onstruction of Burj Al Arab began in 1994. It was built to resemble the sail of a dhow, a type of Arabian vessel. The hotel cost $650 million to build.
The Burj Al Arab features the tallest atrium lobby in the world, at 180 meters (590 ft). The atrium dominates the interior of the hotel, and takes up over one-third of interior space.
While the exterior of the Burj Al Arab is expressed in terms of ultra-modern sculptural design, the interior guest space is a compilation of lavish and luxurious architectural styles from both the east and the west. The hotel boasts 8,000 square meters of 22-carat gold leaf and 24,000 square meters of 30 different types of marble.
Hotel Burj Al Arab
The Palm Jumeirah is an artificial island created using land reclamation by Nakheel, a company owned by the Dubai government. It is one of three islands called The Palm Islands which will increase Dubai’s shoreline by a total of 520 km. The Palm Jumeirah is the smallest and the original of three Palm Islands (Palm Jumeirah, Palm Jebel Ali and Palm Deira) under development by Nakheel. It is located on the Jumeirah coastal area of the emirate of Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates.
Over the next few years, as the tourism phases develop, The Palm Jumeirah is touted as soon to be one of the world’s premier resorts. The Palm Island is the self-declared 'Eighth Wonder of the World'. The island will double the length of the Dubai coastline.
According to the developer's , the Jumeirah Palm island will feature themed boutique hotels, three types of villas (Signature Villas, Garden Homes and Canal Cove Town Homes),
Palm Dubai
shoreline apartment buildings, beaches, marinas, restaurants, cafés and a variety of retail outlets. Over 30 beachfront hotels will be opened by the end of 2009
A 5.4 km (3.35 mile) monorail is being built on the island which will be able to transport 2,000-3,000 people on and off the island every hour. It is expected to open in late 2008
Burj Dubai (Arabic: "Dubai Tower") is a skyscraper under construction in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and is the tallest man-made structure on Earth. Construction began on September 21, 2004, and it is expected to be completed and ready for occupation in September 2009.
The building is part of the 2 km² (0.8 sq mi) development called 'Downtown Dubai'. The total budget for the Burj Dubai project is about US$4.1 billion and for the entire new 'Downtown Dubai', US$20 billion.
It will also feature the world's fastest elevator, rising and descending at 18 m/s (59 ft/s). A total of 56 elevators will be installed that can each carry 42 people at a time
Burj Dubai
The natural seawater inlet that cuts through the centre of the city is the historical part of Dubai where visitors can take an abra (small water taxi) and view the old trading port and the dhows from the water. A cruise to Al-Maktoum Bridge will pass many of the city's historic as well as modern landmarks. A stroll around the wharf offers a picturesque glimpse of Dubai's trading heritage, where dhows bound for distant places dock to unload their goods.
The Creek, a natural sea-water inlet which cuts through the centre of the city, is the historic focal point of life in Dubai. A stroll along its banks evokes the city’s centuries-old trading traditions.
Dubai Creek
Visitors will be captivated by the colour and bustle of the loading and unloading of dhows which still ply ancient trade routes to places as distant as India and East Africa.
Dubai Internet City (DIC) is an information technology park created by the Government of Dubai as a free economic zone and a strategic base for companies targeting emerging markets. Here companies can operate without restrictions, such as a 100% foreign ownership, similar to those prevailing in other provincial economic zones in the United Arab Emirates. This freedom has led many global information technology firms to move their regional base and resources to premises in the DIC. DIC is located right next to other industry clusters such as Dubai Media City and Dubai Knowledge Village.
The economic rules of DIC allow companies to avail themselves of a number of ownership, taxation and custom related benefits which are guaranteed by law for a period of 50 years. Major companies which have established operations at DIC include Microsoft, IBM, Oracle Corporation, Sun Microsystems, Cisco, HP, Nokia and Siemens, Nera Telecom, as well as UAE based companies such as i-mate, Acette and many others.
Dubai Internet City
DIC presently has over one and half million square feet of prime commercial office space, and there are over 850 companies with over 10,000 workers based in it.
Dubai Metro is a driverless, fully automated metro network which is under construction in the United Arab Emirates city of Dubai. The Red and Green Lines are under construction, and further lines are planned. The first two lines will run underground in the city centre and on elevated viaducts elsewhere. The Dubai Metro will be the longest fully automated rail system in the world when it opens in 2009. Planning of the Dubai Metro began under the directive of Dubai's ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum who expected other projects to attract 15 million visitors to Dubai by 2010. The combination of a rapidly-growing
Dubai Metro
population (expected to reach 3 million by 2017) and severe traffic congestion necessitated the building of an urban rail system to provide additional public transportation capacity, relieve motor traffic, and provide infrastructure for additional development.When completed, Dubai Metro will have a total of 70 kilometres (43 mi) of lines, and 47 stations (including 9 underground stations).
