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Dubai is a small Arab emirate that is thinking big. It aspires to
claim the tallest building in the world, the tallest hotel in the world, the
largest waterfront development in the world and the largest group of man-made
islands in the world—whimsically named, "The World." Judging by the number of
construction cranes skewering the skyline, Dubai is well on its way to becoming
one of the world’s most active economies.  As Dubai’s physical stature rises, its stature in the yachting
world is growing as well. Many upscale developments that line the city’s
waterfront—and extend beyond it into the sea—contain megayacht marina
components. The developers believe that if they build it, boats will come. (Click image to enlarge)
It’s common knowledge that there’s a demand for marinas large
enough to accommodate the new-generation gigayachts. Case in point: The
ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, will need a place to
berth his new toy: 525-foot (160-meter) Dubai. In keeping with
the emirate’s taste for superlatives, Dubai is the largest
yacht in the world. Parts of it were constructed at Germany’s Blohm & Voss
and Lürssen shipyards, and Dubai’s own Jebel Ali port.
 Skyscrapers as a backdrop to the Dubai boat
show. (Click image to enlarge)
Along with the skyline, yachting is reaching new heights in
Dubai. The 14th edition of the Dubai International Boat Show, held last March,
attracted a veritable who’s who of large-yacht builders including the Holland
Yachting Group (HISWA), the German Boat and Shipbuilders Association, Lürssen,
Abeking & Rasmussen, ThyssenKrupp and the Italian Marine Industry
Association (UCINA). Also represented at the show were representatives from the
British, Australian and New Zealand markets, as well as American companies such
as Trinity Yachts. Victor Caminada from Holland’s Amels shipyard related that
one-third of its business now comes from the Middle East. The Dubai show
attracted more than 25,000 visitors and had more than 120 boats on display, a 60
percent increase over last year’s show. This, along with a 36 percent increase
in exhibitor participation over last year, reflects the region’s thriving marine
industry.
| Right photo: The Burj Al Arab looms behind some lunchers. Far Right Top photo: Exomos Yachts sub. Far Right Bottom photo:
Abaya-clad women
shop at the Gold Souk. (Click images to enlarge) |  |  |  |
Everything in Dubai appears to be flourishing. Skyscraper after skyscraper,
high-rise upon high-rise is rising from the arid land—and water. It is said that
more than one-third of the world’s construction cranes are operating in
Dubai, creating iconic ultra-modern architecture. The Emirates Towers are among
the tallest and most distinctive of the array of buildings completed thus
far. Still, a large graphic billboard promises the completion of the world’s
tallest building by 2008—the Burj Dubai that will soar upward of 2,658 feet. Its
definitive height remains top secret so as not to be undermined.
Top photo: Traditional dhows in Dubai Creek. Bottom photo: Indoor ski slope at the Mall of the
Emirates. (Click images to enlarge)
Another landmark that has modern Dubai written all over it is
the Burj Al Arab. Shaped like a sail and built on its own island, it is the
tallest hotel in the world. A helicopter pad cantilevered from the top is in
frequent use by the well-heeled guests who pop in for dinner. The hotel’s
interior design is absolutely wild. Too borrow another’s analogy, "It’s like
Versace on acid."
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