Dubai's Opulence

There has been much news on Dubai recently (one of several emirates in the UAE). However, there is some fascinating news on the region regarding tourism and architecture.

By 2011, Dubai expects to have the following tourists sites completed:

- An underwater hotel (scheduled completion date, 2007)

- The tallest building in the world (at the time of completion, estimated at 2009)

- A spaceport for an American Space Tourism Company

- An indoor ski slope including bobsled runs (already in operation)

- The largest mall in the world, including 15 submalls, an aquarium, and a skating rink

- An ecotourism site reminiscent of the biodome

- A 3 billion square foot attraction known as "Dubialand" including "Sports City" which has facilities for golf, auto racing, polo, indoor rock climbing, skateboarding, other extreme sports, and various athletic stadia.

- A cluster of man-made island resorts shaped like the continents on a world map

- A series of island resorts (currently the largest man-made islands in the world) shaped like a palm tree.

For an amazing slideshow of photographs and concept drawings see here, and click on the slide show link, under the photo.