Ski Dubai
Ski Dubai is an indoor ski resort with
22,500 square meters of indoor ski
area. It is a part of the Mall of the Emirates, one of the largest shopping
malls in the world, located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It was developed by Majid Al Futtaim Properties, which also
operates the Mall of the Emirates.
Opened in November 2005, the
indoor resort features an 85-meter-high indoor mountain with 5 slopes of
varying steepness and difficulty, including a 400-metre-long run, the world's
first indoor black run, and various features (boxes, rails, kickers) that are
changed on a regular basis. A quad lift and a tow lift carry skiers and
snowboarders up the mountain. Adjoining the slopes is a 3,000-square-metre Snow
Park play area comprising sled and toboggan runs, an icy body slide, climbing
towers, giant snowballs and an ice cave. Ski Dubai is also home to a number of
penguins who come out to play several times a day. Penguin encounters can be
booked, allowing the public to interact directly with the penguins. Winter
clothing, ski and snowboard equipment are included in the price of admission.
Palm Island
The Dubai Palm Islands are
man-made islands located off the coast of The United Arab Emirates in the
Persian Gulf. The constructors are Jan de Nul and Van Oord, famous marine
constructor companies from Belgian and Germany. These artificial archipelago
are named Palm Jumeirah, Palm Jebel Ali, and Palm Deira. The construction of
these island will add 520 kilometres of beaches to the city of Dubai. The
purpose of the construction was to increase Dubai’s tourism by providing a one-of-a-kind
tourist destination brimming with contemporary world-class hotels, upscale
services and amenities and hundreds of more miles of Dubai beaches all in a
world unique to anything anyone has ever seen before.
The constructions of the first
two islands which are Palm Jumeirah and Palm Jebel Ali comprised approximately
100 million cubic meters of rock and sand. Palm Deira was composed of
approximately 1 billion cubic meters of rock and sand. All materials to built
these artificial archipelago was quarried in the UAE. Among the three islands
there will be over 100 luxury hotels, exclusive residential beach side villas
and apartments, marinas, water theme parks, restaurants, shopping malls, sports
facilities and health spas.
The process of building these
islands was not easy. The sand is sprayed by the dredging ships, which are
guided by DGPS, onto the required area in a process known as rainbowing because
of the arcs in the air when the sand is sprayed. The outer edge of each Palm’s
encircling crescent is a large rock breakwater. The breakwater of the Palm
Jumeirah has over seven million tons of rock. Each rock was placed individually
by a crane, signed off by a diver and given a GPS coordinate.
Palm Jumeirah is the smallest
island of the three Palm Islands. Its construction was started in 2001. It is
located in the Jumeirah coastal area in Dubai. Palm Jumeirah is the
first island which is built in a crown with 17 fronds, and a surrounding
crescent island that will form a water-breaker. It has already been acclaimed a
marvel of marine construction and engineering vision. Being one of newest
tourism spot in Uni Arab Emirates, Palm Jumeirah has many shopping centre,
recreation places, hotels, and spas. The heart of Palm Jumeirah is the
trunk which is 2 km long living retail and tourism destination.
The Palm Jebel
Ali Island is the middle sized island. It is located on the Jebel Ali
coastal area in Dubai. The man-made palm-shaped island will consist of a trunk,
a crown with 17 fronds, and a surrounding crescent island that will form a
water-breaker. It is very famous for the caligraphic around the
crowns. The construction of Palm Jebel Ali began in October 2002
and is finished at the end of 2006. The Palm Jebel Ali is more suitable for
adults and children’s recreation or family to be specific.
The Palm Deira is the
largest man-made island of The Dubai Palm Islands. It is located on the Deira
coastal area of Dubai. It consists of a trunk, a crown with 41 fronds and a
surrounding crescent island that will form a water breaker. The
construction began on October 2004 and is expected to complete in 2015. Rumors
has it that the construction will consume over a billion cubic meters of rock
and sand. It will be 14 kilometers in length and 8.5 kilometers in width and
have an area of 80 square kilometers.
universal studio dubailand
as the publicity material for
Universal Studios Dubailand, as well as the models that were created for this
Park were exciting to say the least. At least five lands would have featured,
including Hollywood, New York, Surf City, Epic Adventures and Legendary Heroes.
The first two lands would be similar to their Universal Studios Florida
counterparts, with the New York area featuring a Ghostbusters Dark Ride. Surf
City would have been a boardwalk area, and Legendary Heroes would feature
Revenge of the Mummy, as well as the Eighth Voyage of Sinbad from Islands of
Adventure. Perhaps more excitingly though, Epic Adventures would have featured
Jurassic Park, Waterworld and a set of duelling coasters themed around 2005′s
King Kong reboot.
Work began on Universal Studios
Dubailand, with a gate constructed, and visible work on the Park’s central
lagoon. There was also talk of a Jurassic Park themed hotel. All exciting
stuff, but alas, the Park, and the entire Dubailand project in general, is
dead. The gate sits abandoned, being slowly reclaimed by the surrounding
desert. It’s a sad thing indeed.
The plans for this Park were
ambitious, and like everything in Dubai, the complex would have been huge.
However, all is not lost, as in November 2012, Dubai’s leader, Sheikh Mohammed
bin Rashid Al Maktoum announced the renewal of large-scale construction
projects like Dubailand on the outskirts of Dubai, including the construction
of the World’s largest shopping mall. He also stated that this mall would
feature a Universal Studios family entertainment centre. What this entails
exactly, and whether it will carry the moniker of Universal Studios Dubailand
is unknown, but it certainly breathes new life into the possibility of a
Universal Studios Park in the Middle East.
Dubai zoo
Dubai Zoo is the oldest zoo
of its kind not only in the United Arab Emirates but also in the Arabian
Peninsula. Dubai Zoo also happens to be the first Arabian zoo to
breed the rare Chimpanzee and Arabian wild cat.
It is a special place of interest
and fun for tourists and the people of Dubai.
H. H. Sheikh Rashid bin Maktoum,
the late Ruler of Dubai, permitted Otto J. Bulart to build the Zoo on a two
hectacre plot in Jumeirah.
The Dubai Zoo became a
landmark as it indicated the “town’s end”.
During the first couple of years
of its existance, the Dubai Zoo housed only a few animals like the
big cats, monkeys and hoofed-animals. There was also a small acquarium with
some fishes and reptiles.
In 1971 the management of
the Dubai Zoo was taken over by the Dubai Municipality.
From May 1986 to May 1989, a part
of the Zoo was redesigned and rebuilt. From June 1989 to the present there is
constant re-designing and renovation.
Located in Jumeirah, the Dubai
Zoo is a popular attraction, especially for families. The zoo’s modern
facilities though small, house many indigenous Arabian species, including the
Arabian Wolf, which is no longer found in the wild, Gordon’s Wildcat and the
world’s only captive breeding colony of Socotra Cormorants.
Featured in its large aviary are
regional birds of prey. Nine species of large cats and seven species of
primates are on show, along with many Arabian mammals. The zoo is shortly to
undergo relocation and redevelopment allowing animals to live in areas designed
to be as similar to their natural environment as possible.
Burj Al Arab
Burj Al Arab was designed by
architect Tom Wright of WKK
Architects. The design and construction were managed by Canadian engineer Rick
Gregory also of WS Atkins. Construction of the Island began in 1994. It was
built to resemble the sail of a dhow, a type of Arabian vessel. Two "wings" spread
in a V to form a vast "mast", while the space between them is
enclosed in a massive atrium. The architect Tom Wright said
"The client wanted a building that would become an iconic or symbolic
statement for Dubai; this is very similar to Sydney with
its Opera House, Londonwith Big Ben,
or Paris with
the Eiffel Tower. It needed to be a building that
would become synonymous with the name of the country."
The architect and engineering
consultant for the project was Atkins. Fletcher Construction from New
Zealand was the lead joint venture partner in the initial stages of
pre-construction and construction. The hotel was built by South African construction
contractor Murray & Roberts and Al Habtoor
Engineering.
The building opened in December
1999.
There was a considerable
controversy regarding the claim that the structure looks like a huge Christian
cross.
Several features of the hotel
required complex engineering feats to achieve. The hotel rests on an artificial
island constructed 280 m (920 ft) offshore. To secure a foundation,
the builders drove 230 forty-meter (130 ft) long concrete piles into
the sand.
Engineers created a
ground/surface layer of large rocks, which is circled with a concrete honeycomb pattern,
which serves to protect the foundation from erosion. It took three years to reclaim the
land from the sea, while it took fewer than three years to construct the
building itself. The building contains over 70,000 m3 (92,000 cu yd)
of concrete and 9,000 tons of steel.
Inside the building, the atrium is 180 m (590 ft)
tall.
Burj Al Arab is the world's
fourth tallest hotel (not including buildings with mixed use). The structure of
the Rose Rayhaan, also in Dubai, is 11 m
(36 ft) taller than Burj Al Arab.
