The day the oil runs dry

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Under-construction Dubailand is central to the city's plans to attract tourists from across the globe.

So with both cities embarking on a similar journey, but in very different directions, which path will lead from oil dependence to sustainable resplendence? And if both paths are destined to arrive at the same destination, why the stark difference in the planned evolution of both cities?

Capital investment

Central to the Abu Dhabi plan and reflective of the ambitions of the city is Saadiyat Island. The master-planned development, 500m off the coast of Abu Dhabi, will contain seven districts, including Eco-Point, The Wetlands and, most tellingly, the Cultural District.

As senior development manager at Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC), Kathy Pasalich oversees the development of Saadiyat Island from design to completion.

"We will have the museums and other cultural amenities on the island. Gallery space will encourage young artists to come and reside and base their galleries on Saadiyat, and we will include provision for performing arts. We will promote the whole gamut, including things like art theatre."

As a measure of the city's push towards a cultural renaissance, TDIC has assembled its own advisory group. If culture is man-made, then it's the job of this group to select the broadest and most indicative range of what man has to offer.

"The remit of our dedicated cultural facilities team is to look not just at Saadiyat Island but how the cultural amenities fit into Abu Dhabi as a whole," Pasalich explains.

"They are looking internationally at what has been done. We are also looking at how to incorporate the culture and heritage of Abu Dhabi."

Abu Dhabi is aspiring to rise in the estimation of the world's culture-vultures onto the same plateau occupied by Paris, Berlin, London, New York and Sydney - the cultural equivalent of conquering Everest on a particularly windy day.

But in true UAE style, Abu Dhabi has embraced the challenge. Currently in the design stage and soon to begin construction within the cultural district of Saadiyat Island are: Louvre Abu Dhabi by Jean Nouvel; Guggenheim Abu Dhabi by Frank Gehry; Performing Arts Centre by Zaha Hadid; Maritime Museum by Tado Ando; and Sheikh Zayed National Museum.

By the time such a roll call of artisan legends is complete, tourism in Abu Dhabi may never be the same again.

But the battle for the tourist dollar will not only be fought across oceans. In Dubai, as ever, the wheels of construction are turning at a formidable rate.

So is there any recognition that a storm of competition may be brewing between the emirates? Apparently not when admitting such could get you in a whole heap of trouble.

"We love Dubai," comments Pasalich's PR representative when the subject arises. "It's all happy families," Pasilich adds with a laugh.

But in the case of Dubai, the most important project with regards to the city's economic diversification ambitions, is Al Maktoum International Airport. Upon completion, it will,be the biggest airport in the world, capable of handling 120 million passengers annually.

It will also be just 75km north-east of Abu Dhabi International Airport. So just how long can these apparent "happy families" remain happy?

Compete or complement?

Dubai's new airport has stimulated a glut of construction activity to take advantage of the 120 million capacity. Dubailand, the second-largest master development in the GCC behind KSA's King Abdullah Economic City, is in the right spot geographically to benefit from the airport's arrival.

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READERS' COMMENTS

Peak oil
Posted by Clifford. J. Wirth, Manchester, NH, USA on Sunday 9 November 2008 at 19:22 UAE time

According to most independent scientific studies, global oil production will now decline from 74 million barrels per day to 60 million barrels per day by 2015. During the same time demand will increase 9 percent.

No one can reverse this trend, nor can we conserve our way out of this catastrophe. Because the demand for oil is so high, it will always exceed production levels; thus oil depletion will continue steadily until all recoverable oil is extracted.

Alternatives will not even begin to fill the gap. And most alternatives yield electric power, but we need liquid fuels for tractors/combines, 18 wheel trucks, trains, ships, and mining equipment.

We are facing the collapse of the highways that depend on diesel trucks for maintenance of bridges, cleaning culverts to avoid road washouts, snow plowing, roadbed and surface repair. When the highways fail, so will the power grid, as highways carry the parts, transformers, steel for pylons, and high tension cables, all from far away. With the highways out, there will be no food coming in from "outside," and without the power grid virtually nothing works, including home heating, pumping of gasoline and diesel, airports, communications, and automated systems.

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