Dubai: The Destination Of All Records
If the city of Dubai is a popular destination at the moment, it is not only because it allows you to go to the sun in the middle of winter. The first city of the United Arab Emirates is also the destination of all records. We explain to you why this extraordinary city that has developed at full speed in less than 200 years deserves all the superlatives.
A city built at high speed
The city of Dubai developed from the 19th century on a modest fishing village. In less than 200 years, it has become the symbol of the United Arab Emirates to the point of eclipsing the capital Abu Dhabi, which is less known to tourists...
Despite its relatively recent history, this city has nothing to envy the world's largest cities such as London or New York! In fact, it is nicknamed the Manhattan of the Middle East for its impressive skyscrapers.
This 4100 km² megalopolis installed beyond the desert dunes has become the scene of the craziest projects and attracts investors and wealthy tourists from around the world.
Palm Islands : a pharaonic project
A city of all excesses, Dubai is home to the world's largest artificial archipelago: the Palm Islands.
It was in 2001 that the project was launched to build a vast housing estate on the water, including the creation of three artificial archipelagos in the shape of palm trees: Palm Jumeirah, Palm Jebel Ali and Palm Deira.
Palm Jumeirah, the smallest of these archipelagos, is the only one to be completed to date. The other two, whose progress was undermined by the 2008 crisis, are still under construction.
Nevertheless, Palm Jumeirah is an extraordinary project that required 100 million tons of sand taken from the bottom of the Persian Gulf. These pharaonic works, whose cost is estimated at more than 10 billion euros, have raised strong objections because of their ecological impact.
Burj Khalifa: the highest tower in the world
Among the world records held by the city of Dubai, one of the most well-known to the general public is undoubtedly the height of the Burj Khalifa Tower.
This tower rising to 828 m is to this day the tallest in the world. Originally, it was supposed to be 'only' 560 m high, but the developer took offense at the announcement of taller neighboring projects.
Moreover, its height is not the only figure to give the vertigo: its construction required 330.000 m3 of reinforced concrete, 142.000 m² of glass and 22 million hours of work cumulated for a cost of 1,5 billion dollars!
This incredible skyscraper houses 160 habitable floors, with apartments, hotels and restaurants, and can accommodate up to 35,000 people in its 517,240 m² served by 57 elevators. Yet, in Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, Tom Cruise did not deign to take the elevator. It is with bare hands that his character climbs the famous Burj Khalifa.
The people of Dubai do not intend to stop there. An even crazier real estate project plans to build a tower... twice as high as this one: the Dubai Creek Tower!
Burj Al-Arab: the most luxurious hotel in the world
Not content with rising ever higher into the sky, the city of Dubai is also reaching for the stars in the field of luxury hotels.
Did you know that the sail-shaped building that has become one of the emblems of the United Arab Emirates' first city is first and foremost a hotel? Opened in 1999, Burj Al-Arab is described by tourism professionals as the best hotel in the world. It must be said that it has no less than 7 stars!
This 56-story, 321-meter-high building is installed on an artificial island resting on 250 concrete piles. It is served by 18 elevators and topped by two restaurants that seem to float in the sky...
For the interior decoration, 1800 m² of 24-carat gold leaf were used, as well as marble and impressive aquariums containing 250,000 liters of water. The price of a night in this prestigious hotel is proportional to all this excess since a night rarely costs less than 2000 €...
Dubai Mall: the largest shopping mall in the world
The city of Dubai, which is no longer one world record away, is also a dream destination for shopaholics. Its Dubai Mall claims the title of the world's largest shopping mall with 800,000 square meters of retail space and 120 stores.
This place of all temptations is located at the foot of the Burj Khalifa Tower. In addition to its shops and a souk dedicated to gold, it houses many attractions fit to attract tourists.
You can see one of the largest aquariums ever created and try out an A380 flight simulator before hitting the world's largest indoor ski slope! With 80 million visitors each year, the Dubai Mall is one of the busiest tourist sites on the planet.
In fact, Dubai International Airport has the highest number of international passengers passing through it. With its 70 million passengers, it surpasses London Heathrow, Hong Kong and Paris Charles de Gaulle airports!
