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I read an article a few years ago about how Dubai and South Korea, over the next 10-20 years will be fighting for world's tallest building. Seems pretty frivolous now that Dubai is fucked financially.
 
Dubai has had one of the biggest highrise booms in history but a lot of American contractors say a lot of the 'fancy' highrises are very poor quality. Shitty craftsmanship, materials, etc.

dubai1991bbc.jpg

1991

Dubai_skyline_.web.jpg

2009
 
Fez W. Bush said:
Dubai has had one of the biggest highrise booms in history but a lot of American contractors say a lot of the 'fancy' highrises are very poor quality. Shitty craftsmanship, materials, etc.

dubai1991bbc.jpg

1991

Dubai_skyline_.web.jpg

2009
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That's a bad place to have poor craftsmanship. That area is one of the most extreme on earth.
 
Buzz Killington said:
I read an article a few years ago about how Dubai and South Korea, over the next 10-20 years will be fighting for world's tallest building. Seems pretty frivolous now that Dubai is fucked financially.
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Dubai's issues are short-to-medium-term. They're prepping for the long-term, when the oil is gone.
 
...by spending insane amounts of money on money losing projects, not paying back its creditors, etc?

What else would it have when the oil is gone? Its a global hub? What do they have once the oil is gone? Its going to be a empty glass ghost town. It'd be good to see now, just to see them spend their way into future misery!
 
I hear they treat their foreign employees like shit, once you lose your job you are deported too. society is highly racist to boot.
 
Buzz Killington said:
...by spending insane amounts of money on money losing projects, not paying back its creditors, etc?

What else would it have when the oil is gone? Its a global hub? What do they have once the oil is gone? Its going to be a empty glass ghost town. It'd be good to see now, just to see them spend their way into future misery!
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They may be negative investments right now. However, if it becomes a global business or tourism hub because of their infrastructure or quality of life, then it's a smart bet. It's certainly better than what the Saudis are doing by pissing all their money away on hotel rooms and yachts in Europe.
 
maxiep said:
They may be negative investments right now. However, if it becomes a global business or tourism hub because of their infrastructure or quality of life, then it's a smart bet. It's certainly better than what the Saudis are doing by pissing all their money away on hotel rooms and yachts in Europe.
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The amount that they spent is insane for what their likely return is. They have to face the fact that most people don't want to vacation in the Middle Fucking East. I've never been there, it'd be cool to see some of the crazy islands, fountains in the ocean and man-made wonders...but I'm thinking without any other attraction or businesses there, it might be fucked. the only plus is its a pretty good tax haven for large corporations i suppose.
 
That hotel does look pretty sick though..the Burj Al-Arab or whatever it is. I just can't imagine having fun in the middle east. they seem like such a buzz kill.
 
Here's a view from the top:
topview_burj6.jpg


The crazy thing to me about that building is how much flat empty land you see sprawling into the distance around the city. It makes a ton of sense to build drastically upwards in a geographically confined city like Hong Kong or NYC. Or a tourist place like Vegas, because people will walk only so far. But in a place where all you have is open land, it just doesn't logically make sense to me to build a monstrously tall building when you are a few hundred yards away from tracts of bare ground. It just seems on its face a showy, bad investment.

*shrug* maxie--you're the resident real estate guru around here. Am I all wet on this?
 
maxiep said:
They may be negative investments right now. However, if it becomes a global business or tourism hub because of their infrastructure or quality of life, then it's a smart bet. It's certainly better than what the Saudis are doing by pissing all their money away on hotel rooms and yachts in Europe.
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Yeah, I can see that. I just don't think a lot of people are like you and are willing to fly to Dubai just to see a building, no matter how tall and incredible it is. So I don't think it's a very effective tourist draw. (Maybe I'm weird, but after 9/11 tall buildings still kind of creep me out a little.)

Seems like if you want to build a global business hub, you focus your money on other forms of infrastructure more (freeways, ports, mass transit, etc) and research universities.
 
mook said:
Yeah, I can see that. I just don't think a lot of people are like you and are willing to fly to Dubai just to see a building, no matter how tall and incredible it is. So I don't think it's a very effective tourist draw. (Maybe I'm weird, but after 9/11 tall buildings still kind of creep me out a little.)

Seems like if you want to build a global business hub, you focus your money on other forms of infrastructure more (freeways, ports, mass transit, etc) and research universities.
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Great point. I've thought for a while that a major international crossroads that decently open culturally and could attract the best and brightest could be really cool. Something like the research triangle in Texas or the College Corridor in CT/MA, writ large.

There's 1.7T (yes, trillion) a year spent in R&D.

But, you have to get people to want to live in Dubai. :dunno:
 
Damn. That's a tall building.

Now then, on to the inevitable.

maxiep said:
That's a bad place to have poor craftsmanship. That area is one of the most extreme on earth.
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By "that area" do you mean the Middle East, or the Gulf, or UAE... or what?


Buzz Killington said:
The amount that they spent is insane for what their likely return is. They have to face the fact that most people don't want to vacation in the Middle Fucking East. I've never been there, it'd be cool to see some of the crazy islands, fountains in the ocean and man-made wonders...but I'm thinking without any other attraction or businesses there, it might be fucked. the only plus is its a pretty good tax haven for large corporations i suppose.
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Millions of people from the richest country on the planet vacation in the UAE all the time. The vast majority of the day to day tourism in Dubai is from Saudi Arabia. So, while you don't think the Middle East would be "fun" (shocking), there is a ton of tourism.

Buzz Killington said:
That hotel does look pretty sick though..the Burj Al-Arab or whatever it is. I just can't imagine having fun in the middle east. they seem like such a buzz kill.
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They have a different kind of fun. It's just different. Although, there is plenty of drinking, drugs and hookers (especially in Dubai), so it might be more close to home than you think.
 
Maybe some Tea Baggers will fly a jet into it.
 
Buzz Killington said:
I read an article a few years ago about how Dubai and South Korea, over the next 10-20 years will be fighting for world's tallest building. Seems pretty frivolous now that Dubai is fucked financially.
Click to expand...

yup, they had most of their money invested in the banking problems/schemes that hurt our country. They have to be much worse than we are.
 
Dubai is the poster boy for evil societies built largely on theft, greed, and narcissism.

I salivate at the thought of it's inevitable implosion and collapse.
 
hoojacks said:
By "that area" do you mean the Middle East, or the Gulf, or UAE... or what?
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I mean the Arabian Peninsula. Extreme heat, extreme temperature changes between day and night, winds, humidity from the Gulf, blowing sand, etc. It seems to me that's a place where engineering quality would be primary.
 
A building can be suitably designed but it is up to the contractors and supervising engineers & architects to make sure its built to plan. The UAE suffers by not having its own building codes. In general they have adopted British codes and used extensive consulting in their projects but when it comes down to cutting and screwing I doubt there is much consistency between projects or even within a project. Money can't replace competence.
 
mook said:
Yeah, I can see that. I just don't think a lot of people are like you and are willing to fly to Dubai just to see a building, no matter how tall and incredible it is. So I don't think it's a very effective tourist draw. (Maybe I'm weird, but after 9/11 tall buildings still kind of creep me out a little.)

Seems like if you want to build a global business hub, you focus your money on other forms of infrastructure more (freeways, ports, mass transit, etc) and research universities.
Click to expand...

You go to Dubai for the weather, water, resorts and shopping, not for a big building. The big building is to be a symbol for Dubai, the way the Empire State Building is for New York.

They've built a mass transit system, freeways, housing, offices, a medical school with Cornell, etc. They're trying to become a global player in finance for West Asia. Quick, name the finance center for that region now. There isn't one of consequence. That's the play for them.

Right now they're the only Gulf country planning for a future when the oil runs out. The real estate dip is temporary.
 
I can't stand heights. I would puke all over the place if I was on the top floor. :lol:
 
maxiep said:
You go to Dubai for the weather, water, resorts and shopping, not for a big building. The big building is to be a symbol for Dubai, the way the Empire State Building is for New York.
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I get that. But does a symbolic building have to look so ludicrously out of place? I mean, giant tits are a symbol for Dolly Parton, but you have to admit they look a little absurd on her.

*shrug* I just think if you want to convince people you are the financial hub of a region you build symbolic buildings that make financial sense. Three well-designed buildings half the height would've probably been cheaper, more efficient, more fitting with the landscape, and still be iconic (provided the architecture is interesting).
 
Why is tiny Dubai making dumb investments?

Hmm, the government is easily controlled by outsiders. The West has big intelligence agencies and Dubai leaders have been educated at Western colleges. The money is invested in the West, or paid to Western builders. It's all in the favor of Europe and the U.S., to the long-term detriment of the 3rd-world country. This colonial exploitation of natural resources must be a new phenomenon.
 
jlprk said:
Why is tiny Dubai making dumb investments?

Hmm, the government is easily controlled by outsiders. The West has big intelligence agencies and Dubai leaders have been educated at Western colleges. The money is invested in the West, or paid to Western builders. It's all in the favor of Europe and the U.S., to the long-term detriment of the 3rd-world country. This colonial exploitation of natural resources must be a new phenomenon.
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Ya, what he said!
 
It means, "Wassup homie?! Let's pimp some ho's. I got yo back. Whas crackin?"
 
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