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Tallest in Dubai

I was visiting with a friend in Dubai and he informed me about just how high Dubai plans to go. Apparently, the new race in the UAE is building the highest towers. I thought that the Burj was the end of the Arabian vision, but I was mistaken. While I was staying at one of the Luxury Hotels Dubai UAE offers thousands of tourists each day, there was a convention being held for architects from around the world. The convention, as if there aren’t enough strange conventions here already, was about who will build the next highest tower.

A few years ago, Dubai had a project that would spend a few billion to build the highest tower in the world. Some 800 meters high. Dubai wanted any visitor and local to be able to see this landmark from anywhere in and around Dubai. But, Kuwait has thrown their two-cents into the race and are planing to beat Dubai by building its own highest tower. Kuwait as projected their tower to be approximately 1000 meters high. So, Dubai not wanting to be out-done has challenged their own plans to beat Kuwait’s tower, they plan to throw in a few more billion.

New proposals are in the pipe-line and one of them is to for even another highest tower in Dubai. I’ve heard rumors that this one will be over 1050 meters! Bahrain tossed in their hat and has proposed to build something in the 1022 meters high range. So, the race is on. The Saudi’s and their multi-billionaire Prince, I’ve heard, is going to play and build his own version of the highest building, but that his will be really impressive, he plans to go as high as 1600 meters! Yes, impressively crazy! What a crazy silly world the UAE and it’s surrounding countries have become.

Tags: Burj, dubai, Kuwait, luxury hotels, UAE

Going Organic

The government of the United Arab Emirates is working together with local businesses to bring more organic food to the area. Despite the economic slowdown, indicators suggest that the regional market for organic goods is growing. While there are still major hurdles, the outlook is good.

The higher costs associated with organic foods is a problem in the current global econony. An additional problem is Dubai’s location in a large desert. Most organic foods must be flown in and the air miles required to transport the food are a distinct ecological downside.

The government of Dubai has been working to encourage more local farms to begin producing organic crops. The committment to pesticide-free produce is important in a country with the second highest rate of diabetes in the world. To date, over 1400 hectares of farmland have been devoted to organic crops.

Some of the restaurants Dubai are taking advantage of the increased availability of organic foods. With the large hospitality industry in the area, hotels, restaurants, and other food businesses can distinguish themselves from the competition by offering organic and local foods.

There are twenty-four farms across the UAE currently producing organic foods and additional lands are converted every month. The government’s program provides incentives such as discounted machinery to farmers who go organic. They also provide education on the process for converting farmland and the real costs of organic farming.

Salah Abdullah, head of organics at the UAE Ministry of Agriculture and Water explained that organic farming can actually be cheaper. Farmers no long have to purchase artificial fertilizers and those with farm animals have their own ready-made natural fertilizer.

Globally, the organic food market is predicted to reach $70.2 billion (USD) by the end of next year.

Tags: Dubai restaurants, organic farming, organic food, UAE, United Arab Emirates