Abu Dhabi The Capital of United Arab Emirates

While all the focus has been on its neighbor Dubai, Abu Dhabi, the capital of the seven city-states that make up the United Arab Emirates, has pursued similar global playground goals, but with more restraint and focus. Which is why when Dubai cried "uncle" to its creditors in late November, everyone looked to Abu Dhabi to help set it straight. This fiscal crisis will give the world the opportunity to see how a gulf state that didn't spend all its money on indoor ski resorts and a palm tree-shaped island can weather a crisis. For travelers -- especially business ones -- it will be the year that defines whether Abu Dhabi will be a flash in the pan or the next serious entrant on the global stage. In our guidebook to the region we said, "Abu Dhabi can seem a little slow and perhaps even a bit boring. But its beaches are just as beautiful, there's less traffic and more greenery, and the character is distinctly Emirati, preserving much of the conservative heritage that its northeastern neighbor has begun to toss off."

burj khalifa Biggest Tower of the World

Dubai: burj khalifa, standing tall at nearly 2,684 feet (818 meters) and twice the height of the Empire State Building, was unveiled on Monday in a grand ceremony.

Burj Dubai has 168 stories, making it the tallest structure on earth. After six years, $1.5 billion and a last-minute name change, the Burj Dubai - now the Burj Khalifa has officially opened for business.

During a glitzy celebration Monday night, the full scope of the Burj was finally revealed.

It's an astonishing feat of engineering.

 

 

 

 

The architects say it's inspired by the shape of a desert flower, built in the shape of the letter Y. Its elevators can travel 1,600 feet in two minutes.

Almost twice the height of New York's famous Empire State Building, the temperature in Celsius at the top is up to 10 degrees cooler than at the bottom.

It boasts luxury apartments and offices, four swimming pools, a private library and a hotel designed by Giorgio Armani.

It will also have the most elevated place of worship in the world with plans for a mosque on the 158th floor.

"It's really a reflection of the people who live in this city. It's a reflection of the environment in this city, that's optimistic, that's happy, that's cheerful. It's also a reflection of the leadership, and the attitude that the leadership have here which is yes it can be done," says Emaar Properties Chairman Mohamed Alabbar.

But as Dubai tries to focus the spotlight on the Burj, its debt crisis is making headlines around the world.

In November 2009 Dubai shocked investors when it asked for a freeze on payments towards its $26 million debt and then took a $10 million bailout from its neighbour, Abu Dhabi.

Dubai will likely survive its financial woes and the developer of Burj Dubai is confident his investment will pay off.

"There's a life to live, there's activities to be done. And you know this slowdown has been here now for us for over fifteen months and we expect that we should be on the way back to gradual growth and gradual activity," says Alabbar.

Perhaps the Burj will provide the jump start this emirate so desperately needs. The developer says the building is already 90 per cent sold.

Al Burj Khalifa Tower - Dubai Building 1Km World's Tallest Landmark

The Burj khalifa tower in Dubai, UAE, became the world’s tallest building on 21 July, at 512 metres. That tower will be around 800 metres tall when completed in 2009, thereby beating 554 metre Toronto CN tower, making it the world's tallest landmark.

But not satisfied with it Dubai is now planing to surpass it's own world records with Al Burj tower which will have more than 200 floors and a dizzying height 1 km!

Al Burj (The Tall Tower) project being planned by Nakheel will be 1,050 metres tall, comfortably exceeding the height of the rival Burj Dubai and making it the world’s tallest building. Source: Fahad Inc.

Nakheel has kept the tower’s height a closely guarded secret as it waits for its more advanced rival, being developed by Emaar Properties, to reach its final height later this year. However, meed.com has confirmed that design plans show the tower to be more than 1 kilometre tall, at 1,050 metres.

The building will actually consist of three separate towers built around a hollow interior and joined together by several sky bridges that function as sky lobbies. One of the towers is shorter than the other two and has a large outdoor pool on the roof while the other two are topped with large spires.

Designs for the Tall Tower show 228 floors, a four-level basement and one service sub-level – a total built-up area of 1.49 million square metres with 492,000 square metres of useable space. It will house offices, apartments and hotels. The top habitable floor will be at 850 metres, topped by a 200-metre central spire with a three-level function area and three service floors.

The two images below show a comparison of the proposed Al Burj Tower against the Burj Dubai tower and how the Al Burj will look like at night when completed.

By the way, Al Burj will be the sixth tower in dubai to exceed 100 floors. Only Chicago in the world boasts of more than 1 super tower. According to DesiNotes, the six super towers in Dubai are:

1. “Burj Dubai” which has reached 130 floors and will be the tallest in the world by early 2009. It is already the tallest having beaten Taipei 101 of Taiwan. When complete it will be more than 800 meters in height.
2. “Burj Al Alam” will rise to 108 floors
3. “Marina 101” will rise to 101 storeys.
4. “Princess Tower” will have 107 floors
5. “Pentominium” will be of 120 floors.
6. “Al Burj” which ultimately will be the tallest tower surpassing even Burj Dubai is expected to be between 180 and 200 floors.

PS. Despite all these facinating records and statistics the fact remains that Al Burj tower is nothing but an extravagant Arab monument of oil wealth, conceit, ego and a white elephant, just like the Dubai Palm islands and UAE's other giant projects. Anyone with a common sense will see this building for what it is - ‘another imprudent petrodollar extravaganza’. Unfortunately these Arabs don't seem to realize it.

Helix Hotel, 5 Star Hotel to Rise in Abu Dhabi, UAE

The Helix is a 5 star luxury hotel that will rise in coming months in Zayed Bay in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Designed by American firm Leeser Architects, the Helix Hotel for its staggered floor plates, it rests in the bay, partially floating in the water. The hotel features 208 guest rooms and suites arranged around a helical floor, the floor constantly shifts as it rises to the top floor. The hotel includes a glass-bottomed swimming pool on the roof, visible eight floors below, and a running track on the fifth floor. Guests can take advantage of the lounges, cafes, meeting rooms, indoor health spa, running track and indoor fountain. The spiral body hides a careful study, who has a proud and block light, free from the cone of shadow pervading the corridors and in other hidden areas of traditional hotels. The space is expressed in a joyful but functional.

Dubai-Another World

The first human settlement in the history of Dubai was in approximately 3000 BC, when the area was inhabited by nomadic cattle herders. In the 3rd century AD, the area came under the control of the Sassanid Empire which lasted until the 7th century, when the Umayyad Caliphate took control and introduced Islam to the area. The area was sustained by fishing and pearl diving for a thousand years, with the first records of the town being made in 1799 when the Bani Yas clan established it as a dependency of Abu Dhabi. Dubai became a separate Sheikhdom in 1833, when the Al-Maktoum dynasty of the Bani Yas clan (initially from Abu Dhabi) took it over peacefully. The invention of artificial pearls in 1926 and the Great Depression in 1929 caused a collapse in the international pearl market, which resulted in Sheikh Saeed looking for an alternative source of income and Dubai becoming one of the leading re-export ports in the world. In 1966, oil was discovered in Dubai, which changed the country beyond recognition and led to Dubai becoming the vibrant, modern, business-centred city-state it is today.

Surprising Dubai UAE

Palm Trump Hotel in Dubai

This has to be the best looking building from master marketer and developer Donald Trump. This one is in Dubai and it is already selling fast. Architecture at it's finest!

Surprising Dubai

beautiful view of atlantis hotel dubai

image of Dubai Hotels future plans

luxury suite bed in burj al arab

way to atlantis hotel Palm Jumairah dubai

mall of emirates inside

dubai mall of emirats

palm jumeirah luxury apartments & villas real state

madinat jumeirah dubai

burj al arab dubai images

palm jumeirah

Famous Places of Dubai, UAE another world

Once an obscure corner of Arabia, the United Arab Emirates has transformed itself into an Arabian success story through a mix of oil profits, stability a sharp eye for business. Visitors are attracted by beaches, deserts, oases, camel racing, Bedouin markets and the legendary duty-free shopping of Dubai-all packed into a relatively small area. Dubai is the Singapore of the Gulf, with bustling harbours, gigantic shopping malls and bold architecture. Each of the seven emirated bears a unique character.

BEST TIME TO VISIT:
November to April

SURPRISES:
The United Arab Emirates is the cheapest place outside lran to buy lranian caviar

The oil-rich emirate of Abu Dhabi has two beautiful oases: the attractively green and orderly Al-Ain and the spectacular contrast of green farms and towering pink dunes at Liwa. Sharjah offers the country’s best museums and art gallery, and a magnificent zoo, as well as the charming port of Khor Fakkan. The smaller emirates quieter-Umm as-Qaiwain is the closest thing to what the frishing and pearling towns of 50 years ago must have been like.

In 1990, Dubai’s government became aware that they depended entirely of fossil energies (petrol) and decided to start reconversion in favor of new technologies, commerce and luxury related business. In 15 years, the contribution of petrol in the GNP (Gross National Product) dropped from 80% to 10%.