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Travel: Dubai City's Towers, Magical Garden & Fountain. The Emirates March 7/2022

This is the 2nd post continuation of a trip to the Emirates which started here



The mega tall Towers of Dubai City - a modern Babilyon, which sprung-out, only 50 years ago, from the shifting sands of the vast Arabian wilderness, are architecturally miraculous gems. Burj al Arab Hotel and Burj al Khalifa, or Nakheel Palm Tower, are among most known and visited.


Burj al Arab Jumeirah - Hotel,


One of the tallest in the world, was designed by the multidisciplinary consultancy Atkins, to resemble the Sail of a traditional Dhow vessel,

used in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean region.

To deter visitors from pestering and disturbing the rich and famous dwellers, a fee of 150$ is charged by the hotel, off those who insist to spectate the interior of this structure.

Thus, our group, viewed only the exterior of the building, from the distance of the main super guarded entry gate.



Managed by Jumeirah hotel group, the hotel is located on an artificial island of reclaimed land, that is 280 m (920 ft) from Jumeirah Beach and is connected to the mainland by a private curving bridge.

It has a helipad near the roof, at a height of 210 m (689 ft) above ground.


The desert dusty air quality that day, impacted, badly the clarity of the photo taking.









Burj al khalifa

The "pilgrimage" to the observation deck in the top of this iconic tower, was quite a "via de la Rosa", due to its very looong winding line.

Tickets are obligatory and need to be bought a head of time.

This niddle pointed sky scarper at over 828m (2,716.5 feet) and more than 160 stories has been the tallest structure and building in the world since its topping out in 2009, supplanting Taipei 101, the previous holder of that status.



The building is named in honor of the ruler of Abu Dhabi and president of the United Arab Emirates, Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Abu Dhabi and the UAE government lent Dubai money to pay its debts.

Its designed 7 cylinders towers, derived from the Islamic architecture of the region, such as in the Great Mosque of Samarra, by a team led by Adrian Smith of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, the firm that designed the Sears Tower in Chicago, a previous record holder for the world's tallest building.




The views from the top are amazing.




Luxurious expensive Real Estate - the epitome of the good life and an external symbol of amassed wealth, power and progress, is the new worshiped religion, in this most modern city, where about 200 foreign languages, are being spoken daily and new symbols and mantras decorate its structures.

Ecologically minded, recycled water and construction debris, transformed the vast desert's sand wast-land - into micro-climate bloom, and the land-fill in the sea, added a private desirable artificial island's beach strip. Very orderly infrastructure planning of a city, erected 4 clusters of such tall high-rise modern structures forming centralized intensive functional centers, situated far apart from each other. From East to west there are:


The Dubai Marina, Down-Town, Financial District and Historic Center by the Dubai Greek - the elongated sea estuary, with the older and lower structures





Palm Dubai Jumeira

The famous 3 islands landfill archipelago - Palm Dubai Jumeirah a 20o1 project, in the Persian Gulf, with its desirable on the water private beach villas, is one of the most iconic real-estate projects







Connecting to land, a brand new Monorail, was constructed and the jewel in the crown - luxurious hotel Atlantis is situated at its end.









The Point - Dubai Marina

The Point - a prestigious community of Dubai Marina, is positioned directly overlooking the iconic Dubai Marina Yacht Club .


Riding the Monorail above ground, and across the -5 km from east to west - along the Palm land's "trunk", the Palm shore beach "branches" - 2 km each, can be best spectate from above.

The Island's private most plush real estate of the area, are located there, in close proximity to Iran, which is only 15 minutes flight away ( 60km) across the narrow and shallow gulf.



The bus ride on the way back to land, from the Palm Island across the entire Palm trunk can also be accomplished via a tunnel,



The "World" Islands

The next megalomaniac project called: "The World" was originally conceived in 2003 This other cluster of 300 artificial private islands in the image of the world's map, off the coast of Dubai city, was envisioned by SheikhMohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai. Nakheel Palm Observation Tower




Erected above the Nakheel shopping mall which is situated in the Palm Jumeirah area, the view from the new public observation deck towering 240 m. above Palm Jumeirah, on the 52nd floor, is stunning.

Spectacular views of Palm Jumeirah, the Arabian Gulf, and the Dubai skyline, along with an interactive media experience,, are worth the visit.

Dubai's Skyline of the city consist of 10% tall towers and 90% low residential housing.

In between those high rise clusters, a sporadic, mushrooming of lower housing structures, with out urban continuation, reveals not really integrated neighborhoods.

Many are still in the process of being built, or are left vacant..






Dubai Hills a new Emaar's estate villas neighborhood, seem all to have been sold out. But many other empty units were bought by foreigners and the over-building indicates of a Real Estate bubble.




There are no city streets in the sense we are familiar with at integrated old cities, but only wide access roads, recently constructed, and which are connected to the main web of Hwy-s layers, usually very congested with heavy slow traffic .




"Big brother" state cameras are watching all the time, the white, clean and secured public spaces. Personal safety is high, Crime rate is low. Forbidden gambling, and no drinking are aloud in open public spaces (only in bars and restaurants.)

The law and order is maintained with an Emirate's branded iron fist.

3000 Durhams buys the 80% foreign service workers, (of which 40% are Indian/Pakistani) a working visa permit, for which they also get free health insurance, schooling and a better housing until the retiring age at 60. At that age, unless the foreigner proves, annually to have sufficient retirement and health insurance income, he/she is sent back to its country of origin. Labor lows


The intoxicating bribes of "Bread and Entertainment" like once handed-out by the Romans, buys the state, civil tranquility, and elimination of internal criticism from the populous, whose compromised freedom, is blissfully tolerated, in return of economic welfare,

The shared uniting religion worshiped by all it to the G-d of Money. The professional positions (Medical Dr, Lawyers) are usually being serviced by Iraqi Syrian Arabs, Palestinian are the educators, and the Anglosacsons are the finance and insurance management.

The 20% native Emirates citizens, many of whom are highly educated for free, in best world's universities, are the real-estate moguls and business tycoons.

Upon marriage they are also entitled to free housing. +++++++++++++++++++++++++ Bloom at the Desert


From eyeballing "Babylon's" Towers, the other part of the day was spent at an enchanting flower garden The Persian Garden concept of an enclosed place of odor and contemplation - a small paradise- in which usually citrus plants grow surrounded by a wall, had inspired Dubai to create an updated modern, larger and more lavish garden version.


Miracle Garden


Indeed this gem Miracal Garden which was opened in 2013 is the world's largest natural flower garden and a true feast to the human senses.



With more than 150 million flowers in full bloom, this 72,000-sq-m col colorful paradise is one of the region’s most picturesque, sweet-scented recreational destinations for adults to walk through, and for children to explore a fantasy smurf land.


The flowers are maintained by re-use of treated wastewater through a drip irrigation method, The garden in closed in the blazing hot summer.


Smurf Corner


The Garden generally operates from October to April every year.

It is closed from May to September due to high temperatures averaging of 40 °C (104 °F), which is not conducive for flower view.



Ski in the Desert






Ski Dubai which opened in November 2005 ,is an indoor ski resort, with 22,500 square meters of indoor ski, part of the Mall of the Emirates, developed by Majid Al Futtaim Group, which also operates the Mall.Features an 85-metre-high indoor mountain (equivalent to a 25-story building) with 5 slopes of varying steepness and difficulty.



Fountain in the Desert


The largest Dancing Fountain - By Dubai Mall is the best attraction on the Burj lake,



A breathtaking show of water sights and sounds

A captivating water, music and light spectacle, the Dubai Fountain is the world’s tallest performing fountain. At over 900 ft in length the Dubai Fountain is situated on the 30-acre Burj Lake and performs to a selection of different melodies.


The fountain has a unique design comprising five circles of varying sizes and two arcs and features powerful water nozzles that shoot water up to impressive heights. Over 6,600 WET Superlights and 25 colour projectors create a visual spectrum of over 1,000 different water expressions, while 50 colour projectors provide a full spectrum of color with a total output of 1.5 million lumens.

When operational, the fountain has over 22,000 gallons of water in the air at any given moment.



The fountain performs to a range of different songs from classical to contemporary Arabic and world music.

Best time to view is just before sun down, from 5:30pm on every half an hour when it is fully illuminated, and shapes are also projected onto the walls of Burj Chalifa building



Dubai Mall

Dubai Mall - opened in 2008 it is one of the largest in the world - the second largest mall after the Iran Mall by total land area, and it includes over 1,200 shops, It is most visited building on the planet, attracting over 54 million visitors each year.




It is so huge as is expensive, that it is overwhelming and curbs the enthusiasm of the shopping experience .

It is part of the 20-billion-dollar Downtown complex (called Downtown Dubai) adjacent to the iconic Burj Khalifa,















In addition to international brand name retail shops, dinning places, and ice skating arena, the Dubai Aquarium and Discovery Center, are all found in-doors.


Dubai aquarium


Large school of fish, on display in full view through the aquarium's humongous glass walls ,while walking the packed endless corridors, of this overwhelming pricey mall,

was sufficient sample of the "marine" experience on land...


Dubai Greek

Thus we were given the real aqua sailing experience from the Dubai marina and through the elongated Dubai Creek at night, along with dinner. A natural saltwatercreek, tidal inlet, and watercourse or waterway, which extends about 9 miles (14 km) inwards, and forms a natural port that has traditionally been used for trade and transport.

Sailing the Dubai Greek along the Marina neighborhood Al Wasl Dhow Dinner Cruise


Dinner cruses comes at a wide range price, and need to be booked a head of time.


This is definitely one of the night attractions offered to all tourists , who cares to sail for 2 hours on the mellow water of the lagoon by a wooden boat called Dhow, and benefit from skyline gazing at the Marina district, waterfront development of the towering real estate wonders, in full view along the rout's banks, while dinning and resting ones tired feet.


A dinner toast with Edna


The view on sailing route.



More Towers




Night Night in Dubai





# More fantastic Photos taken by Yuval Zaliouk can be found here


To be continued...







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