DRAFT More "Do"-"Buy" (11.7.07)

Souq Madinat Jumeirah Burj al Arab
"Downtown"

Emirates Towers from Highway Workers on a break

Signage for Jumeirah Beach Residence
Dubai Marina: Under Construction

Dubai Marina: Under Construction
Sunset
Worker at Sunset on Beach
Video of Sundown on Beach in Dubai

It was a somewhat disappointing day in Dubai, since I didn't get much done - either in terms of sightseeing or vacationing. I started the day by catching a shuttle to the Big Red Bus stop at Souq Madinat Jumeirah to use the remaining 4 hours of my 24-hour pass. I wandered into the Souq, which is basically an upscale Arabian themed mall with overpriced textiles, jewelry, and home-furnishings. It is sandwiched between a five-star hotel (surprise!) and the seven-star Burj-Al-Arab. I didn't find anything of great interest there other than a working wind-tower. I don't think I have mentioned these contraptions yet, but they are featured in several photos from Monday. These are the traditional air-conditioning systems for Dubai homes. They are large open towers that are quadrisected on the diagonal and act as wind-catchers to funnel the ocean breezes down into traditional homes. Most of the ones that I have seen at the museums are not longer open to the room below, and thus you can't tell if they really work. But the ones here do and actually do pull in quite a breeze!

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I hopped on the bus with the intention of making it to an area of Dubai called Karama before the Dubai Charity Shop closed at 2. Since this is the land of shopping, I was going to partake responsibly and see what labels the "Jumierah Janes" and Ladies Who Lunch had discarded at the Emirati version of Goodwill. Mistake number 1 - don't use the Big Red Bus if you actually want to get somewhere in a reasonable time. I boarded the bus at 11:20 am. I arrived at Karama at 1:55 pm after driving back through all the sites that I had seen yesterday. Mistake number 2 - I arrived at ~2:00. Karama is one of the original neighborhoods that was created for expatriate workers and is largely Indian. Though I ever actually found the charity shop, I found the Karama Marketplace and started to wander through looking at dozens of shops with Indian saris and sulvar kameezes. Just as I got out of the dressing room after trying on my first blouse, I was told it was closing time. ALL the stores in the area closed between 2-4:30. So after my 3:00 ordeal to get there, I was not interested in sticking around another 2.5 to buy things that I don't really need. Thus, I burned a little time in an internet cafe and then caught a $20 taxi back to the Jumeirah Beach Residence at the Dubai Marina where I am now staying.

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I arrived back at around 4 with the plan to make a quick sandwich, hit the beach, and then catch a 7:30 tango lesson / show at the Hilton Hotel Resort next door. Adam showed up for a break between craziness at his work (http://www.tradingacademy.com/dubai/index_dubai.htm) a little after I arrived and we chatted for a bit while I ate. Then it was off to the very fine sand and warm waters of the Persian Gulf for a dip. After showering, I decided that I wasn't really interested in seeing the tango show, so I cancelled my reservation and settled in to catch up on the blog.

Here are some "fun facts" I learned about Dubai today during my tour:

• The Burj Dubai is set to become the tallest building in the world.
• Its final height has not been revealed, and it is designed in such a way as to be able to add floors at a later date (should it need to in order to remain the tallest building in the world).
• There are over 3,000 construction workers working 24-hours per day in 12-hour shifts.
• It is being completed at a rate of 1 floor every five days.
• There will be an Armani Hotel on the bottom 40 floors, designed by Giorgio Armani
• The Palm Jumeirah is open for business if you are interested in becoming neighbors with the Beckhams or the Cruises.
• Petrol is cheaper than water (6 Dh/L vs. 7 Dh/L)
• Foreigners can set up businesses in one of Dubai's 22 "Free Zones." Foreigners who operate within these zones can do so with no taxes and 100% ownership. If they chose to set up a business outside of the zone, they must have a local sponsor who has 51% ownership.
• There are no income or property related taxes of any kind. There are no business taxes except in the banking industry.
• Population of Dubai 971,000
• Total number of registered automobiles 774,000
• 70% of Dubai's water comes from desalination of ocean water - >60,000,000 gal / day.
• The government has a wedding fund for every Emirati citizen to help defray their exorbitant wedding costs.
• A typical Emirati couple may have a wedding guest list of 5,000. And most of that is family!
• The Mall of the Emirates has a -4F ski slope (Ski Dubai)
• The Times Square Mall has a -6F ice lounge that serves mocktails (Chill Out)
• A Dubai Mall is in the works for 2010 - it will be the size of 50 football fields and will take 5 days to fully experience.
• 24% of the world's cranes are in Dubai (30,000)
• The bulk of the construction is set to reach completion in 2010.
• One of the largest 5-star hotels spells out Dubai if you look at it from an aerial view.
• The Dubai Marina is the largest man-made marina in the world (~3.5 km)
• Highest per capita income in the world (for the Emiratis themselves)