Posted on 05/01/2024 6:43:27 PM PDT by RandFan
Anyone spotted these grotesque trends where they're trying to build "super" cities, man made islands and God knows what else?
It reminds me of the Chinese "ghost" cities.
They're also buying up professional sports, literally in the case of golf and boxing and splashing the cash to host events.
It's so they can diversify from oil but I think they're misplaced.
Also, these places are still dictatorships and if you do want to move there then you have to compromise.
Alcohol is banned for a start!
That said, I do know someone who moved to Abu Dhabi and got a job there. It pays handsomely.
They should legalize gambling but they will never do that.
It worked for Vegas.
The imported labor are essentially slaves. The raw sewage dumped into the Ocean is also a turn off.
That’s a good point.
I think ive read about the slave labor they’re using!
Apparently they take/hold the passports of the imported workers
Don’t know about “super cities” but I’ve been to Dubai and it is a very interesting....and impressive...city.
They’re doing a lot of to diversify and attract visitors
But I’m not sure if people will move there because there’s still very tight restrictions.
You can end up in jail in Dubai if you kiss in public for example
Just one of many cultural issues
One of the things I noticed at the Mall of Dubai...an amazing place...was that in the valet parking area...which is right in front of the main entrance...many of the Ferraris,Bugattis and other $500,000+ cars had Saudi plates.I guess rich Saudis go there to play at least partially because it’s less strict there than back home.
Alcohol is available to westerners. They don’t have it in abundance like we do, but it can be had.
Reclaiming and filling shorelines to build structures is nothing new. Manhattan Island did it when the age of sailing ships ended and they didn’t need to dock 1000 boats. So they filled it in and built warehouses and lofts. They are now mostly housing units with commercial zones. They have recently built a bunch of new high rises to sell the view of the Hudson Bay and New Jersey, including one that may never get finished because they tried some new engineering and didn’t build deep down to the bedrock so it’s sinking and tilting. It’s tall and a narrow to fit on the small lot Ratios are way out of whack for height vs width.
Some of these ME projects are luxury and vanity, like the jetties shaped like palm trees with expensive houses which I think you referenced. Each house may have its own dock. It’s obviously not for the common man. There may be some townhouses. But those are luxury areas. They are built out from the main older cities so you can get in and out and around.
The Saudis have imho one of the most ridiculous concepts - “the line” - conceptually to be a something close to 100 miles long, 200 feet wide and only 1500 feet high. It’s like a livable great wall of China. Supposedly it will have housing and shopping and an indoor rail line. People don’t need to leave, nor would they want to because it’s in the middle of a desert. It’s not really connected to any other metro area except maybe by road and rail. A narrow, short and very long self contained city to house 9 million people. Supposedly now projected to cost $1 trillion (double the initial estimates) and growing in budget. They started phase one, but I’m not sure it will ever get completed anything close to what they conceived. It sounds completely unappealing. There is something to the idea of building a brand new planned modern city, but the harsh environment makes it rough. Since people would basically never go outside in the 120 degree heat, I would think maybe a grid design or concentric circles with crisscrossing indoor trams to get around. All digital I presume, so getting groceries could be delivered. Going to a shopping or dining social district would be by tram. Parks, pools, entertainment all indoors. But if it’s located 100+ miles from any other city it would be basically a destination you rarely leave. Kind of like those massive hotels in Vegas only 500 times bigger.
I’ve heard of that. It is kind of cruel if they do it. They import laborers from places like the Philippines and put them under contract. They get to send money back home - supposedly. But it’s hard work doing construction in the desert, their housing is probably low end and maybe they live in camps.
I do know some entertainment people who get hired to work for a few weeks or months at a time. They work for the rich, work various events, are put in nicer housing (nice enough anyway) and come from western countries so they may get treated better. And I’ve also heard some people go willingly basically for sex work, like a rent a girlfriend. Unofficially of course because prostitution is illegal. So they go with an understanding. They are paid to be companions or cleaning crew or nannies or to teach a foreign language etc, but with an expectation that sex is part of the gig.
displace all the Gazans over to there
They can performs as the Gulf Arabs koolies
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