The Inside Story on Dubai
Naif Kadhim was our guest speaker this week. He has had a very  interesting life to date: having served as an aide and translator to United States Forces in Iraq, then as an engineer involved in the planning and development of real estate developments in Dubai, of the United Arab Emirates.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE), a federation of seven emirates, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm al-Qaiwain, Ra’s al-Khaimah and Fujairah, was formally established on 2 December 1971.
The federation of the UAE, through the Federal Government with all its institutions, aims at achieving the following goals:
- Preserving the sovereignty, independence, security and stability of the federation of the emirates (the UAE)
- Pushing away any hostility against the federation’s existence or the existence of any of the emirates comprising it
- Preserving the rights and freedoms of the people
- Achieving prosperity and advancement in all fields
- Providing decent lives for all citizens
- Achieving solid cooperation between the seven emirates for their common interest and towards the achievement of the above goals, while maintaining respect of each emirate to the sovereignty and independence of the other emirates in its internal affairs and as stipulated within the constitution
In terms of foreign policy of the federal government, the focus is on supporting the interests and issues of the Arab and Islamic world, while strengthening the ties of friendship and cooperation with the entire world based on the principles of the United Nations Charter and the ideal international ethical principles.
One of the best known emirates is Dubai which has aggressively worked at developing itself as a financial hub in the Arab World, a leader in cultural development, a tourist destination and a leader in innovation. Two of the most notable innovations in real estate are the development of Dubai, The World (a group of man-made islands in the shape of the continents of the world) and Burj Khalifa the world's tallest building).
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At the left is a comparative of the Burj Dubai tower
and other structures around the world.
Above is a rendering of downtown Dubai City
and the mall area surrounding the Burj Dubai tower
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Saif hand hands-on exposure during the work done on Dubai, The World and spoke about the incrediable engineering requirements that were needed to make this visionary project possible. The World is a man-made archipelago of 300 islands constructed in the rough shape of a map of the landmasses of the Earth, located 4 kilometres off the coast of Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The World islands are composed mainly of sand dredged from Dubai's shallow coastal waters, and are one of several artificial island developments in Dubai. The World's developer is Nakheel Properties; the project was originally conceived by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai.
The World is serviced by four major transportation hubs linked by waterways. Land parcels are zoned for various uses: estate, mid density, high density, resorts and commercial. A Dubai Infinity Holdings construction planner has stated that developers have been negotiating with Nakheel about temporary siting of a cement batching plant on one of the islands to supply subdivided construction.
Utilities are routed underwater, with water plants at each of the hubs pumping fresh water to the islands. Power is supplied by the Dubai Grid and distributed through underwater cables. Waste water and refuse systems are an individual concern for each island.
The project was unveiled in May 2003 by Sheikh Mohammed and dredging began four months later in September 2003. By January 2008, 60% of the islands were sold, 20 of which were bought in the first four months of 2007. On 10 January 2008 the final stone on the breakwater was laid, completing development of the archipelago. As of November, 2009, commercial and residential properties are not currently being constructed on purchased islands. The Times Online reported in 2009 that work on The World had been suspended due to the effects of the global financial crisis. More info on The World available here [http://www.theworld.ae/]
The world's tallest building, Burj Khalifa, located in Dubai City officially opened in January 2010. More info here [http://www.burjdubai.com/]
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