Places to Visit in 2009: Dubai, A Tourist Paradise

Dubai is fast emerging as tourist destination of choice. Especially European tourists are flocking toward the sunny beaches and above average night life is Dubai. When I was compiling a list of places to visit in year 2009, City of Dubai was amongst the top 10 places to see. It is in-fact one of those cities, where skyline changes fast, really fast. If you take a look at this picture taken in 1990… It was nothing more than a barren land where you find nothing but blazing heat and dust. At that time, very few people believed that this wasteland could ever be transformed into one of the most successful cosmopolitan city in the world.

Compare the above picture with the left side. These are pictures of same street. One above was taken in 1990 and The second one, below was taken 13 years after it, in 2003. Human imagination, combined with trillion of dollars can sure create wonders.

This does not end here. In fact, no one is really sure, where this will stop. Below is the another picture of same street. This one, taken in 2005.

The pace at which Dubai is making progress is mind boggling. The state has more workers, working on permits, than it has citizens. It is estimated that 15% of world’s high rise cranes are in Dubai at the moment. Can you count them in the picture below?

All this to construct, world’s most expensive and luxurious hotels…

Al-Burj (right picture), when completed, will be the centerpiece of these beautiful man made palm islands.