Dubai – Planned to Perfection

Dubai is fast establishing itself as the world’s number one location in which to hold conferences and enjoy the holidays. With the benefit of an all-year round fantastic climate and an ever-burgeoning business centre, this city offers a host of superb attractions and a multitude of reasons for visiting.

Its rise to prominence was entirely by design and determination rather than by accident. Everything that has happened in the United Arab Emirates’ leading city has been planned for the majority of the developments down to meticulous detail. Every bit of building and major construction has been linked to the expansion of the city’s infrastructure to ensure that everything runs smoothly and is sustainable. It’s all part of the big development plan for Dubai, first chalked out in 2002 to cover the period up to 2015.

Even though Dubai got its first big break from oil revenues in the late 1950s and early 1960s, the city’s leaders had the foresight to realise that they needed to develop ways of encouraging other industries and investments within the Emirate if they were to ensure a sustainable future. Now oil revenues represent less than 10% of Dubai’s GDP, with the rest coming from manufacturing, financial services and the fastest growing sector within the last ten years – tourism.

Technology is extremely advanced in the city and many of the world’s major players have established offices within Dubai. The development of the Dubai Interent City certainly helped, especially as it was established as a free trade zone in which company and private earnings are exempt from taxation. That incentive has attracted some of the world’s leading multinationals including Cisco, IBM and Microsoft.

Away from the business hub Dubai has been busy developing tourist facilities, including not only thousands of hotels but also a series of amazing and enormous visitor attractions. Already constructed is Ski Dubai which features 22,500 square metres of real snow 365 days a year spread throughout the world’s largest indoor ski facility; unique in a city whose temperature rarely falls below 70°F, even in the coldest month of January!

Under construction in the city with an anticipated completion date of sometime in 2010, the amazing MotorCity development will also prove a massive attraction. It contains the world’s first Formula One theme park – F1-X as well as a full-size F1 racing circuit interweaved amongst a series of residential apartments and hotels.

The world’s largest building is now in Dubai. The Burj Dubai stands at a staggering 818 metres high and dominates the city’s skyline. Offering residential and office space in addition to a hotel the building officially opens in December 2009.

Finally, there is the Palm Jumeirah, an island reclaimed from the Arabian Gulf in the shape of a palm tree which features a series of homes, shops and hotels that is allegedly visible from space. With such a host of fabulous attractions and outstanding features the city of Dubai will be wooing millions of visitors for years to come.