Dubai The Model?
By Justin Gardner | Related entries in The WorldLooks like there’s at least one Arab country that’s embracing capitalism in a major way…
The Burj Al Arab, one of the world’s premier luxury hotels, doesn’t have Wi-Fi.It does, however, feature a personalized butler for each of the 202 rooms (suites, actually, which cover a few hundred square meters each), a helipad and Rolls Royce service to the airport. The hotel’s 1,400-person staff includes a team of aquarium specialists from Britain. Rates start at $1,250 a night.
It’s only one of the many audacious buildings in Dubai, the latest frontier for Wild West investing. Another company, Emaar, is constructing the Burj Al Dubai, which could become the world’s tallest building in a few years, while rival Nakheel is constructing man-made islands in the shape of palm trees, called the Palms, and another set of islands shaped like a map of the world. Add to the mix one of the world’s biggest indoor ski slopes, which just opened, and an 8 million square foot amusement park opening in the near future.
You also see work by Bin Laden, the father of the al-Qaida leader. This explains the “Sorry for the inconvenience–Bin Laden” signs at detours.
A staggering rise in oil prices, combined with a fear that oil reserves may slow in the next few decades, has transformed what was a somewhat regional hub into what some believe could be the world’s next megalopolis. The excitement is attracting an army of snazzy visitors, as well as an army of expats. Every day brings something new.
A few night ago, Rabea Ataya, CEO of Bayt.net, a Middle East version of Monster.com, saw former U.S. President Bill Clinton in the upper lobby of the Burj. Descending an escalator, Ataya spotted Sir Richard Branson of the U.K.-based Virgin Group holding court about the Virgin Megastore just opened here and bringing space travel to the United Arab Emirates. Tennis player Roger Federer had passed through a few days earlier.
Interesting, no?
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