| Dubai is one of the United Emirates
located on the Persian Gulf.
It shares the oil wealth of its Neighbours but with it's own gas an oil reserves running out it is embarking headlong into a major expansion to become the centre of commerce in the Middle East. The Emirate resembles a construction zone |
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The scale of construction leaves
you gasping. (or is it the 40 degree heat. The Burj Dubai New City Centre pictured on
the left will have an area bigger than the centre of Melbourne. The worlds
tallest building the Burj
Tower (over 800 metres) in under construction in the left of
the picture.
The Municipal Authority has applications for over 800 multi story buildings on its it's books currently
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Some of the buildings are strikingly modern like the Burj al Arab on the left, while some of the new construction is trying to preserve traditional building styles in the "Old Town " section of Bur Dubai |  |
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Their is really weird stuff like the Ski Slope, "Ski Dubai" in the middle of a large shopping centre and Mammoths on the loose | ||
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| Some of the residential areas are low rise an very pleasant with lakes and green areas as in the "The Lakes" Residential village |  |
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These contrast with the dense Apartment and Hotel buildings on the Jumerian beach near the Palms Jumerian . | ||
| The resorts are really something else and world class as here at Madinat Jumerian |  |
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| It was a relief to discover the old quarter of Dubai with the Arab Dhows still tied up on the waterfront and goods from all over the Middle East, India and Africa spilling out over the foreshore |  |
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The old area of Al Ras is a maze of narrow
streets with the various markets such as the Gold Souk left and below.
The gold is 22 or 24 carat and is sold by weight alone in spite of the workmanship of some of the individual pieces |
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The Spice Souk was a fascinating mixture of smell and tastes. The material to the left is Frankincense. |  |
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