The Dubai government's decision to diversify from a trade-based but oil-reliant economy to one that is service- and tourism-oriented has made real estate and other developments more valuable, resulting in the property boom from 2004–2006. Construction on a large scale has turned Dubai into one of the fastest-growing cities in the world. There are a number of large-scale projects which are currently under construction or will be constructed in the future. Due to the heavy construction which is taking place in Dubai, 30,000 construction cranes, which are 25% of cranes worldwide, are operating in Dubai. Due to the burst of construction, Dubai has acquired various building-related records, which include: the world's tallest tower (Burj Khalifa), the world's largest shopping mall (Dubai Mall), the world's largest fountain (Dubai fountain) and the world's tallest hotel (Rose Tower). Also under construction is Dubailand, which will be almost twice the size of the Walt Disney World Resort.
In 2009, many construction real estate projects were suspended or abandoned, due to the worsening financial crisis of 2007–2010.. That has also caused property prices to fall considerably throughout the United Arab Emirates, but most notably in Dubai.
Completed notable building structures
Burj Al Arab
Main article: Burj Al ArabThe Burj Al Arab (Arabic: برج العرب, "Tower of the Arabs") is a luxury hotel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, built by Said Khalil. It was designed by Tom Wright of WS Atkins PLC. At 321 metres (1,053 ft), it is the tallest building used exclusively as a hotel. The Rose Tower, also in Dubai, has topped Burj Al Arab's height with its completion in 2008. The Burj Al Arab stands on an artificial island 280 metres (919 ft) out from the beach, and is connected to the mainland by a private curving bridge. It is an iconic structure, designed to symbolize Dubai's urban transformation and to mimic the shape of the sail of an Arabian boat dhow.
Emirates Towers
Main article: Emirates TowersThe Emirates Towers complex contains the Emirates Office Tower and Jumeirah Emirates Towers Hotel . The two towers, which rise to 355 metres (1,163 ft) and 309 metres (1,014 ft), respectively, stand as the 12th and 29th tallest buildings in the world. The two towers are connected by a 9,000 m² (96,875 ft²) two-storey retail complex known as "The Boulevard". The Emirates Towers complex is located on the Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and is a symbol of Dubai City.
Completed developments
Burj Khalifa
Main article: Burj KhalifaThe Burj Khalifa (Arabic: برج دبي for "Khalifa Tower") is a supertall skyscraper in the "Downtown Dubai" area of Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The building is part of a huge development located at the "First Interchange" (aka "Defense round-about") along Sheikh Zayed Road at Doha Street. Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM) of Chicago is the lead architect, structural engineer and mechanical engineer of the Burj. George J. Efstathiou of SOM is the Managing Partner on the project, while Adrian Smith, formerly of SOM, was the Design Partner. Third Party Peer Review has been performed by CBM Engineers Inc. It is the tallest structure in the world.
Several other mega-projects in various states of planning and construction may vie for the title of "tallest structure". One of Burj Khalifa's main competitors is planned for a location only 50 km (31 miles) from the Burj Khalifa site. Al Burj ("The Tower"), is being developed by Nakheel Properties which is keeping its final height tightly under wraps. meed.com recently reported that this tower's projected height is around 1,200 m (3,937 ft) with at least 200 floors.
The Burj Khalifa has been designed to be the centerpiece of a large-scale, mixed-use development that includes 30,000 homes, nine hotels such as the Burj Dubai Lake Hotel & Serviced Apartments, 2.5 hectares (6 acres) of parkland, at least 19 residential towers, the Dubai Mall, and the 12 hectare man-made Burj Dubai Lake. The 500-acre (2.0 km 2 ) development cost about US$20 billion. The tower covers a total of two million m² (22 million ft²) of development.
The silvery glass-sheathed concrete building restored the title of Earth's tallest structure to the Middle East — a title not held by the region since Lincoln Cathedral upset the four millennial reign of Egypt's Great Pyramid of Giza in 1311 AD.
Mall of the Emirates
Main articles: Mall of the Emirates and Ski DubaiThe Mall of the Emirates is a shopping mall in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It is currently owned by Majid Al Futtaim (MAF Holding), and was designed by the American architectural firm, F+A Architects. It is currently the largest shopping mall in the Middle East. Mall of the Emirates contains approximately 2,400,000 square feet (223,000 m 2 ) of shops and the entire mall forms a total of approximately 6.5 million square feet. In a global perspective, the world's largest shopping mall, the South China Mall in Dongguan, China, contains approximately 7,100,000 square feet (660,000 m 2 ) of shopping space in a complex that totals approximately 9,600,000 square feet (892,000 m 2 ).
Although it features the usual amenities for a mall (a fourteen-screen movie theater, a gaming arena, a typical variety of stores, and a soon-to-be-completed dramatic theater), its biggest claim to fame is the Middle East's first indoor ski slope, Ski Dubai . With the ski area, one of the largest in the world, the Mall of the Emirates seeks to differentiate itself from the dozen or so other newly completed malls in Dubai and the surrounding emirates.
Dubai Internet City
Main article: Dubai Internet CityDubai Internet City ( DIC ; Arabic: مدينة دبي للإنترنت ) is an information technology park created by the Government of Dubai as a free economic zone and a strategic base for companies targeting regional emerging markets. 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. One model of operation includes 100% foreign ownership, similar to those prevailing in other designated economic zones in the United Arab Emirates. These freedoms have led many global information technology firms, such as Microsoft, IBM, Oracle Corporation, Sun Microsystems, Cisco, HP, Nokia and Siemens, Nera Telecom, as well as UAE based companies such as i-mate, Acette, to move their regional base to the DIC. DIC is located adjacent to other industrial clusters such as Dubai Media City and Dubai Knowledge Village.
Dubai Media City
Main article: Dubai Media CityDubai Media City ( DMC ) part of Dubai Holding is a tax free zone within Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It has been built by the Dubai government to boost UAE's media foothold, and has become a regional hub for media organizations ranging from: news agencies, publishing, online media, advertising, production, and broadcast facilities. The ground work for infrastructure (Such as fiber optic cables) was already laid for firms to setup easily and its visa and operational procedures are relaxed for firms operating within DMC.
Dubai Knowledge Village
Main article: Dubai Knowledge VillageDubai Knowledge Village , a member of Dubai Holding subsidiary TECOM Investments, offers facilities for training and learning support activities. As a Free Zone, it offers 100% foreign ownership, 100% exemption from taxes, 100% repatriation of assets and profits and effortless visa issuance procedures. Its 400 plus clients include training centres, professional centres and HR companies.
Dubai International Financial Center
Main article: Dubai International Financial CenterThe Dubai International Financial Centre ( DIFC ) is a near-shore financial hub for the MENA containing a capital market designated as a financial free zone in Dubai. It is established to create an environment for growth, progress and economic development in the UAE and the wider region by providing the needed legal and business as well as physical infrastructure benchmarked with international standards.
Dubai Healthcare City
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