Dubai ruler announces new mega city project

KHANH Sunday, 2 December 2012 4:33 PM - France

its so true that people all over the world know about DUBAI and its has been centuries that dubai is famous for doing business ,, almost a century ago indian businessmen they used to do business between dubai and india so is today
DUBAI MEANS BUSINESS

ILYAS AHMAD Sunday, 2 December 2012 11:09 AM - uae

Let us not forget that the name Dubai is more popular than UAE among masses living in different countries. They think Dubai is name of a country. For those who are living inside UAE, Dubai is a place of attraction.
Before 1974 all emirates were equal. Today if dubai is far ahead from other emirates means some body has worked hard for it.

Wether the money used in building dubai is their own or loan, it is used for dubai and we can see it. Rulers will come and go but these buildings and roads are not gonna die. They will remind us the the then ruler of dubai.
Shk Muhammad keep building dubai as much as u can for your people and for us the outsiders who earn here.

Woohoo Thursday, 29 November 2012 10:25 PM - US

It doesn't take a genius to see all these lovely announcements leading up to National day :) Imagine what will be announced on December 2nd :O

FactsAndFun Friday, 30 November 2012 11:20 AM - UAE

Yes, you spotted the pattern.
We will get one more at least regarding Emiratisation next week. It has been like this for the last few years at least. The people who are supposed to hire will post telling that this will not happen and those who should be hired will post accusing the first group of being ungrateful, cynical and jealous and refusing to acknowledge how valuable they are.
You can see the ra-ra brigade getting weaker every passing year, but still there.
It was fun for a few years but now it gets boring though.

nascar Thursday, 29 November 2012 1:51 PM - ind

Really like Dubai, but would love to see the following in Dubai;
1. 10 affordable world class universities, 500 Ph.d. students coming out every year
2. a solid industrial base, with at least an oil refinery and a steel mill fully operated by Emiratis and no govt support
3. few good R&D institutes
4. few think tanks
5. move towards self-sustainability on food, essential items.
6. a finished goods import deletion program where products are at least assembled in country, cars

ProtectionismIsNotFun Thursday, 29 November 2012 3:51 PM - UAE

1) World class universities are expensive by definition. Even if you think of IIT/IIM the cost of admission is high (you pay in advance in the form of tuition and other concepts)
2) There is overcapacity in steel production, and the UAE woudl need to import the ore and has little use for the steel, adding extra transportation costs. Why would you want to set up such a money losing venture? To keep emiratis busy, cheaper to send a cheque every month. Seriously
3) How do you want to have good R&D when you have no solid academic foundation? This country is a long, long way from that. Unless of course you want to bring foreign experts... do you see a conflict with the emiratisation goals?
4) You must be seriously kidding. Think tanks... wow
5) The UAE/GCC countries will need to buy most of their food abroad unless they are happy to go back to dates and camel milk. It is actually the most effective thing for them to do
6) Yes right what the world needs, more car assembly capacity

procan Thursday, 29 November 2012 3:33 PM - canada

Excellent list nascar, very thoughtful would not take much to add a few more to that wish list good work.

Who you fooling Thursday, 29 November 2012 10:29 AM - UAE

All these huge projects in the pipeline costing all these billions, yet its still too much to ask for some water in the swimming pools in Discovery Gardens after 6 years of paying service charge for them!! I suppose I will just wait and go for a swim in the new Arabian channel.

stephen Wednesday, 28 November 2012 3:27 PM - UAE

Instead of fulsome, gushing praise and condemantion of anyone daring to offder a counter thrust to this crazed optimism, why not offer advice or comment on how this may be done. Just anlayse the statements and lack of detail. This is banner headline stuff once more and about as realistic in these credit restricted times as the original ideas were, well um, original!

Look at the replies. "Dubai could easily have invested in London or Paris but chose to invest in itself"!! That pretty much summarises the objective analysis on the street and the claibre of the ra-ra brigade on these pages.

I offer the opportunity to debate this rationally anytime next year when the situation will not have advanced one jot. Vision and drive is good but it must be measured and in keeping with the prevailing winds.

YouMustBeNewHere Wednesday, 28 November 2012 8:51 PM - UAE

well yes, you have nicely summarized it.
And in 12 months time we will have the same.
Even the 100% foreign ownership is back, and next week I bet we will have something on emiratisation.
Logic and rationality are of no interest to the ra-ra brigade, I would be much more impressed of course if they could put their money where their mouth is.
Fat chance.

Toot Tuesday, 27 November 2012 6:25 PM - UAE

Just an FYI to commenters here: the Dept of Immigration and Naturalization is, in fact, NOT looking through the comments of ArabianBusiness.com stories and you will NOT be the lucky recipient of UAE citizenship/a pay increase/a certificate of appreciation for your glowing and effervescent remarks and praise :)

PPM Thursday, 29 November 2012 10:30 AM - UAE

"who but Dubai put their money where..." Ahem.. surely they put other peoples' money into the investments, not their own, and now expect creditors to accept only a few Fils on the Dirham except where they, themselves, are the creditor in which case the debtor can expect to go to jail.

realiste Thursday, 29 November 2012 10:26 AM - uae

absolutely agree with this statement lonestar
"History will judge Dubai on its achievements"

The word being achievements, not announcements.

Let us see what is realised in the end. We are all used to the bling and blah blah of the PR brigade.

Rajesh Wednesday, 28 November 2012 11:03 AM - UAR

Those who praise Dubai do so because they love Dubai, they do not expect anything in return. Everything about Dubai is the best; be it the hospitality of the people or the malls or the roads or the safety.
Which other place has the vision of Dubai, to build an entire new city with parks, malls and so much more in this time when the world is tightening its belt ?
If my own country India had such a leader, we would have had the world's best towers, hotels and malls by now, instead our politicans are busy fighting.

LoneStar Wednesday, 28 November 2012 9:41 AM - UAE

What an intelligent remark. Everyone is expressing their remarks, whether positive or negative. It is foolish to construe someone's positive remark as an attempt at citizenship.

Why not see it as admiration for a daring and huge initiative in a time of half-measures and mediocre thinking? Who in the Arab world has put their money where their mouth is like Dubai did? Dubai could have easily put its money in London or Paris to earn interest but instead, they are investing in themselves.

History will judge Dubai on its achievements. If you don't see this as something to be admired, then you will never think big enough.

James Marshall Wednesday, 28 November 2012 9:41 AM - UAE

oh bummer...and I was just about to brain storm to write a glowing praise and you had to douse it...sheeshh..I thought everyone reads the comments page...!!!

Paul King Tuesday, 27 November 2012 4:04 PM - UAE

Nothing to get excited about here. Parks, Malls, Hotels etc....same ol' same ol'. Copy & paste.....copy & paste! Nothing original.

michael Tuesday, 27 November 2012 2:45 PM - italy

How exactly will it fit "between" three parallel roads?

Bassam Tuesday, 27 November 2012 2:44 PM - Iraq

I wish that the whole money of the world would be in you hand HH Mohammad. I.m sure you'll do miracles. What a great leader full of love to his country and his people.