.

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I never said it was the first ever. Although it is the first in the Middle East, where the idea of an ice lounge in that weather is great.

I only said it was awesome. If all you have to offer is "it's nothing new", I'd prefer you just kept that to yourself, especially in light of your posting history here. When someone like me wants to celebrate something awesome, someone like you should keep his pithy remarks to himself.

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