LATER 45 YEARS FROM THE DAY OF GETTING INDEPENDENCE, THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES REMAIN IN THE NUMBER OF STATES MOST ATTENDED IN THE FUTURE. LOVE HERE AND ARE ABLE TO PLAN. OF COURSE, NOBODY IS ABLE TO PRECISE EXACTLY THAT THIS AMAZING COUNTRY IS WAITING FOR, SAY, THE COMING TWO DECADES. HOWEVER, WE DARE TO POP FORWARD.
In the past, economic difficulties have already forced the emirates to somewhat lower their expectations - but perhaps this will only increase the realism of future development projects. In any case, the love of the Emirate authorities and business to “look into the future” is fully justified. It is probably because of her that the future comes to the Emirates a little earlier than to everyone else.
The UAE adopted a strategic document called the “Concept 2021”, which should make the country one of the world leaders in many respects by the fiftieth anniversary of its founding - the “golden anniversary” of the Emirates, a kind of “milestone of maturity”. The UAE strives to approach it, achieving social cohesion, public safety and a fair judiciary, a competitive knowledge economy, a first-class education system, world-class healthcare, and sustainable development of the environment and infrastructure. A few indicators are enough to illustrate the ambitions of the Emirates. Thus, the UAE plans to remain in the top ten in terms of gross national income per capita, to become one of the ten most competitive countries in the world, as well as the country where it is easiest to do business in the world.
A variety of strategies are adopted by individual emirates as part of the UAE. For example, the capital emirate of Abu Dhabi adopted the Concept of Economic Development, calculated until 2030. The oil-rich emirate plans that almost two-thirds of its GDP by this time will come from non-oil sectors. Of course, ambitious Dubai, which has long abandoned its reliance solely on "black gold", is not far behind. This year, the Dubai Industrial Development Strategy until 2030 was adopted. And His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Prime Minister, Vice President of the UAE and ruler of Dubai, made an interesting statement, according to which by 2030 a quarter of the buildings in Dubai will be erected using 3D printing. Last year, a clean energy development strategy was launched in the emirate, in which the planning horizon extends to 2050.
Undoubtedly, one of the most important events in the life of the Emirates in the coming years will be the World Exhibition "EXPO 2020", which will be held from October 2020 to April 2021. Obtaining the right to host it was a great victory for the UAE. The exhibition will attract a huge number of guests, of which 70% will be foreigners. Organizers count on 25 million visits. "EXPO 2020" will unfold in an area of almost 4.5 square kilometers, at approximately the same distance from the cities of Dubai and Abu Dhabi. With a gigantic scope, the event will hardly leave behind any harmful “garbage” - for 90% of the used building materials there will be further use.
Looking 20 years ahead, one can doubt that the very expression “the distance between Dubai and Abu Dhabi” will retain any meaning. Given the growth rate of the two largest cities in the UAE, during this time they can literally merge with each other. And already this year plans were discussed, the implementation of which would actually “erase” the distance between these centers. So, super-fast magnetic suspension trains that can be launched between them would complete their route in 25 minutes. But this is not the limit. It is assumed that the cities of the UAE can be connected using the Hyperloop system - special pipes under low pressure, inside which capsules with passengers will literally “fly”, with speeds exceeding 1000 kilometers per hour. It will be possible to get from Dubai to Abu Dhabi or Fujairah in 10-15 minutes! The Emirate of Dubai will surely remain, as always, at the forefront of the congress. One of the most important events in his life will be the completion of the airport in the Dubai World Central area. It would seem that now the emirate has one of the largest and most modern air harbors in the world. However, the new airport will take Dubai to new heights. The first passengers took advantage of Dubai World Central back in 2013. Now work is underway to expand the airport, which will cost $ 32 billion and will probably end in the first half of the 2020s. Ultimately, the airport will become the largest in the world and will be able to receive more than 200 million passengers a year.
The growing number of residents and guests of Dubai (and the number of the latter by 2020 is planned to increase to 20 million per year), as well as the holding of "EXPO 2020" will lead to the expansion of the subway. By the opening of the exhibition, a new 15-kilometer branch will be launched, which it was decided to specially extend to the venue. In the 2020-2030s, the metro network is planned to be developed - the existing green and red lines will become longer, and three more will be added to them - lilac, blue and gold. Subway expansion after 2030 may bring the number of stations to almost 200, and track lengths to 421 km.
The cities of the Emirates have already turned over our idea of urban planning art and will not stop doing it in the future.
The most striking example will again be Dubai. Here, several projects are being developed that can be called real "cities in the city." Each of them unites, it seems, everything that the most demanding taste can wish for. Construction will continue in Downtown Dubai. Already now it houses the tallest building in the world, Bourge Khalifa, the largest shopping center The Dubai Mall, which, however, will be expanded, and the tallest "singing" and "dancing" fountain, and the Dubai Opera, which opened this year, has become important a cultural complement to the local dolce vita. And yet, Downtown still resembles a huge construction site. Here several more residential skyscrapers will be erected, the inhabitants of which will be able to take advantage of all conceivable benefits of the surrounding luxury.
Just a short drive from Downtown, another “city in town” is under construction - Muhammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum City. The construction of the first phase of the District One district located in it has already been completed, and the district will be completed by 2018. Soon several hundred villas in Mediterranean, new Arabic and modern styles will be erected here, the owners of which will have the opportunity to live near the center and at the same time enjoy the peace among the parks and lagoons that will surround their houses.
Another example of an urban megaproject is the construction of the Dubai Water Canal, which will combine Dubai Bay (now ending in the Business Bay area) with the Persian Gulf. In particular, in the next 5-7 years, the Marashi Business Bay area will be built, which will “refresh” the central part of Dubai, introducing an element of water element into it. Along the 12-kilometer canal embankment - the longest in the Emirates - there will be residential and commercial buildings, hotels, shops, places for leisure, and floating houses and restaurants will appear.
How can Dubai see the future? Soon in the Zaabil park, an amazing structure should be opened, resembling a giant frame for photographs. The sides of the Dubai Frame are towers of 150 meters high, connected at the top by a glass bridge with a width of almost 100 meters, from which a beautiful view of the whole of Dubai opens. But you don’t even have to climb to the top of the “Frame”, but simply look through it from the side - and you will see a picture of the city landscape framed by a huge “baguette”. And probably next year on the island of Bluewaters, the world's tallest Ferris wheel called Dubai Ain (Dubai Eye) should be completed.
A real miracle of architecture and the largest building in Abu Dhabi will be the new Midfield terminal. It should open next year, which will allow the airport of the Emirate capital to receive more than 45 million passengers a year over the next decade. From the air, the terminal resembles a huge insect, as if spreading its four "paws" with undulating arches in different directions. The area of only one central part of the terminal is 21 football fields, and one of the arches in the building has a width of 180 meters and is one of the largest in the world. Is it worth adding that the terminal will be as comfortable as possible for passengers and a real paradise for shoppers?
In 2012, the emirate of Abu Dhabi also acquired a new water harbor - the port of Khalifa began to operate, which will be expanded by 2018.
It is not known whether the port will seriously compete with the neighboring Dubai port of Jebel Ali (the port of Khalifa is located on the reclaimed island halfway between the cities of Abu Dhabi and Dubai), but its scale and equipment are staggering. The expansion will allow him to continue to host the largest ships in the world. Upon completion, Port Khalifa and the adjacent industrial area will occupy an area of 2/3 of the territory of the state of Singapore.
It is noteworthy that the future development of Abu Dhabi is associated not only with government quarters and luxurious residential areas - the emirate also seeks to become a cultural center of world scale. The museums of the Cultural District on the island of Saadiyat should play an important role in this. It plans to build the Zayed National Museum and the Guggenheim-Abu Dhabi Museum, and the much-anticipated opening of the Louvre-Abu Dhabi museum is scheduled for next year. The Louvre Museum in Abu Dhabi has become a symbol of relations between the desert emirate and France and its richest museum, the creation of which was the result of the relevant 2007 intergovernmental agreement. The project of this museum belongs to the famous Jean Nouvel. There does not seem to be a border between the museum building and the sea; its 180-meter white dome, as if woven from palm leaves through which rays of light penetrate, as if rising from the blue waters of the Gulf. The Louvre - Abu Dhabi will tell the universal history of art of all time.
Of course, it will be difficult for other emirates to catch up with the two leaders in the scope of their development projects. Nevertheless, there can be no doubt that each emirate will strive to present the world with something that attracts attention, whether it is a unique creation of man or a miracle of nature. For example, Sharjah relies on the preservation of historical heritage, no less important than futuristic megaprojects. In this emirate, they are developing a quarter called "The Heart of Sharjah", which is designed to recreate the traditional atmosphere of Sharjah that reigned here back in the 50s. The project has become the largest in the field of preservation and restoration of historical heritage in the region. Its completion is scheduled for 2025. In the restored and built after old-fashioned buildings there will be bazaars, hotels, museums, restaurants, and here you can visit archaeological sites.
For all their aspirations for the future, the Emirates do not lose touch with their past. Here only one thing does not change - the desire for ever greater perfection.
Text: Nikolai Gudalov, Ph.D. in Political Science
