This is the coolest thing I have ever seen, ever

[TheGizmo]

but this is sweet. these guys are now my heros:

http://www.thepalm.ae/

also made by the same people, another set of islands called The World

http://www.theworld.ae/

 

[thirtythree]

Marked for later.

 

[f4phantom2500]

oh yeah, heard about this sometime last year. must be pretty cool to be a rich-ass sultan (or whatever the hell that guy is)

 

[pontifex]

Wow...1st time i ever heard of this. thats amazing. as long as they don't ahve any major flooding or tsunamis or anything, that would be a neat place to live.

 

[rivan]

You can see this on Google Earth - it's been taking shape for years.

 

[rivan]

Check it out.

Also, scroll up and down the coast - tons of apparent development.

 

[ViviTheMage]

soo....big....

 

[Fenixgoon]

that is sick... and man, now i want to move to dubai with all the cool stuff they have 😛

 

[Greenman]

They have already started on the next two islands, and the tallest building in the world.

 

[TheDro]

The Palm islands are cool but as far as the overall planning going in Dubai... meh, they could do better.

 

[rivan]

Could you imagine the prices of the homes if they developed a place like this off the coast of Miami, or San Francisco? OF course, it'll never, ever happen here in the states, with the huge environmental impact.

 

[TheGizmo]

Theres another set of islands they built called The World.. its a bunch of scattered islands that look like a map of Earth. Its also kickass and built by the same people. Apparently, the two are only a boat ride away from eachother.

 

[Miramonti]

It should be illegal imo for Dubai to have so much money.

 

[TheGizmo]

Originally posted by: jjsole
It should be illegal imo for Dubai to have so much money.

it should be illegal for you to post on ATOT

 

[joejld1]

they're also creating one similar with the islands shaped like the map of the world.
You can see it in that google satellite map, it's a little north of the Palm.

They also have an indoor skiing in Dubai. http://www.skidxb.com/English/gallery1_eng.htm?mid=1&sid=4

 

[Atheus]

See you'd never get planning permission for that in a western country, they're so much more adventurous with that sort of thing.

 

[FoBoT]

where do they get all the money for this fancy stuff

 

[Fenixgoon]

Originally posted by: FoBoT
where do they get all the money for this fancy stuff

massive economic development. one of dubai's largest economic powers is its tourist industry, IIRC

 

[Miramonti]

Originally posted by: FoBoT
where do they get all the money for this fancy stuff

From America's SUV tax. 😉

To think this whole region was basically just a desert before Henry Ford came along.

 

[TheDro]

Yeah, this country would be much sweeter if we all rode a bicycle or took the tram to work/town.

 

[wheresmybacon]

things to do with 80 bajillion dollars when you're bored...

 

[mundane]

Originally posted by: Fenixgoon

Originally posted by: FoBoT
where do they get all the money for this fancy stuff

massive economic development. one of dubai's largest economic powers is its tourist industry, IIRC

I thought is was oil $$, which they're (intelligently) re-investing into these tourist/land developments.

 

[Kwaipie]

It is still 160 degrees and a "haraam" tax on all alcohol. Sign me up.

 

[lyssword]

decent song 😀

 

[NoMoMoney]

Not oil money. Dubai ran out of oil a long time ago and oil only makes up 5% of GDP today. When they started developing they took a loan from Kuwait and pretty much created a free trade zone to help spur things. Good article in National Geographic on it. They are building one other palm shaped set of islands the same size and then a massive one that is 4 times larger. Plus the world one.