Dubai Informer
Information about Dubai in all aspects
Saturday, April 26, 2008
This Gulf desert nation, one of the world's most environmentally unfriendly with its ubiquitous air conditioning, swimming pools and SUVs, may be looking to redeem itself. It has begun building what it calls the world's first zero-carbon city.
Environmentalists say Masdar City - powered mainly by solar energy and recycling waste and water - is a nice idea, but the Emirates shouldn't stop there.
"Every little bit helps," said Jonathan Loh, a British biologist and co-author of a 2006 World Wildlife Fund report that measured consumption by nations around the world. "It would be best if the UAE reduced energy consumption throughout the country, not just in one location."
The WWF runs several programs based on its 10 principles of sustainability in Europe, North America, China, Africa and in the Middle East.
A $1.6 billion project in development in Portugal would build 5,000 zero-carbon, zero-waste homes, hotels and shops. The project includes Europe's largest-ever nature restoration plan in order to return more than 12,000 acres of surrounding land currently occupied by degraded logging plantations and quarries to native Mediterranean woodland.
The United Arab Emirates has the world's largest ecological footprint per capita, according to the WWF report. That means each of its residents uses up more of the world's resources than any other person in the world.
A glance at Dubai makes it clear why.
Nearly every indoor space - including sprawling malls and giant villas - is air conditioned, seen as a necessity in a country where the winters are hot and the summers blazing. Extravagances like swimming pools with chilled water, an indoor ski slope that produces snow when it's 120 degrees (Fahrenheit) outside and an all-ice restaurant push up the electricity bill. And the unusual mode of transport is SUV or Hummer - there is no public transportation, or even sidewalks in most parts of the city.
According to the WWF, the Emirates' ecological footprint measured 11.9 global hectares per person. A global hectare is a unit of the amount of productive land and water a person requires to produce all the resources he consumes and absorb all the waste he generates in a year.
In contrast, the U.S.'s per capita footprint is 9.6 hectares per person, and the global average is 2.2 hectares a person.
The Emirates - which has a population of 5 million, the large majority of them foreign expatriates - has a heavy per capita carbon footprint as well - it takes 9.06 global hectares of land to absorb each person's carbon dioxide emissions in a year. The United States' carbon footprint is 5.66, and the world average is 1.7.
But the plan is for Masdar City, where the groundbreaking on construction took place earlier this month, to be completely carbon-zero.
Cars will be banned, with a light rail serving residents inside the 1,482-acre city as well as taking them to the nearby city of Abu Dhabi. Organic food will be grown in the area and encouraged, garbage will be recycled and waste water will be reused in Masdar, Arabic for "Source."
Most of the city's energy is to be generated by solar power - though developers have not given an exact percentage - and water will be provided through a solar-powered desalination plant.
Masdar City, which is being developed by an Abu Dhabi state-owned company, is expected to be completed by 2015 at an estimated cost of $22 billion. It is intended to become home to about 50,000 people and host 1,500 companies, developers said.
Khaled Awad, development director for Masdar, insisted the city is an honest attempt "to curb the trend of being environmentally irresponsible." He said the companies in it will make it a "Silicon Valley for renewable energy sector," researching clean energy technology.
Under a deal with the Emirates government, the WWF is monitoring the city closely to ensure that it reconciles its promises.
"It's a rigorous process ... that at the end will prove if Masdar is sustainable or just claims to be such," said Eduardo Goncalves, a London-based spokesman of WWF International's One Planet Living program.
Habib al-Shuwaikhat, a professor of urban planning and sustained development at Saudi Arabia's King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, said Abu Dhabi's eco city "looks like a good initiative," but one that cannot remain "isolated" from the rest of the country.
"You hear a lot about sustainable development, but to be honest, I don't see it on the ground," Shuwaikhat said.
Serious efforts to safeguarding the environment in the time of an unprecedented construction boom in the Gulf have yet to "get into the minds of decision-makers" in the Gulf, he said.
Last year the Emirates became the first government to sign an agreement with WWF to study the country's ecological footprint and reduce it to a sustainable level through expert assessment of economy over the next three years, Goncalves said.
"Masdar is critical to our strategy," Goncalves said.
People in the Emirates are leading lives that are "absolutely unsustainable," he said. "There is no better place to set an example and show that an ecologically friendly lifestyle is not only better, but also commercially successful."
Environmentalists say Masdar City - powered mainly by solar energy and recycling waste and water - is a nice idea, but the Emirates shouldn't stop there.
"Every little bit helps," said Jonathan Loh, a British biologist and co-author of a 2006 World Wildlife Fund report that measured consumption by nations around the world. "It would be best if the UAE reduced energy consumption throughout the country, not just in one location."
The WWF runs several programs based on its 10 principles of sustainability in Europe, North America, China, Africa and in the Middle East.
A $1.6 billion project in development in Portugal would build 5,000 zero-carbon, zero-waste homes, hotels and shops. The project includes Europe's largest-ever nature restoration plan in order to return more than 12,000 acres of surrounding land currently occupied by degraded logging plantations and quarries to native Mediterranean woodland.
The United Arab Emirates has the world's largest ecological footprint per capita, according to the WWF report. That means each of its residents uses up more of the world's resources than any other person in the world.
A glance at Dubai makes it clear why.
Nearly every indoor space - including sprawling malls and giant villas - is air conditioned, seen as a necessity in a country where the winters are hot and the summers blazing. Extravagances like swimming pools with chilled water, an indoor ski slope that produces snow when it's 120 degrees (Fahrenheit) outside and an all-ice restaurant push up the electricity bill. And the unusual mode of transport is SUV or Hummer - there is no public transportation, or even sidewalks in most parts of the city.
According to the WWF, the Emirates' ecological footprint measured 11.9 global hectares per person. A global hectare is a unit of the amount of productive land and water a person requires to produce all the resources he consumes and absorb all the waste he generates in a year.
In contrast, the U.S.'s per capita footprint is 9.6 hectares per person, and the global average is 2.2 hectares a person.
The Emirates - which has a population of 5 million, the large majority of them foreign expatriates - has a heavy per capita carbon footprint as well - it takes 9.06 global hectares of land to absorb each person's carbon dioxide emissions in a year. The United States' carbon footprint is 5.66, and the world average is 1.7.
But the plan is for Masdar City, where the groundbreaking on construction took place earlier this month, to be completely carbon-zero.
Cars will be banned, with a light rail serving residents inside the 1,482-acre city as well as taking them to the nearby city of Abu Dhabi. Organic food will be grown in the area and encouraged, garbage will be recycled and waste water will be reused in Masdar, Arabic for "Source."
Most of the city's energy is to be generated by solar power - though developers have not given an exact percentage - and water will be provided through a solar-powered desalination plant.
Masdar City, which is being developed by an Abu Dhabi state-owned company, is expected to be completed by 2015 at an estimated cost of $22 billion. It is intended to become home to about 50,000 people and host 1,500 companies, developers said.
Khaled Awad, development director for Masdar, insisted the city is an honest attempt "to curb the trend of being environmentally irresponsible." He said the companies in it will make it a "Silicon Valley for renewable energy sector," researching clean energy technology.
Under a deal with the Emirates government, the WWF is monitoring the city closely to ensure that it reconciles its promises.
"It's a rigorous process ... that at the end will prove if Masdar is sustainable or just claims to be such," said Eduardo Goncalves, a London-based spokesman of WWF International's One Planet Living program.
Habib al-Shuwaikhat, a professor of urban planning and sustained development at Saudi Arabia's King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, said Abu Dhabi's eco city "looks like a good initiative," but one that cannot remain "isolated" from the rest of the country.
"You hear a lot about sustainable development, but to be honest, I don't see it on the ground," Shuwaikhat said.
Serious efforts to safeguarding the environment in the time of an unprecedented construction boom in the Gulf have yet to "get into the minds of decision-makers" in the Gulf, he said.
Last year the Emirates became the first government to sign an agreement with WWF to study the country's ecological footprint and reduce it to a sustainable level through expert assessment of economy over the next three years, Goncalves said.
"Masdar is critical to our strategy," Goncalves said.
People in the Emirates are leading lives that are "absolutely unsustainable," he said. "There is no better place to set an example and show that an ecologically friendly lifestyle is not only better, but also commercially successful."
Labels: Construction, Dubai
Friday, April 18, 2008
If you thought Dubai rents were expensive, think again. Renting a three-bedroom place in Hong Kong will cost you around $9,700 on average per month, the highest in the world. A new survey of global rents by human resources firm ECA International puts Dubai in a lowly 13th place. The survey covered 2007 and is based on lease prices for a three-bed apartment in each city's most popular expat areas.
Hong Kong topped the list in 2006 as well, with an average rent of $8,592 per month. And that is just the average price.
A three-bed house in Repulse Bay, Hong Kong, spread over 4,000 sq feet, with stunning sea views will set you back $29, 500 per month.
Compare that with a 3-bed house on the Arabian Ranches in Dubai, which promises a fully landscaped garden with a sprinkler system, and a maid, and is available for around $6,580 per month. Though it doesn't have much of a sea view.
Moscow ranked second in the list, followed by New York City, where a three bedroom house in Tribeca, walking distance to plenty of upscale restaurants, art galleries and hot boutiques, with an area of 2500 sq ft, costs $12,000 per month.
While Tokyo (second on the list last year) and London take up the fourth and fifth place, six Asian cities fill then top 10. Mumbai is at six, Seoul at seven and Ho Chi Minh City tenth. Monthly rentals in Asia were on average were around $3,820, well above the global level of $2,950, ECA said.
Dubai remains the most expensive place to live in the Middle East (and has moved up one place on the global list) while Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Doha rose by 19, 17 and 12 places respectively. The reason: high demand continues to outstrip supply. Although, with buildings sprouting up like mushrooms, surely this can't be far off?
According to the survey, Karachi is the cheapest city in the world to rent. A fully furnished flat (with LCD TV, washing machine) in Clifton, Karachi, complete with a "stunning décor" of paintings and antique carpets, costs around $ 40 per month.
Last year, Nairobi held that position with the average monthly rent nearly eight times cheaper than the equivalent in Hong Kong.
ECA, whose annual survey of rentals compares lease prices in 92 global cities, has been comparing rents worldwide for the past 10 years, and says that rental prices have increased by 22% on average.
According to the survey, some of the most significant increases in recent years have been in the Middle East, with rental prices in Doha and Dubai rising by approximately 130% and 100%, respectively, since 1996.
Hong Kong topped the list in 2006 as well, with an average rent of $8,592 per month. And that is just the average price.
A three-bed house in Repulse Bay, Hong Kong, spread over 4,000 sq feet, with stunning sea views will set you back $29, 500 per month.
Compare that with a 3-bed house on the Arabian Ranches in Dubai, which promises a fully landscaped garden with a sprinkler system, and a maid, and is available for around $6,580 per month. Though it doesn't have much of a sea view.
Moscow ranked second in the list, followed by New York City, where a three bedroom house in Tribeca, walking distance to plenty of upscale restaurants, art galleries and hot boutiques, with an area of 2500 sq ft, costs $12,000 per month.
While Tokyo (second on the list last year) and London take up the fourth and fifth place, six Asian cities fill then top 10. Mumbai is at six, Seoul at seven and Ho Chi Minh City tenth. Monthly rentals in Asia were on average were around $3,820, well above the global level of $2,950, ECA said.
Dubai remains the most expensive place to live in the Middle East (and has moved up one place on the global list) while Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Doha rose by 19, 17 and 12 places respectively. The reason: high demand continues to outstrip supply. Although, with buildings sprouting up like mushrooms, surely this can't be far off?
According to the survey, Karachi is the cheapest city in the world to rent. A fully furnished flat (with LCD TV, washing machine) in Clifton, Karachi, complete with a "stunning décor" of paintings and antique carpets, costs around $ 40 per month.
Last year, Nairobi held that position with the average monthly rent nearly eight times cheaper than the equivalent in Hong Kong.
ECA, whose annual survey of rentals compares lease prices in 92 global cities, has been comparing rents worldwide for the past 10 years, and says that rental prices have increased by 22% on average.
According to the survey, some of the most significant increases in recent years have been in the Middle East, with rental prices in Doha and Dubai rising by approximately 130% and 100%, respectively, since 1996.
Labels: Dubai, Properties, Society
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
Emaar's The Dubai Mall showcases new trends in retail and entertainment
The Dubai Mall, one of the world's largest shopping and entertainment destinations, developed by Emaar Properties PJSC and located in the Dhs73bn mega-project Downtown Burj Dubai, is putting finishing touches to several retail and entertainment concepts that are a first for the region.
The Dubai Mall, with a total site area in excess of 12.1 million sq ft, is setting a new dimension in mall development with its various construction components truly epic in proportion and scale. The structural steel used in The Dubai Mall is double that deployed for the Eiffel Tower (7,300 tonnes), and the stone and tile works of 1.2 million sq ft already laid are approximately 18 times the size of a football field measuring 69,000 sq ft. The net leasable floor area will be equivalent to the size of 50 football fields put together.
The Dubai Mall is the flagship project of Emaar Malls Group, the shopping mall subsidiary of Emaar Properties. As part of Emaar's Vision 2010 to be one of the most valuable companies in the world, Emaar Malls has aggressive expansion plans to develop and operate shopping malls in key emerging markets across the Middle East and North Africa region, the Indian Subcontinent and South Asia.
Jim Badour, CEO of Emaar Malls Group said:
'The Dubai Mall is setting a new dimension in modern engineering as well as in the roll-out of innovative retail and leisure elements. The Dubai Mall reaffirms Downtown Burj Dubai's standing as the new centre of the city, offering an unprecedented 1,200-plus retail stores under one roof, and world-class leisure and entertainment options. It will be the region's premier shopping and entertainment destination for residents and a major attraction for Dubai's tourists.'
The Dubai Mall hosts a number of world-class attractions including one of the world's largest indoor Aquariums featuring over 33,000 living animals including 400 sharks and rays. A 180-degree tunnel runs through the tank, which can hold 10 million litres of water. The Discovery Centre above is an educational centre with interactive stations with marine life.
Other attractions include the region's first SEGA indoor theme park covering 76,000 sq ft; the world's largest indoor Gold Souk with 220 retailers; a 440,000 sq ft fashion precinct with 70 flagship stores dedicated to haute couture; the Middle East's first Galeries Lafayette department store; KidZania, a 80,000 sq ft children's 'edu-tainment' centre; a 22-screen cineplex; an Olympic-size ice rink; and The Grove, an indoor-outdoor streetscape with fully retractable roof.
The Dubai Mall will have over 14,000 undercover car park spaces and will be adjoined by a luxury 5-star hotel with 250 rooms and 450 serviced apartments.
The main contract for the construction of The Dubai Mall was awarded to Dutco Balfour Beatty and Al Ghandi CCC in October 2004. DP Architects Pte Ltd (Singapore) are the main architects and the Project Managers are Turner Construction International.
The Dubai Mall is located in the world's most prestigious square kilometre, Downtown Burj Dubai, which encompasses Burj Dubai, the world's tallest building. The mall complements the already thriving retail environment of the community, highlighted by Souk Al Bahar, an Arabesque themed shopping mall which opened its doors in December 2007. Downtown Burj Dubai has a vibrant community life as homes in The Residences and The Old Town have been handed over to customers.
Emaar Malls Group is also developing Dubai Marina Mall within Dubai Marina; Cairo Gate - Egypt's largest outdoor shopping and entertainment destination; and a number of shopping centres within Emaar's master-planned communities globally.
The Dubai Mall, one of the world's largest shopping and entertainment destinations, developed by Emaar Properties PJSC and located in the Dhs73bn mega-project Downtown Burj Dubai, is putting finishing touches to several retail and entertainment concepts that are a first for the region.
The Dubai Mall, with a total site area in excess of 12.1 million sq ft, is setting a new dimension in mall development with its various construction components truly epic in proportion and scale. The structural steel used in The Dubai Mall is double that deployed for the Eiffel Tower (7,300 tonnes), and the stone and tile works of 1.2 million sq ft already laid are approximately 18 times the size of a football field measuring 69,000 sq ft. The net leasable floor area will be equivalent to the size of 50 football fields put together.
The Dubai Mall is the flagship project of Emaar Malls Group, the shopping mall subsidiary of Emaar Properties. As part of Emaar's Vision 2010 to be one of the most valuable companies in the world, Emaar Malls has aggressive expansion plans to develop and operate shopping malls in key emerging markets across the Middle East and North Africa region, the Indian Subcontinent and South Asia.
Jim Badour, CEO of Emaar Malls Group said:
'The Dubai Mall is setting a new dimension in modern engineering as well as in the roll-out of innovative retail and leisure elements. The Dubai Mall reaffirms Downtown Burj Dubai's standing as the new centre of the city, offering an unprecedented 1,200-plus retail stores under one roof, and world-class leisure and entertainment options. It will be the region's premier shopping and entertainment destination for residents and a major attraction for Dubai's tourists.'
The Dubai Mall hosts a number of world-class attractions including one of the world's largest indoor Aquariums featuring over 33,000 living animals including 400 sharks and rays. A 180-degree tunnel runs through the tank, which can hold 10 million litres of water. The Discovery Centre above is an educational centre with interactive stations with marine life.
Other attractions include the region's first SEGA indoor theme park covering 76,000 sq ft; the world's largest indoor Gold Souk with 220 retailers; a 440,000 sq ft fashion precinct with 70 flagship stores dedicated to haute couture; the Middle East's first Galeries Lafayette department store; KidZania, a 80,000 sq ft children's 'edu-tainment' centre; a 22-screen cineplex; an Olympic-size ice rink; and The Grove, an indoor-outdoor streetscape with fully retractable roof.
The Dubai Mall will have over 14,000 undercover car park spaces and will be adjoined by a luxury 5-star hotel with 250 rooms and 450 serviced apartments.
The main contract for the construction of The Dubai Mall was awarded to Dutco Balfour Beatty and Al Ghandi CCC in October 2004. DP Architects Pte Ltd (Singapore) are the main architects and the Project Managers are Turner Construction International.
The Dubai Mall is located in the world's most prestigious square kilometre, Downtown Burj Dubai, which encompasses Burj Dubai, the world's tallest building. The mall complements the already thriving retail environment of the community, highlighted by Souk Al Bahar, an Arabesque themed shopping mall which opened its doors in December 2007. Downtown Burj Dubai has a vibrant community life as homes in The Residences and The Old Town have been handed over to customers.
Emaar Malls Group is also developing Dubai Marina Mall within Dubai Marina; Cairo Gate - Egypt's largest outdoor shopping and entertainment destination; and a number of shopping centres within Emaar's master-planned communities globally.
Labels: Burj Dubai, Construction, Dubai, Holiday, Hotel, Properties, Society
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