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With a business model of supply and demand succeeding on the very highest levels, Dubai now sees itself in the prosperous position of planning future growth due to the extreme demand of the luxuries and opportunities it has to offer. Not to be out done by the tourism aspect, Dubai also boasts the Middle East’s top trading economy. With a trade surplus of a recorded $94 million in 2011, the UAE is continuing to show itself as the premier hub for global commerce and connecting businesses worldwide.
Now with its successful bid to host the 2020 World Expo, the Emirate is set to develop further and improve on an already amazing and extensive infrastructure. Also, with property sales seeing a strong percentage growth in 2013 and 2014, the 2020 World Expo and Dubai’s economy are looking to make great partners.
An estimated $23 billion is expected to be generated between 2015 and 2021, which is 24% of the gross domestic product. Helping to create these numbers are the estimated 277,000 jobs that would be created between 2014 and 2020. 40% of these are expected to be in the tourism and travel sector alone.
With the 2020 World Expo looking to put Dubai in the world spotlight, Dubai’s progress and future growth seem to be endless. With Dubai’s already proven success in the tourism sector, the Expo will look to see Dubai expanding to handle the huge influx of new tourists and visitors.
From travel logistics to new attractions, Dubai’s development projects will certainly be on display. One should also look to see these developments not only benefit Dubai’s run up to the Expo, but to benefit Dubai’s future for decades to come.
Of course, it's not just the prospects that the Expo offers that's driving development in the region, though there's no doubt that's helped. The Dubai authorities already had a visionary plan in place before the Expo win - the Urban Development Plan 2020.
Originally formed in 2011, this plan for the Emirate's future was designed to outline a series of desirable key objectives that would maintain its forward momentum.
As I type in April 2014, the plan clearly needs review. Things have changed. The forecasts for levels of tourist visitors in 2020 have rocketed. The whole region seems positioned to embark on an upward curve of development on a scale which may not have been seen anywhere before.
One of the key areas of the plan (and one which must be maintained) is in sustainability. The need to travel must be kept to a minimum to reduce pollution as far as possible, and detailed attention needs to be placed on both smart and green initiatives.
Reduction in traveling requirements is a difficult one. Clever (and heavily financed) continuing development of public transport systems will help - most likely by ensuring that building projects are wherever possible kept to areas within close distance of metro and tram stops - but the reality is that infrastructure development in general needs to be kept on a relatively compact scale.
Dubai knows that it needs to be focusing on getting people out of their cars and on to the public transportation system instead.
It definitely will be interesting to watch for how successfully the authorities do put together the pieces of this puzzle.
Developing an internal transport network to be proud of is high on the list of Dubai's rulers, one which they recognised early on in development plans. Clearly it's an essential step for any developing country - and especially one which has a stated target to increase tourist visitors by many millions - to ensure that those visitors (and residents of course) are able to get from A to B with ease, both within the Emirate itself and internationally.
But we've also seen that investment in public transport options is also critical from the sustainability perspective too, which means that development in transport infrastructure is actually high on the list of areas to target.
This means giving attention to all forms of travel - flights and aviation, roads, cars and buses, trams, and metro systems. You can read more about the various forms of internal transport on the dedicated 'getting around in Dubai' page. Read on for future developments......
One area of importance, not just for tourism, but for the edge it will give in business accessibility, is air travel. It's well known that visitor volumes passing through the International airport are rapidly increasing a count where local air traffic will be the highest in the world. During February of 2014 the volume of air traffic visitors increased again for the seventh month consecutively - that's 600,000 more visitors in 2014 than for the same period in 2013.
Dubai International Airport is working on an expansion that looks to expand its passenger capacity from 75 to 100 million by 2020. The development work should be completed by 2016.
Not to be outdone, the 5 million passenger Al Maktoum International Airport, just a short distance away, is experiencing a $32 billion dollar development that's looking to meet Dubai’s tourism, commercial, and logistic needs all of the way through 2050. It will be part of the Dubai World Central city, situated around 30km from the current International Airport.
When its development is completed, Dubai World Central will become the world’s largest airport. With five simultaneously used runways and a passenger capacity of 200 million by 2020, it will also accommodate 12 million tons of cargo.
To tie in with the airport expansion, Dubai's airline Emirates.com has also seen its own expansion. This airline has seen massive growth year on year since its birth, pretty much doubling in fleet numbers every few years. Emirates fly one of the world's most modern - and biggest - airlines, the Airbus A380. The five runways at the new airport will all be over 4km long to be able to handle the expected number of A380 flights.
With current and planned projects regarding air travel, Dubai looks to meet the needs of millions of travelers not just for the 2020 World Expo, but for future personal and business endeavors for years to come.
Fully operational in November 2014, the Al Sufouh Tramway runs 14.5 kilometers and stretch from Dubai Marina to the Burj Al Arab, and is designed to reduce traffic congestion around the southern areas of the city.
It interchanges with three stations of the Dubai Metro’s Red Line and connects with the monorail of the Palm Jumeirah at the entrance of the Palm from Sufouh Road, as well as stopping at popular areas such as Jumeriah Beach Residence and the Dubai Marina...... Read more....
A driverless rapid transit system that has been in partial operation since 2009, the Dubai Metro offers access to some of the most sought after sights in Dubai, including its many luxury hotels and shopping malls.
Traveling a distance of 75-kilometers, the Metro has been declared the world’s longest fully automated metro network by Guinness World Records.
Further developments planned include around 10 kilometres extension of the Red Line to the Expo 2020 site at Dubai World Central via possibly four stations, and a further extension of the Green Line too adding another 21 kilometres from Al Jaddaf through Ras Al Khor to terminate at Academic City......Read more....
Cruising to a holiday destination is becoming increasingly popular. In 2013 Dubai attracted around 400,000 cruise visitors with that number expected to grow to around a million by 2020.
With that figure as a target, Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) is currently in discussions with aditional major cruise operators to get the Emirate on to their schedule sheet.
Those millions of tourist visitors are going to need plenty of hotel rooms. Dubai already has a very strong selection of hotel accommodation to choose from, ranging from basic up to 7 star level. They will need more.
Remember that tourism takes many forms, from holiday-makers seeking leisure entertainment through to those looking for culture and history (known as heritage tourism) and sporting types looking for adventure and excitement. There is also increasing growth in the development of health-care tourism, and the Emirate's attractiveness as a business and conventions destination is clear for all to see.
Dubai hotel stays are not the cheapest in the world, but prices are about to increase further in the run up to the 2020 Expo with the introduction of a new tourist tax. The new tourism tax charge is set from between Dh7 and Dh20 per room per night and applies to hotel rooms and apartments.
Charges are broken down into Dh20 for 5 star hotels, Dh15 for 4 star hotels, Dh10 for 2 and 3 star, and Dh7 for low end budget hotel accommodation.
The tax is designed to contribute to funding for the developments required to make the 2020 Expo a success - both from a construction and a marketing perspective.
With the developments of new attractions in Dubai over coming years - especially in the area of themed resorts - comes a big opportunity for hotel developers.
At present there are an insufficient number of mid range theme park hotels in the Middle East in general, and with major attractions due to open over coming years such as the Dubai Legoland, Worlds Of Adventure, Motiongate, and Bollywood Parks there are plenty of opportunities for major hotel brands to get their names attached.
It's no secret that hotels within theme parks experience higher occupancy and return rates than their city located counterparts. If park hotels can be built with good accessability to both other local attractions and the park itself, and with both regional and further afield tourist visitors in mind, they'll almost be guaranteed a strong occupancy rate for many years.
Hotel numbers will definitely rise in the next few years as projects like Bluewaters Island and The Canal near completion, potentially doubling in the lead up to 2020. It's clear the expansion is needed if the emirate is to meet its target of 20 million tourists per year.
For 2014 there are a handful already of hotel developments already on the cards, including the Waldorf Astoria, the Pullman Hotel in Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Sofitel Dubai Downtown, and the Dubai Marriott Hotel Al Jaddaf. Nakheel, the developer well known for its development involvement with The Palm, have announced plans to build nine extra hotels before the end of 2016.
The Next 'Biggest Hotel In Dubai'
The Atlantis Hotel on The Palm is set to lose its crown. The National JW Marriott Marquis hotel, when fully opened late in 2014, will overtake the Atlantis in the 'number of rooms' stakes at least. The Marriott hotel - situated in the Business Bay area - now has 1608 rooms available and this will increase by another 510 before the year is out.
Dubai's shopping attractions need little introduction. The emirate is well known for its existing shopping facilities, but these will need to increase in number exponentially as visitor numbers continue growing.
With the biggest malls in the world, plus the chance to get great experiences in the gold and spice souqs, any avid shopper will not be disappointed. As tourism interest and residential numbers continue to increase, there will be further shopping developments to keep pace. We'll cover any new reports of developments here, but on the dedicated page here on Dubaiattractions.com you can read all about shopping in Dubai in general too.
Sure to entertain both kids and adults alike, a trip to the new pets and birds market is likely to be a must for the to-do list. If you're on a short holiday or stopover trip in Dubai then clearly you won't be buying anything here, but the market looks like it'll end up being the most popular place for locals to find all types of pets.
Different shops are planned to house dogs, cats, birds, and fish. With an auction facility and health sections/clinics for pets, the market seems sure to be a success.
March 2014 will see the opening of the Al Fahidi eco friendly Souq. Costing around 50 million AED to build, the Souq will be sited in Bur Dubai and is designed to operate in a way that considerably reduces water and energy use. The Souk may well join the ever growing list of tourist attractions in the Emirate.
Shopping Malls
Dubai's malls are an integral part of the shopping experience you'll get on a visit. On top of the existing mega malls we all know about, there are plans for a brace more. These include one on the Nakeel Deira development and another at the Expo 2020 site.
So its no surprise to see announcements of two more shopping destinations to be built in the area of Jumeirah village.
Nakheel, one of the leading developers in the region, intends to build the malls at Jumeirah Village Circle and Jumeirah Village Triangle. Other plans already announced include additional malls on the Palm Jumeirah on top of expansion of existing sites at Ibn Battuta and Dragon Mart.
BurJuman Shopping Centre
One of old Dubai’s landmark shopping centres, BurJuman is expected to be fully operational by the summer after getting a facelift. The mall is currently being expanded to offer bigger retail spaces, a new hypermarket and a 14-screen cinema multiplex.
On The Beach - Meraas The Beach
The Dubai Marina area already has a couple of exciting shopping and leisure destinations in the JBR Walk and the Marina Mall, but the Meraas The Beach mall development is expected to add a little extra spice to shopping options in the area. This mall will sit firmly next to the beach, presenting shoppers with the Emirates first true beachside shopping complex.
Sporting events are obviously a great draw for visitors, and there are plenty on offer throughout the year. But it's not always watching sports that's important for those visitors, many of us enjoy partaking in a little sporting activity too. With that in mind - allied to the healthcare tourism intentions of the Dubai authorities - it's likely that we'll see continuing developments in all types of facilities associated with good health, relaxation, and exercise.
Cycling
Cycling is a great recreational and keep fit activity, but cycle track development in the Emirate is not just designed for fun and exercise. In its stated intent to get commuters out of their cars and work towards a systainable future, cycling is another step in an overall transport plan.
Dubai Bicycle Master Plan
The completion of the Dubai Bicycle Master Plan will give a network of around 500 kilometres of cycling track around the city, plus additional walking and hiking tracks for pedestrians.
The Jumeirah Corniche Project
On completion at the end of 2014 the Corniche project will deliver a new, 14km long sports and leisure development where walking and cycling tracks will connect six different residential districts along the coast.
Akoya - The Best Golf Development In The World?
The Damac Properties luxury golf development - known as Akoya - has recently been labeled as the best golf development in the world.
This development is being constructed around the Trump International Golf Club, and includes the build of a number of luxury homes - including townhouses and villas - which will overlook the club.
The golf course will accompany over 4 million square feet of parkland to be known as Akoya Park, with residents and visitors able to enjoy high class retail facilities, hotels, spas, and international schools.
Dubai World Central Golf
An agreement has already been signed to develop a new golf course and sports centre near the site of the 2020 World Expo, close to the Al Maktoum airport. The development will include hotels, villas, shopping, and leisure attractions.
Dubai's offshore project known as The World is lined up to host the world's only street that has real snow and rain all year round.
Due for completion in 2016, the European part of the complex will have outside areas that are climate controlled to replicate conditions in European countries such as Switzerland, alongside the traditional architecture you'd find in countries like Spain, France, and Germany.
The World project which was suspended after the financial crash of 2008 is going ahead with this first collection of luxury hotels and properties which will cover 6 of the islands.
The development lies around 3 miles off the coast of mainland Dubai, covering a total of 60 square kilometres. It's designed to replicate a map of the world, and was created by dredging millions of tons of sand and rock from the ocean bed to form separate islands.
The European islands development could lead to further building on other islands of The World too, especially with the renewed financial confidence that's become apparent over recent months.
The Deira Palm - Deira Island
The Deira Palm was one of the ambitious man made island projects which were shelved at the time of the 2008 property crash, but there are signs in 2014 that Nakheel still intend to develop.
It won't be lost on Dubai's rulers that the ultimate completion of the project will send a message to the watching world - a message that reinforces Dubai's intent to grow into the leading tourist destination in the world.
Initial plans look to be focused on developing some of the islands closer to the Deira shore, a move which could add an extra 21 kilometres of prime beach-front land and provide plenty of additional space for more luxury hotel developments too. Hotels won't be all of course, there will be shops, resorts, restaurants, shopping, and other entertainment facilities too.
Although maybe ending up not quite on the level it was intended to originally, the renamed Deira Island could still make its mark on Dubai's map of stunning infrastructure projects. Reaching the island could be an adventure in itself, with Abras reportedly the key form of proposed transport from the mainland.
The Dubai Canal project is basically an extension to Dubai Creek...but a big one on the scale we've come to expect.
It's a 3km long and roughly 100 metres wide development beginning at the coast and running inland, which is intended will extend the Creek from Business Bay and Safa Park right up to Jumeirah Beach, with an increasing number of shopping, leisure, and residential developments along its route.
On completion in around 2017, the Canal will have been transformed into a high class destination within a destination, with the usual world class hotels, hundreds of restaurants, shopping malls, waterside walks, and additional beach areas.
The list of major infrastructure development projects includes Mohammad Bin Rashid City, a huge project which was originally intended to include the world's biggest shopping mall, over 100 hotels, a Universal Studios theme park, a series of lagoons, and a public park which was reportedly going to be bigger than the famous Hyde Park of London.
This was another project that hit the skids back in 2008, but the first phase of construction was announced in early 2014.
In fact the lagoons element of the project is likely to become an attraction in its own right. This eco-friendly area will end up covering around 6 million square metres of resorts, parkland, waterways, woodlands, water parks and (of course) the largest body of man made lagoons in the world which will add another 14 kilometres of man-made beaches.
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The site is on the banks of Dubai Creek and completion is planned for 2018-2019. The Creek positioning will also allow creation of a number of small marinas.
In June 2013 work started on building a new man made $1.6 billion island in the Arabian Sea about 500 metres off the coastline adjacent to the Jumeirah Beach residences. To be known as Bluewaters Island, it will play host to Dubai's version of the London Eye which will take the mantle of the world's biggest ferris wheel at 210 metres.
Visitors to Dubai will be able to get stunning views of the skyline and landmark attractions such as the Palm, The Burj Khalifa, and the Burj El Arab. This new development may well turn out to become one of the hottest tourist attractions in the world.
Bluewaters will of course include multiple high class hospitality, residential, and leisure related developments - alongside shopping and dining establishments. The highlight of the shopping experience might be seen in a planned Souq which will be surrounded by a promenade where visitors can dine or just relax.
The 'Dubai Eye' itself will house a complex in its base that offers conference and special event facilities. The Eye is planned to be 210 metres high, taller than similar attractions in Singapore, Las Vegas, and New York.
Originally announced in 2005, Falconcity was proposed to contain true sized replicas of famous world landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, Taj Mahal and the Great Pyramids. Yet another ambitious project that was shelved in 2008, there are recent signs of resurrection with construction and marketing of residential villas.
It's likely that the replicas of the Great Pyramids of Egypt - all three of them - will form one of the centre-pieces of this project.
With the worlds reefs slowly disappearing, any project that builds new ones is going to be seen as ground-breaking.
If reef developer Reef worlds get their way, Dubai will be host to artificially created reefs in what is likely to be a successful - but clearly expensive - attempt to corner the valuable diving and snorkelling tourist market.
If it goes ahead, we can expect to see an underwater development in the style of a lost city.
Dubai already has its fair share of individual, unique buildings which stand out as attractions in their own right. In the mix of upcoming projects it's likely we'll see even more.
One of the most widely anticipated is the world's tallest commercial tower, the Burj 2020. Construction will start in 2015, clearly with completion intended before 2020 and the World Expo.
Other buildings planned include Business Bay Towers - 365 metre high twin towers one of which will be a 5 star hotel and serviced apartments, the other a residential block, and to be situated near to the Business Bay Metro.
Emaar Properties are one of the leading property developers in the UAE, and were responsible for the building of the worlds tallest building - the Burj Khalifa - and the world's biggest shopping complex, the Dubai Mall.
Their projects for 2014 include The Opera District which is intended to seat up to 2000 performing arts fans alongside the usual luxury hotels, retail facilities, restaurants, and waterside promenades.
This project was originally due for completion in 2013, but was postponed and is now being planned for the latter part of 2017. The Pearl is a mixed-use development which will overlook the Palm Jumeirah containing, delivering shopping, leisure, and business facilities, five star hotels and apartments, plus the obligatory restaurants and a theatre too.
On top of the Deira developments above, the Palm Jumeirah is facing its own improvements in the form of a spectacular 11 km long boardwalk to be built along its crescent.
The plans also feature a 100 metre long pier running out from the boardwalk over the Arabian Gulf.
Another development is being named as West Beach, which is planned to run for one and a half kilometres along the western trunk of the Palm. This will offer a beach club, park, promenade, and play areas.
Expo 2020 Developments
In a way, many of the new developments in Dubai over the next 4 or 5 years will have been driven to some extent by Dubai's successful bid to host the renowned World Expo in 2020.
But of course there will be specific developments around the Expo itself. You can read more about those on the World Expo page here on DubaiAttractions.com.
Building is likely to be focused on meeting the sustainability targets of urban development in the years to come, with sustainability being one of the corner-stone themes of the Expo itself.
One of the first announcements comes from developer DAMAC Properties who recently posted news of their planned luxury serviced hotel apartments block at the centre of the 2020 site. The development will offer studios, one, and two bedroom apartments over 8 floors and will sit squarely in Dubai World Central Residential City, close to the new Al Maktoum International Airport.
To remain consistent with the themes of Expo 2020, we can expect to see a number of green initiatives over coming years. The Emirate has stated intentions to reduce carbon footprints, with initiatives such as the phasing out of older style light-bulbs and investigations into how Dubai businesses can make improvements to their LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating.
The theme for the 2020 Dubai World Expo will be “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future.” Three sub-themes will also be presented at the expo- Sustainability, Mobility, and Opportunity. With the Sustainability sub-theme covering intelligent sources of energy and water, it also plays a big part in Dubai’s efforts to contribute to international issues such as climate change and individual carbon footprints.
With Dubai being a leader in the tourism and service industries, the Emirate not only recognizes how clean and responsible energy helps everyone on a global level, but they also see how going green can create a healthy environment while benefiting the economy and everyone involved.
According to a State of Energy report, Dubai looks to cut its carbon emission by 29% by 2030. With many ongoing projects, a few of the issues that Dubai is focusing on is the expansion of their solar power capabilities, using alternative energy sources for their public transportation and fleets of government vehicles, and regulating heating and cooling in most of their glass and steel architectural accomplishments.
Looking at some of these, First Solar Inc., the biggest US manufacturer of solar panels, recently completed and switched on a new 13-megawatt photovoltaic plant just off the coast of the Persian Gulf. The largest of its kind in the Middle East, this plant is just the first part of plan to build a solar park that will offer 1,000-megawatts of power by 2030.
A new Dubai Zoo that is set for completion by the end of 2014 is also looking to utilize solar power for its energy needs. Using 1,250 photovoltaic panels, the new Dubai Zoo looks to save USD $76,231 per year while making sure the over 1,000 different animals from all over the world will comfortable despite the heat and humidity.
Dubai’s Road and Transportation Authority has also been busy with their own green initiatives. Expanding on the green buses it had introduced in 2012, they are looking to expand to over 60 green buses over the next couple of years. By using alternative forms of fuel the Road and Transportation Authority has already reduced fuel costs by 7% and have registered a 34% reduction in CO2 emissions.
With the launch of the Green Building Regulations and Specifications, green buildings are also on the agenda for Dubai in a quest to develop a healthy and pollution free city. New specifications and guidelines will regulate the electricity, water, and renewed energy in all of its buildings.
All roads do lead to 2020 for the Emirate, and one of the biggest initiatives is to demonstrate a smart commitment to the watching world.
One of the latest innovations in this area is the plan to introduce smart ambulances, to run alongside the already smart bus transport systems. These ambulances will use solar power to track changes in condition of patients on their way to hospital.
In a bold strategic plan designed to transform Dubai into the 'smartest' city in the world over the next three years, the government announced in early 2014 over 100 transformation initiatives covering areas such as life, transportation, governance, economy, society, and environment - each designed to transform the way that residents and visitors live their daily lives in the Emirate.
Interworking between businesses and the personal sectors is expected to provide the cornerstone to the initiative, with a stated goal to make all the regions facilities and services available via smartphones.
Big Focus On Smart Tourism Information
GITEX week of 2014 saw the unveiling of the DTB's new website and specially designed mobile app. Both are designed to deliver an information rich experience to both holiday and business visitors.
The mobile app is particularly interesting, and is purported to be able to use the latest beacon technology to deliver alerts to smartphones about nearby special offers and attractions.
The mobile app technology aptly ties in with Dubai's general Smart City initiatives.
Mail Delivered By Flying Drones
In what may possibly be another first for the Emirate, the Dubai Government are looking at ways to deliver documents such as driving licenses and identity cards by drone.
Test flights are likely to run over the next six months, with February 2015 noted as the month that may see the service in full operation.
There are problems to overcome and clearly the tests will be designed to take these into account. Security might be an issue, but fingertip and eye recognition technology will probably solve this. More of a problem may be the drones ability to handle sand storms and make deliveries to skyscraper apartments.
3D Robots at The Airport
In keeping with the drive towards providing visitors with the best first experience of Dubai, a 3D robot will be deployed at the airport to answer visitor enquiries. It'll be able to deal with questions in multiple languages and by delivering answers using both video streaming and verbally.
Free Wifi Across The City
As part of the Smart City initiative, residents and visitors will soon be able to get online for free from an ever increasing list of places. The latest announcement is that an extra 17 sites will get free WiFi connectivity in the next 6 months.
Zabeel Park was the first of many it seems. Al Mamzar Beach Park will follow soon, and other beaches and park areas are next on a list which should see free Wifi right across the Emirate by the time of the World Expo.
There may be a small concern over speed, but the authorities seem confident this will never be an issue.
Driverless Cars On Dubai's Roads
In a city where nothing will surprise you, it won't be a surprise to see cars with no drivers at some point in the next five or six years. These are already under development for Dubai's roads, the theory being they will save money by running on electric power, be significantly safer, and best of all reduce congestion and enhance commuters lives by taking some of the pain out of traveling.
With ongoing improvements to its already advanced infrastructure, Dubai is poising itself to set the standard in development. With first class airports, restaurants, hotels, and shopping malls, to media, IT, health care, and financial services, the gateway is making continual progress.
Check out the links below for a handful of other sites where you can get up to date news, views, and info on coming developments in Dubai.
Arabianbusiness.com
Gulfnews is the biggest current affairs website for the Middle East region. It carries an extensive listing of Dubai news items over recent years, with constant updates on all aspects of local and international news and developments.
TradeArabia.com is a business news website with many articles on Dubai developments
GulfBusinessNews.com Dubai news articles
TheNational.ae
Dubaichronicle.com is an online news, events, and opinions magazine which carries some valuable info and articles on new developments in and around the city.
Social sharing sites are a great way to get extra and up to date information on any subject. You can use both Twitter and Facebook to get a view on what's being talked about on the subject of Dubai developments on the respective channels and fan pages.
The video below displays a pictorial view of Dubai's developments over recent years.
Now with its successful bid to host the 2020 World Expo, the Emirate is set to develop further and improve on an already amazing and extensive infrastructure. Also, with property sales seeing a strong percentage growth in 2013 and 2014, the 2020 World Expo and Dubai’s economy are looking to make great partners.
An estimated $23 billion is expected to be generated between 2015 and 2021, which is 24% of the gross domestic product. Helping to create these numbers are the estimated 277,000 jobs that would be created between 2014 and 2020. 40% of these are expected to be in the tourism and travel sector alone.
With the 2020 World Expo looking to put Dubai in the world spotlight, Dubai’s progress and future growth seem to be endless. With Dubai’s already proven success in the tourism sector, the Expo will look to see Dubai expanding to handle the huge influx of new tourists and visitors.
From travel logistics to new attractions, Dubai’s development projects will certainly be on display. One should also look to see these developments not only benefit Dubai’s run up to the Expo, but to benefit Dubai’s future for decades to come.
The Dubai Urban Development Plan 2020
Of course, it's not just the prospects that the Expo offers that's driving development in the region, though there's no doubt that's helped. The Dubai authorities already had a visionary plan in place before the Expo win - the Urban Development Plan 2020.
Originally formed in 2011, this plan for the Emirate's future was designed to outline a series of desirable key objectives that would maintain its forward momentum.
As I type in April 2014, the plan clearly needs review. Things have changed. The forecasts for levels of tourist visitors in 2020 have rocketed. The whole region seems positioned to embark on an upward curve of development on a scale which may not have been seen anywhere before.
One of the key areas of the plan (and one which must be maintained) is in sustainability. The need to travel must be kept to a minimum to reduce pollution as far as possible, and detailed attention needs to be placed on both smart and green initiatives.
Reduction in traveling requirements is a difficult one. Clever (and heavily financed) continuing development of public transport systems will help - most likely by ensuring that building projects are wherever possible kept to areas within close distance of metro and tram stops - but the reality is that infrastructure development in general needs to be kept on a relatively compact scale.
Dubai knows that it needs to be focusing on getting people out of their cars and on to the public transportation system instead.
It definitely will be interesting to watch for how successfully the authorities do put together the pieces of this puzzle.
Transportation Development
Developing an internal transport network to be proud of is high on the list of Dubai's rulers, one which they recognised early on in development plans. Clearly it's an essential step for any developing country - and especially one which has a stated target to increase tourist visitors by many millions - to ensure that those visitors (and residents of course) are able to get from A to B with ease, both within the Emirate itself and internationally.But we've also seen that investment in public transport options is also critical from the sustainability perspective too, which means that development in transport infrastructure is actually high on the list of areas to target.
This means giving attention to all forms of travel - flights and aviation, roads, cars and buses, trams, and metro systems. You can read more about the various forms of internal transport on the dedicated 'getting around in Dubai' page. Read on for future developments......
Development In Dubai Air Travel
One area of importance, not just for tourism, but for the edge it will give in business accessibility, is air travel. It's well known that visitor volumes passing through the International airport are rapidly increasing a count where local air traffic will be the highest in the world. During February of 2014 the volume of air traffic visitors increased again for the seventh month consecutively - that's 600,000 more visitors in 2014 than for the same period in 2013.
Dubai International Airport is working on an expansion that looks to expand its passenger capacity from 75 to 100 million by 2020. The development work should be completed by 2016.
Not to be outdone, the 5 million passenger Al Maktoum International Airport, just a short distance away, is experiencing a $32 billion dollar development that's looking to meet Dubai’s tourism, commercial, and logistic needs all of the way through 2050. It will be part of the Dubai World Central city, situated around 30km from the current International Airport.
When its development is completed, Dubai World Central will become the world’s largest airport. With five simultaneously used runways and a passenger capacity of 200 million by 2020, it will also accommodate 12 million tons of cargo.
To tie in with the airport expansion, Dubai's airline Emirates.com has also seen its own expansion. This airline has seen massive growth year on year since its birth, pretty much doubling in fleet numbers every few years. Emirates fly one of the world's most modern - and biggest - airlines, the Airbus A380. The five runways at the new airport will all be over 4km long to be able to handle the expected number of A380 flights.
With current and planned projects regarding air travel, Dubai looks to meet the needs of millions of travelers not just for the 2020 World Expo, but for future personal and business endeavors for years to come.
The Dubai Tramway
Fully operational in November 2014, the Al Sufouh Tramway runs 14.5 kilometers and stretch from Dubai Marina to the Burj Al Arab, and is designed to reduce traffic congestion around the southern areas of the city.
It interchanges with three stations of the Dubai Metro’s Red Line and connects with the monorail of the Palm Jumeirah at the entrance of the Palm from Sufouh Road, as well as stopping at popular areas such as Jumeriah Beach Residence and the Dubai Marina...... Read more....
The Dubai Metro
A driverless rapid transit system that has been in partial operation since 2009, the Dubai Metro offers access to some of the most sought after sights in Dubai, including its many luxury hotels and shopping malls.
Traveling a distance of 75-kilometers, the Metro has been declared the world’s longest fully automated metro network by Guinness World Records.
Further developments planned include around 10 kilometres extension of the Red Line to the Expo 2020 site at Dubai World Central via possibly four stations, and a further extension of the Green Line too adding another 21 kilometres from Al Jaddaf through Ras Al Khor to terminate at Academic City......Read more....
Cruises Developments
Cruising to a holiday destination is becoming increasingly popular. In 2013 Dubai attracted around 400,000 cruise visitors with that number expected to grow to around a million by 2020.
With that figure as a target, Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) is currently in discussions with aditional major cruise operators to get the Emirate on to their schedule sheet.
Hospitality & Accommodation
Those millions of tourist visitors are going to need plenty of hotel rooms. Dubai already has a very strong selection of hotel accommodation to choose from, ranging from basic up to 7 star level. They will need more.
Remember that tourism takes many forms, from holiday-makers seeking leisure entertainment through to those looking for culture and history (known as heritage tourism) and sporting types looking for adventure and excitement. There is also increasing growth in the development of health-care tourism, and the Emirate's attractiveness as a business and conventions destination is clear for all to see.
Dubai hotel stays are not the cheapest in the world, but prices are about to increase further in the run up to the 2020 Expo with the introduction of a new tourist tax. The new tourism tax charge is set from between Dh7 and Dh20 per room per night and applies to hotel rooms and apartments.
Charges are broken down into Dh20 for 5 star hotels, Dh15 for 4 star hotels, Dh10 for 2 and 3 star, and Dh7 for low end budget hotel accommodation.
The tax is designed to contribute to funding for the developments required to make the 2020 Expo a success - both from a construction and a marketing perspective.
New Hotels
With the developments of new attractions in Dubai over coming years - especially in the area of themed resorts - comes a big opportunity for hotel developers.
At present there are an insufficient number of mid range theme park hotels in the Middle East in general, and with major attractions due to open over coming years such as the Dubai Legoland, Worlds Of Adventure, Motiongate, and Bollywood Parks there are plenty of opportunities for major hotel brands to get their names attached.
It's no secret that hotels within theme parks experience higher occupancy and return rates than their city located counterparts. If park hotels can be built with good accessability to both other local attractions and the park itself, and with both regional and further afield tourist visitors in mind, they'll almost be guaranteed a strong occupancy rate for many years.
Hotel numbers will definitely rise in the next few years as projects like Bluewaters Island and The Canal near completion, potentially doubling in the lead up to 2020. It's clear the expansion is needed if the emirate is to meet its target of 20 million tourists per year.
For 2014 there are a handful already of hotel developments already on the cards, including the Waldorf Astoria, the Pullman Hotel in Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Sofitel Dubai Downtown, and the Dubai Marriott Hotel Al Jaddaf. Nakheel, the developer well known for its development involvement with The Palm, have announced plans to build nine extra hotels before the end of 2016.
The Next 'Biggest Hotel In Dubai'
The Atlantis Hotel on The Palm is set to lose its crown. The National JW Marriott Marquis hotel, when fully opened late in 2014, will overtake the Atlantis in the 'number of rooms' stakes at least. The Marriott hotel - situated in the Business Bay area - now has 1608 rooms available and this will increase by another 510 before the year is out.
Shopping
Dubai's shopping attractions need little introduction. The emirate is well known for its existing shopping facilities, but these will need to increase in number exponentially as visitor numbers continue growing.
With the biggest malls in the world, plus the chance to get great experiences in the gold and spice souqs, any avid shopper will not be disappointed. As tourism interest and residential numbers continue to increase, there will be further shopping developments to keep pace. We'll cover any new reports of developments here, but on the dedicated page here on Dubaiattractions.com you can read all about shopping in Dubai in general too.
Pets and Birds Market
Sure to entertain both kids and adults alike, a trip to the new pets and birds market is likely to be a must for the to-do list. If you're on a short holiday or stopover trip in Dubai then clearly you won't be buying anything here, but the market looks like it'll end up being the most popular place for locals to find all types of pets.
Different shops are planned to house dogs, cats, birds, and fish. With an auction facility and health sections/clinics for pets, the market seems sure to be a success.
Eco-Friendly Souq Opening Soon
March 2014 will see the opening of the Al Fahidi eco friendly Souq. Costing around 50 million AED to build, the Souq will be sited in Bur Dubai and is designed to operate in a way that considerably reduces water and energy use. The Souk may well join the ever growing list of tourist attractions in the Emirate.
Shopping Malls
Dubai's malls are an integral part of the shopping experience you'll get on a visit. On top of the existing mega malls we all know about, there are plans for a brace more. These include one on the Nakeel Deira development and another at the Expo 2020 site.So its no surprise to see announcements of two more shopping destinations to be built in the area of Jumeirah village.
Nakheel, one of the leading developers in the region, intends to build the malls at Jumeirah Village Circle and Jumeirah Village Triangle. Other plans already announced include additional malls on the Palm Jumeirah on top of expansion of existing sites at Ibn Battuta and Dragon Mart.
One of old Dubai’s landmark shopping centres, BurJuman is expected to be fully operational by the summer after getting a facelift. The mall is currently being expanded to offer bigger retail spaces, a new hypermarket and a 14-screen cinema multiplex.
On The Beach - Meraas The Beach
The Dubai Marina area already has a couple of exciting shopping and leisure destinations in the JBR Walk and the Marina Mall, but the Meraas The Beach mall development is expected to add a little extra spice to shopping options in the area. This mall will sit firmly next to the beach, presenting shoppers with the Emirates first true beachside shopping complex.
Sports & Wellbeing
Sporting events are obviously a great draw for visitors, and there are plenty on offer throughout the year. But it's not always watching sports that's important for those visitors, many of us enjoy partaking in a little sporting activity too. With that in mind - allied to the healthcare tourism intentions of the Dubai authorities - it's likely that we'll see continuing developments in all types of facilities associated with good health, relaxation, and exercise.
Cycling
Cycling is a great recreational and keep fit activity, but cycle track development in the Emirate is not just designed for fun and exercise. In its stated intent to get commuters out of their cars and work towards a systainable future, cycling is another step in an overall transport plan.Dubai Bicycle Master Plan
The completion of the Dubai Bicycle Master Plan will give a network of around 500 kilometres of cycling track around the city, plus additional walking and hiking tracks for pedestrians.
The Jumeirah Corniche Project
On completion at the end of 2014 the Corniche project will deliver a new, 14km long sports and leisure development where walking and cycling tracks will connect six different residential districts along the coast.
Golf
Akoya - The Best Golf Development In The World?
The Damac Properties luxury golf development - known as Akoya - has recently been labeled as the best golf development in the world.
This development is being constructed around the Trump International Golf Club, and includes the build of a number of luxury homes - including townhouses and villas - which will overlook the club.
The golf course will accompany over 4 million square feet of parkland to be known as Akoya Park, with residents and visitors able to enjoy high class retail facilities, hotels, spas, and international schools.
Dubai World Central Golf
An agreement has already been signed to develop a new golf course and sports centre near the site of the 2020 World Expo, close to the Al Maktoum airport. The development will include hotels, villas, shopping, and leisure attractions.
Infrastructure Developments
The World
Dubai's offshore project known as The World is lined up to host the world's only street that has real snow and rain all year round.
Due for completion in 2016, the European part of the complex will have outside areas that are climate controlled to replicate conditions in European countries such as Switzerland, alongside the traditional architecture you'd find in countries like Spain, France, and Germany.
The World project which was suspended after the financial crash of 2008 is going ahead with this first collection of luxury hotels and properties which will cover 6 of the islands.
The development lies around 3 miles off the coast of mainland Dubai, covering a total of 60 square kilometres. It's designed to replicate a map of the world, and was created by dredging millions of tons of sand and rock from the ocean bed to form separate islands.
The European islands development could lead to further building on other islands of The World too, especially with the renewed financial confidence that's become apparent over recent months.
The Deira Palm - Deira Island
The Deira Palm was one of the ambitious man made island projects which were shelved at the time of the 2008 property crash, but there are signs in 2014 that Nakheel still intend to develop.It won't be lost on Dubai's rulers that the ultimate completion of the project will send a message to the watching world - a message that reinforces Dubai's intent to grow into the leading tourist destination in the world.
Initial plans look to be focused on developing some of the islands closer to the Deira shore, a move which could add an extra 21 kilometres of prime beach-front land and provide plenty of additional space for more luxury hotel developments too. Hotels won't be all of course, there will be shops, resorts, restaurants, shopping, and other entertainment facilities too.
Although maybe ending up not quite on the level it was intended to originally, the renamed Deira Island could still make its mark on Dubai's map of stunning infrastructure projects. Reaching the island could be an adventure in itself, with Abras reportedly the key form of proposed transport from the mainland.
Dubai Canal
The Dubai Canal project is basically an extension to Dubai Creek...but a big one on the scale we've come to expect.
It's a 3km long and roughly 100 metres wide development beginning at the coast and running inland, which is intended will extend the Creek from Business Bay and Safa Park right up to Jumeirah Beach, with an increasing number of shopping, leisure, and residential developments along its route.
On completion in around 2017, the Canal will have been transformed into a high class destination within a destination, with the usual world class hotels, hundreds of restaurants, shopping malls, waterside walks, and additional beach areas.
Mohammad Bin Rashid City
The list of major infrastructure development projects includes Mohammad Bin Rashid City, a huge project which was originally intended to include the world's biggest shopping mall, over 100 hotels, a Universal Studios theme park, a series of lagoons, and a public park which was reportedly going to be bigger than the famous Hyde Park of London.
This was another project that hit the skids back in 2008, but the first phase of construction was announced in early 2014.
In fact the lagoons element of the project is likely to become an attraction in its own right. This eco-friendly area will end up covering around 6 million square metres of resorts, parkland, waterways, woodlands, water parks and (of course) the largest body of man made lagoons in the world which will add another 14 kilometres of man-made beaches.
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The site is on the banks of Dubai Creek and completion is planned for 2018-2019. The Creek positioning will also allow creation of a number of small marinas.
Bluewaters Island & The Dubai Eye
In June 2013 work started on building a new man made $1.6 billion island in the Arabian Sea about 500 metres off the coastline adjacent to the Jumeirah Beach residences. To be known as Bluewaters Island, it will play host to Dubai's version of the London Eye which will take the mantle of the world's biggest ferris wheel at 210 metres.
Visitors to Dubai will be able to get stunning views of the skyline and landmark attractions such as the Palm, The Burj Khalifa, and the Burj El Arab. This new development may well turn out to become one of the hottest tourist attractions in the world.
Bluewaters will of course include multiple high class hospitality, residential, and leisure related developments - alongside shopping and dining establishments. The highlight of the shopping experience might be seen in a planned Souq which will be surrounded by a promenade where visitors can dine or just relax.
The 'Dubai Eye' itself will house a complex in its base that offers conference and special event facilities. The Eye is planned to be 210 metres high, taller than similar attractions in Singapore, Las Vegas, and New York.
Falcon City of Wonders
Originally announced in 2005, Falconcity was proposed to contain true sized replicas of famous world landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, Taj Mahal and the Great Pyramids. Yet another ambitious project that was shelved in 2008, there are recent signs of resurrection with construction and marketing of residential villas.
It's likely that the replicas of the Great Pyramids of Egypt - all three of them - will form one of the centre-pieces of this project.
Artificial Reefs
With the worlds reefs slowly disappearing, any project that builds new ones is going to be seen as ground-breaking.
If reef developer Reef worlds get their way, Dubai will be host to artificially created reefs in what is likely to be a successful - but clearly expensive - attempt to corner the valuable diving and snorkelling tourist market.
If it goes ahead, we can expect to see an underwater development in the style of a lost city.
Stunning Buildings
Dubai already has its fair share of individual, unique buildings which stand out as attractions in their own right. In the mix of upcoming projects it's likely we'll see even more.
One of the most widely anticipated is the world's tallest commercial tower, the Burj 2020. Construction will start in 2015, clearly with completion intended before 2020 and the World Expo.
Other buildings planned include Business Bay Towers - 365 metre high twin towers one of which will be a 5 star hotel and serviced apartments, the other a residential block, and to be situated near to the Business Bay Metro.
Emaar Future Developments
Emaar Properties are one of the leading property developers in the UAE, and were responsible for the building of the worlds tallest building - the Burj Khalifa - and the world's biggest shopping complex, the Dubai Mall.
Their projects for 2014 include The Opera District which is intended to seat up to 2000 performing arts fans alongside the usual luxury hotels, retail facilities, restaurants, and waterside promenades.
The Pearl Dubai
This project was originally due for completion in 2013, but was postponed and is now being planned for the latter part of 2017. The Pearl is a mixed-use development which will overlook the Palm Jumeirah containing, delivering shopping, leisure, and business facilities, five star hotels and apartments, plus the obligatory restaurants and a theatre too.
New For The Palm Jumeirah
On top of the Deira developments above, the Palm Jumeirah is facing its own improvements in the form of a spectacular 11 km long boardwalk to be built along its crescent.
The plans also feature a 100 metre long pier running out from the boardwalk over the Arabian Gulf.
Another development is being named as West Beach, which is planned to run for one and a half kilometres along the western trunk of the Palm. This will offer a beach club, park, promenade, and play areas.
Expo 2020 Developments
In a way, many of the new developments in Dubai over the next 4 or 5 years will have been driven to some extent by Dubai's successful bid to host the renowned World Expo in 2020.But of course there will be specific developments around the Expo itself. You can read more about those on the World Expo page here on DubaiAttractions.com.
Building is likely to be focused on meeting the sustainability targets of urban development in the years to come, with sustainability being one of the corner-stone themes of the Expo itself.
One of the first announcements comes from developer DAMAC Properties who recently posted news of their planned luxury serviced hotel apartments block at the centre of the 2020 site. The development will offer studios, one, and two bedroom apartments over 8 floors and will sit squarely in Dubai World Central Residential City, close to the new Al Maktoum International Airport.
Green Initiatives In The Emirate
To remain consistent with the themes of Expo 2020, we can expect to see a number of green initiatives over coming years. The Emirate has stated intentions to reduce carbon footprints, with initiatives such as the phasing out of older style light-bulbs and investigations into how Dubai businesses can make improvements to their LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating.
The theme for the 2020 Dubai World Expo will be “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future.” Three sub-themes will also be presented at the expo- Sustainability, Mobility, and Opportunity. With the Sustainability sub-theme covering intelligent sources of energy and water, it also plays a big part in Dubai’s efforts to contribute to international issues such as climate change and individual carbon footprints.
With Dubai being a leader in the tourism and service industries, the Emirate not only recognizes how clean and responsible energy helps everyone on a global level, but they also see how going green can create a healthy environment while benefiting the economy and everyone involved.
According to a State of Energy report, Dubai looks to cut its carbon emission by 29% by 2030. With many ongoing projects, a few of the issues that Dubai is focusing on is the expansion of their solar power capabilities, using alternative energy sources for their public transportation and fleets of government vehicles, and regulating heating and cooling in most of their glass and steel architectural accomplishments.
Looking at some of these, First Solar Inc., the biggest US manufacturer of solar panels, recently completed and switched on a new 13-megawatt photovoltaic plant just off the coast of the Persian Gulf. The largest of its kind in the Middle East, this plant is just the first part of plan to build a solar park that will offer 1,000-megawatts of power by 2030.
A new Dubai Zoo that is set for completion by the end of 2014 is also looking to utilize solar power for its energy needs. Using 1,250 photovoltaic panels, the new Dubai Zoo looks to save USD $76,231 per year while making sure the over 1,000 different animals from all over the world will comfortable despite the heat and humidity.
Dubai’s Road and Transportation Authority has also been busy with their own green initiatives. Expanding on the green buses it had introduced in 2012, they are looking to expand to over 60 green buses over the next couple of years. By using alternative forms of fuel the Road and Transportation Authority has already reduced fuel costs by 7% and have registered a 34% reduction in CO2 emissions.
With the launch of the Green Building Regulations and Specifications, green buildings are also on the agenda for Dubai in a quest to develop a healthy and pollution free city. New specifications and guidelines will regulate the electricity, water, and renewed energy in all of its buildings.
Smart Initiatives
All roads do lead to 2020 for the Emirate, and one of the biggest initiatives is to demonstrate a smart commitment to the watching world.
One of the latest innovations in this area is the plan to introduce smart ambulances, to run alongside the already smart bus transport systems. These ambulances will use solar power to track changes in condition of patients on their way to hospital.
In a bold strategic plan designed to transform Dubai into the 'smartest' city in the world over the next three years, the government announced in early 2014 over 100 transformation initiatives covering areas such as life, transportation, governance, economy, society, and environment - each designed to transform the way that residents and visitors live their daily lives in the Emirate.
Interworking between businesses and the personal sectors is expected to provide the cornerstone to the initiative, with a stated goal to make all the regions facilities and services available via smartphones.
Big Focus On Smart Tourism Information
GITEX week of 2014 saw the unveiling of the DTB's new website and specially designed mobile app. Both are designed to deliver an information rich experience to both holiday and business visitors.
The mobile app is particularly interesting, and is purported to be able to use the latest beacon technology to deliver alerts to smartphones about nearby special offers and attractions.
The mobile app technology aptly ties in with Dubai's general Smart City initiatives.
Mail Delivered By Flying Drones
In what may possibly be another first for the Emirate, the Dubai Government are looking at ways to deliver documents such as driving licenses and identity cards by drone.
Test flights are likely to run over the next six months, with February 2015 noted as the month that may see the service in full operation.
There are problems to overcome and clearly the tests will be designed to take these into account. Security might be an issue, but fingertip and eye recognition technology will probably solve this. More of a problem may be the drones ability to handle sand storms and make deliveries to skyscraper apartments.
3D Robots at The Airport
In keeping with the drive towards providing visitors with the best first experience of Dubai, a 3D robot will be deployed at the airport to answer visitor enquiries. It'll be able to deal with questions in multiple languages and by delivering answers using both video streaming and verbally.
Free Wifi Across The City
As part of the Smart City initiative, residents and visitors will soon be able to get online for free from an ever increasing list of places. The latest announcement is that an extra 17 sites will get free WiFi connectivity in the next 6 months.
Zabeel Park was the first of many it seems. Al Mamzar Beach Park will follow soon, and other beaches and park areas are next on a list which should see free Wifi right across the Emirate by the time of the World Expo.
There may be a small concern over speed, but the authorities seem confident this will never be an issue.
Driverless Cars On Dubai's Roads
In a city where nothing will surprise you, it won't be a surprise to see cars with no drivers at some point in the next five or six years. These are already under development for Dubai's roads, the theory being they will save money by running on electric power, be significantly safer, and best of all reduce congestion and enhance commuters lives by taking some of the pain out of traveling.
Summary
With ongoing improvements to its already advanced infrastructure, Dubai is poising itself to set the standard in development. With first class airports, restaurants, hotels, and shopping malls, to media, IT, health care, and financial services, the gateway is making continual progress.
Check out the links below for a handful of other sites where you can get up to date news, views, and info on coming developments in Dubai.
Arabianbusiness.com
Gulfnews is the biggest current affairs website for the Middle East region. It carries an extensive listing of Dubai news items over recent years, with constant updates on all aspects of local and international news and developments.
TradeArabia.com is a business news website with many articles on Dubai developments
GulfBusinessNews.com Dubai news articles
TheNational.ae
Dubaichronicle.com is an online news, events, and opinions magazine which carries some valuable info and articles on new developments in and around the city.
Social sharing sites are a great way to get extra and up to date information on any subject. You can use both Twitter and Facebook to get a view on what's being talked about on the subject of Dubai developments on the respective channels and fan pages.
The video below displays a pictorial view of Dubai's developments over recent years.
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The Urban Development Plan 2020
Transportation
• Air Travel & Airports
• The Tramway
• The Metro
• Cruise Developments
Hospitality & Accommodation
• New Hotel Developments
Shopping Developments
• Markets - Pets & Birds
• Eco Friendly Souq
• Shopping Malls
Sports & Wellbeing
• Cycling
• Golf
Major Developments In Infrastructure
• The World
• Deira Island
• Dubai Canal
• Mohammad Bin Rashid City
• Bluewaters Island - The Dubai Eye
• Falcon City Of Wonders
• Artificial Reefs
• Stunning Buildings
• Emaar Developments
• The Pearl Dubai
• New For The Palm Jumeirah
Expo 2020 Developments
Green Initiatives
Smart Initiatives
Transportation
• Air Travel & Airports
• The Tramway
• The Metro
• Cruise Developments
Hospitality & Accommodation
• New Hotel Developments
Shopping Developments
• Markets - Pets & Birds
• Eco Friendly Souq
• Shopping Malls
Sports & Wellbeing
• Cycling
• Golf
Major Developments In Infrastructure
• The World
• Deira Island
• Dubai Canal
• Mohammad Bin Rashid City
• Bluewaters Island - The Dubai Eye
• Falcon City Of Wonders
• Artificial Reefs
• Stunning Buildings
• Emaar Developments
• The Pearl Dubai
• New For The Palm Jumeirah
Expo 2020 Developments
Green Initiatives
Smart Initiatives
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Copyright Dubaiattractions.com 2014 - 2020
The development of Dubai over the last 50 years has been nothing short of stunning, but there's no sign of a drop in pace. If anything we'll see an increase in pace over the coming years as the Emirate solidifies its place on the global tourism stage.....
All About.....Dubai Developments
“ Tourism is a vital pillar of Dubai’s economy and has contributed to the city’s economic growth , success and diversification. With the strength of Dubai’s development in infrastructure, geographic location, and global connectivity, Dubai Expo 2020 can expect to attract 25 million visitors during the six months between October 2020 and April 2021, 71% of which would originate from outside the host nation for the first time in Expo history.
This is important because the additional demand created by World Expo would provide real and exciting opportunities in employment, new attractions, and incentives for the travel and tourism sector, not just the UAE, but for neighboring countries in the region and beyond.”- His Excellency Helal Saeed Al Marri, Director General of Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, and CEO of the Dubai World Trade Centre.
These words - spoken in late 2013 after the announcement to the world of the Emirate's successful bid to host the World Expo in 2020 - are a great example of what make Dubai a leading influence in the future of nation building, and of ensuring development of sustainable infrastructures that successfully address the needs of multi-cultural societies.
This is important because the additional demand created by World Expo would provide real and exciting opportunities in employment, new attractions, and incentives for the travel and tourism sector, not just the UAE, but for neighboring countries in the region and beyond.”- His Excellency Helal Saeed Al Marri, Director General of Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, and CEO of the Dubai World Trade Centre.
These words - spoken in late 2013 after the announcement to the world of the Emirate's successful bid to host the World Expo in 2020 - are a great example of what make Dubai a leading influence in the future of nation building, and of ensuring development of sustainable infrastructures that successfully address the needs of multi-cultural societies.
Revealing The Top Ten & More............
Exploring New Tourism Related Development In Dubai......
From it’s humble beginnings as a settled fishing village in 1833, Dubai has transformed itself into one of the top ten urban tourist destinations in the world.
Attracting close to 10 million tourist a year as of 2012, its continual need for growth is obvious. Dubai development projects are virtually guaranteed to continue unabated.
Attracting close to 10 million tourist a year as of 2012, its continual need for growth is obvious. Dubai development projects are virtually guaranteed to continue unabated.
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Dubai Development Projects
