Groovenstein Posted December 2, 2005 Report Share Posted December 2, 2005 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! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
softwareNerd Posted December 2, 2005 Report Share Posted December 2, 2005 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Groovenstein Posted December 3, 2005 Author Report Share Posted December 3, 2005 Add to this an indoor ski resort! It's the Middle East's only and the world's third largest. (article) Wow, Dubai must be the place to rock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
softwareNerd Posted December 3, 2005 Report Share Posted December 3, 2005 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Styles2112 Posted December 6, 2005 Report Share Posted December 6, 2005 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Groovenstein Posted December 7, 2005 Author Report Share Posted December 7, 2005 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! That's me when I hear about such ingenuity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HaloNoble6 Posted December 7, 2005 Report Share Posted December 7, 2005 Does anyone now about the rule of law there, the kind of economy they have, government, etc.? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Groovenstein Posted December 7, 2005 Author Report Share Posted December 7, 2005 (edited) 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 December 7, 2005 by Groovenstein Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strangelove Posted December 7, 2005 Report Share Posted December 7, 2005 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lemuel Posted December 7, 2005 Report Share Posted December 7, 2005 (edited) 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 December 7, 2005 by synthlord Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidV Posted January 8, 2006 Report Share Posted January 8, 2006 it appears the UAE is a smaller Saudi Arabia. Except for one small difference... NO TAX! http://www.thebusinessonline.com/Stories.a...87-51DC79546E35 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Groovenstein Posted January 8, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2006 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! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewYorkRoark Posted May 2, 2006 Report Share Posted May 2, 2006 I can't wait to see this building. Trump International Hotel & Tower Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IAmMetaphysical Posted May 2, 2006 Report Share Posted May 2, 2006 Amazing! This is what buildngs should be, a testament to man's ability to shape this world. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Wrath Posted May 2, 2006 Report Share Posted May 2, 2006 (edited) 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 May 2, 2006 by Moose Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Sophia~ Posted May 3, 2007 Report Share Posted May 3, 2007 Wow, that is one place I would like to visit someday. Anybody know if they started building this Trump tower yet (below)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Solid_Choke Posted May 3, 2007 Report Share Posted May 3, 2007 Wow, that is one place I would like to visit someday. Anybody know if they started building this Trump tower yet (below)? I really hope to see this before I expire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Groovenstein Posted May 3, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 3, 2007 (edited) Be sure to check the links and information provided in this earlier thread on the wonders of Dubai (one of which is an indoor ski resort!). Edited May 3, 2007 by softwareNerd I merged the two threads Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wotan Posted May 3, 2007 Report Share Posted May 3, 2007 How in Allah's name do they get away with all this in a hellhole Muslim country? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gags Posted May 3, 2007 Report Share Posted May 3, 2007 I guess they get away with it by not practicing what they preach. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Groovenstein Posted August 11, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 11, 2007 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! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moebius Posted August 12, 2007 Report Share Posted August 12, 2007 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Groovenstein Posted August 12, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 12, 2007 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toolboxnj Posted October 5, 2007 Report Share Posted October 5, 2007 Sorry, but I can't get all that excited about the UAE. Just because there are state of the art hotels and tourist attractions, it doesn't mean the people are free. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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