Dubai's Iconic Projects Boost Its Tourism Industry

Source : Channel NewsAsia, 03 February 2008

DUBAI: Iconic projects around Dubai belied its ambition to turn barren desert into a world class destination.

The Palm Jumeirah, fanning out into the Arabian Gulf, is hailed as a symbol of Dubai's growth, innovation and vision for the future.

Palm Jumeirah

It is one of the world's largest man-made islands, covering 560 hectares or more than 600 football fields.

Built entirely on reclaimed land, it is also the smallest of three Palm Islands.

The Singapore delegation, led by Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, was briefed on Sunday on the development which will be home to over 8,000 residents from 70 nationalities when it is completed.

The first-phase properties – 4,000 in total – were sold within 72 hours of the initial sales release. Its developer said the average premiums on properties are between 70 percent and 120 percent, with some reaching up to 300 percent.

In about six years, premier resorts like 'Altantis, The Palm' will also take their places on the island.

Mr Goh visited the Mall of the Emirates which is presently the largest shopping complex in Dubai. The upcoming Dubai Mall will take the top spot when it is ready in 2009.

Mall of the Emirates boasts Middle East's first indoor ski resort where patrons can ski or snowboard in a safe environment.

Ski Dubai is completely insulated, with temperature kept at about minus 2 degrees Celsius. It has five different runs of varying difficulty and length of up to 400 metres. 27 snow guns spray a mist of water and air, creating snow flakes in the process.

Another hot property is Downtown Burj Dubai, slated to be the world's tallest building at over 700 metres high. The final height is a closely guarded secret to prevent new buildings from topping its feat.

There, Mr Goh toured serviced apartments – a component of Burj Dubai alongside retail shops and the Armani Hotel.

The delegation also visited the Souk Al Bahar, a stylish leisure and retail attraction in the Old Town Island, right in the heart of the Downtown Burj Dubai development.

Earlier, Mr Goh paid a visit to the Dubai Healthcare City – an integrated hub which provides quality healthcare services, medical education and research. - CNA/so