Coming from Al Ain, I was struck by the amazing infrastructures that I saw along the way. I was able to take my first glimpse of the newest world’s tallest structure Burj Khalifa. I was indeed taken in awe when I saw the buildings and roads that was unimaginable considering a desert country to boom into a highly industrialized and urbanized place like that. Dubai’s economy was originally built on oil industry but now it contributes only a very small percentage. It highly depends now on tourism, property and financial services. Now its booming with innovative large-scale construction projects, very ambitious at that, however it was reported that its undergoing a difficult financial times.

I was picked up by my friend Franie Maquinay from Jumeira Beach Park. Franie has been working here in an accounting firm for the last seven years. We were together in a ship program of the Japan government. He took me at once at the landmark or iconic symbol of Dubai that is the Burj Al-arab. This is a seven star hotel considered to be the world’s tallest hotel. I have seen the wind tower which is a very important structure in a traditional house or building. He treated me later with a dinner of Arabic food at the Damascus Restaurant. He then took me home introducing me to his wife Ef and children, Fiona and Flyn.

On my last day in Dubai, Franie took me to another seven star resort, the Jumeira Palm resort where I saw the Atlantis, the Palm, patterned after the one in Bahamas. It has 1539 rooms, an Aquaventure theme park, a Dolphin Bay, conference center and retail space. On its launch in 2008, several high profile guests were invited and spent USD 16M for a 15-minute fireworks display that lit up the place making it visible in the outer space. So extravagant indeed! Jumeira Palm is part of the artificial islands called Palm Islands resembling the shape of a palm tree which is a site for major commercial and residential infrastructure. I really had a grand time going around the place.
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