Dubai snaps...

I'm in Dubai for the last week of 2007 and the pace of growth is as astonishing as ever. Although I have been and remain to be a critic of the way it's been done I guess there are things to learn from it. In some ways one could draw parallels between this insane growth to that of Manhattan in the early 20th century.

Here are some photos I took while flying into Dubai from India

In the far distance growing upwards the Dubai Business Bay

This is the sort of gated city/exclusive villas development that is sprawling all around the new high density areas of the city

And this of the highly distasteful 'World' man made islands made to look like the continents.

Beyond the artificial lagoons is the neighbouring state of Sharjah

And one more of Dubai Business Bay

Here are some snaps of Burj Dubai - the center piece of the Business Bay - and already the tallest building in the world though not yet completed.
If I keep aside the unnecessity for this monstrosity over here I begin to appreciate it's simplicity in form, though it does look a bit to thin at the top (looks like very little area on each floor would be usable). Wonder how it would feel like inside?
And some snaps from Dubai Marina - an area which till 5 years back was considered to far from the center of Dubai (almost a Desert wasteland) and now is all set to be a thriving residential area with its own bay and marina.

Around 12 years ago I used to come around here quiet often to meet some friends (who at that time really lived in the middle of the desert) . And we used to walk around in the desert in front of there house picking up shells and looking for things - Now thats where they build this huge bay and the seawater flows through.
And the last image was shot at the beach (in Dubai it may be wise to specify that this is a natural beach) where a family of tourists was enjoying a game of cricket with the infamous Palm island development in the background.