• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Absolutely STUNNING images of Dubai's Skyline (and more).

Status
Not open for further replies.

Rebel Leader

THE POWER OF BUTTERSCOTCH BOTTOMS
Resemblance to Spec Ops: The Line is almost complete.

Welp, time to replay Spec Ops: The Line.

Next Gen sequel confirmed :p

Spec Ops 2...:(


COK1dnr.jpg


--

holy cow
 

nib95

Banned
Just got back from a property launch earlier in West London. Managed to get tokens to buy properties from Emaar's new Sky View (II) development.

1030529-1-wide.jpg


emaar_project.jpg


artist_impression_of_emaars_the_address_residence_sky_view.jpg


We never bought in the end. I think the Dubaians are getting too greedy eye'd again riding this new positive wave of enthusiasm and creeping increase in premiums on other Dubai properties. The sums they were charging for this thing were extraordinary. £1m for a 2000 sq ft (quite small by Dubai standards) 3 bedroom apt (better views). And that's the direct from developer off plan price, no premiums.

Suffice to say, we'd rather invest in smaller properties where the margins might not be as excessive, but the risk is far lower, and we can at least earn from healthy rent yields as oppose to waiting on something ambitious to be built from the ground up.

Spoke to a broker who was there at the show, and he seemed to be confident that the markets would take another tumble in a year or so when the Fed Reserve announces it's going to stop printing money. If that does happen, I'd imagine the turbulence to the property market will be hefty, with Emaar's stocks taking a dive, and premiums with it. Maybe then will be a good time to buy. Still, there's money to be made out there even now for sure.
 

Nilaul

Member
That looks like the smallest big city I've ever seen. The buildings are beautiful, no doubt, but there's not too many of them. The city honestly looks like it's less than five square miles.

Yeah but its the tallest :p

Until kingdom tower gets built in (1000 something m) in Jeddah
 
N

NinjaFridge

Unconfirmed Member
Interesting how modern place like that can also be so damned backwards.
 

nib95

Banned
Its pretty hilarious that they have these truly awesome skyscrapers but the worst sewage disposal system ever conceived.

Not any more. Whilst it's not perfect, they've made humongous strides in the last few years to mend the issue and develop their sewage systems up to spec.
 
N

NinjaFridge

Unconfirmed Member
It isn't. It's like meeting a gorgeous woman with zero personality or character.

To be fair the soul isn't going to happen overnight. It is something which will take time to develop. As the city comes into its own in the years to come it will have something to it.
 
Just got back from a property launch earlier in West London. Managed to get tokens to buy properties from Emaar's new Sky View (II) development.

1030529-1-wide.jpg


emaar_project.jpg


artist_impression_of_emaars_the_address_residence_sky_view.jpg


We never bought in the end. I think the Dubaians are getting too greedy eye'd again riding this new positive wave of enthusiasm and creeping increase in premiums on other Dubai properties. The sums they were charging for this thing were extraordinary. £1m for a 2000 sq ft (quite small by Dubai standards) 3 bedroom apt (better views). And that's the direct from developer off plan price, no premiums.

Suffice to say, we'd rather invest in smaller properties where the margins might not be as excessive, but the risk is far lower, and we can at least earn from healthy rent yields as oppose to waiting on something ambitious to be built from the ground up.

Spoke to a broker who was there at the show, and he seemed to be confident that the markets would take another tumble in a year or so when the Fed Reserve announces it's going to stop printing money. If that does happen, I'd imagine the turbulence to the property market will be hefty, with Emaar's stocks taking a dive, and premiums with it. Maybe then will be a good time to buy. Still, there's money to be made out there even now for sure.

Very intriguing. Are you a commercial real estate broker?
 

nib95

Banned
Breakdown on what I can and can't do while in Dubai?

People who are saying it's lifeless or soulless etc, likely have never been. You can pretty much do anything lol. Races, racing, Burj Khalifa, water fountains and fireworks, desert dune buggies and 4x4 sand racing, desert encampments with feasts and shisha, belly dancing etc, camel riding, taking yachts and boats around the rivers and sea, jet ski, water ski, underwater diving, water theme park and rides, theme park, beaches, private beaches and pools, every kind of sports, golf courses, shopping, more shopping, luxury hotels and malls, every kind of restaurant possible etc etc..
 
Just got back from a property launch earlier in West London. Managed to get tokens to buy properties from Emaar's new Sky View (II) development.
That was probably a smart move on your part. Most people who try to invest in properties go bankrupt when it ends up being impossible to sell. Worse still are the cases when they run out of money during construction, so it never gets built despite the fact that you already paid for it, only being able to get out of it by scamming someone else.
People who are saying it's lifeless or soulless etc, likely have never been. You can pretty much do anything lol. Races, racing, Burj Khalifa, water fountains and fireworks, desert dune buggies and 4x4 sand racing, desert encampments with feasts and shisha, dancing etc, camel riding, jet ski, water ski, underwater diving, water theme park and rides, theme park, beaches, private beaches and pools, every kind of sports, golf courses, shopping, more shopping, luxury hotels and malls, every kind of restaurant possible etc etc.
It is a rich man's paradise, yes. But even such hollow displays of exorbitance get old. I had lived there for 13 years and I can only emphasize the sentiment that it is truly corrupt, built on exploitation, and soulless.
But women have souls...you're helping his argument. Not that I agree with it, I think places can be soulless. But I believe that soullessness comes from lack of people inhabiting a place. As an example NYC is full of soul because it's full of people and entertainment. Every picture you see of Dubai has all these nice buildings but you'd don't see people doing anything, thus it looks barren = soulless, I'm sure there is plenty to do, it's just not projected in photos and things.
With all the traffic, I'd say there are too many people. Most of them are just poor laborers, though.
 
It isn't. It's like meeting a gorgeous woman with zero personality or character.

But women have souls...you're helping his argument. Not that I agree with it, I think places can be soulless. But I believe that soullessness comes from lack of people inhabiting a place. As an example NYC is full of soul because it's full of people and entertainment. Every picture you see of Dubai has all these nice buildings but you'd don't see people doing anything, thus it looks barren = soulless, I'm sure there is plenty to do, it's just not projected in photos and things.
 
People who are saying it's lifeless or soulless etc, likely have never been. You can pretty much do anything lol. Races, racing, Burj Khalifa, water fountains and fireworks, desert dune buggies and 4x4 sand racing, desert encampments with feasts and shisha, dancing etc, camel riding, jet ski, water ski, underwater diving, water theme park and rides, theme park, beaches, private beaches and pools, every kind of sports, golf courses, shopping, more shopping, luxury hotels and malls, every kind of restaurant possible etc etc.

Just don't fuck in public.
 

Konka

Banned
But women have souls...you're helping his argument. Not that I agree with it, I think places can be soulless. But I believe that soullessness comes from lack of people inhabiting a place. As an example NYC is full of soul because it's full of people and entertainment. Every picture you see of Dubai has all these nice buildings but you'd don't see people doing anything, thus it looks barren = soulless, I'm sure there is plenty to do, it's just not projected in photos and things.

Well I don't actually believe people have souls. Being soulless is just an expression to describe something.

People who are saying it's lifeless or soulless etc, likely have never been. You can pretty much do anything lol. Races, racing, Burj Khalifa, water fountains and fireworks, desert dune buggies and 4x4 sand racing, desert encampments with feasts and shisha, dancing etc, camel riding, jet ski, water ski, underwater diving, water theme park and rides, theme park, beaches, private beaches and pools, every kind of sports, golf courses, shopping, more shopping, luxury hotels and malls, every kind of restaurant possible etc etc.

What about grabbing take out from a small family run business or visiting historical sites. You are basically describing an Arab Las Vegas, the capital of the world of soullessness. When I think of the character of a city I don't want it to be defined by overt commercialism.
 
People who are saying it's lifeless or soulless etc, likely have never been. You can pretty much do anything lol. Races, racing, Burj Khalifa, water fountains and fireworks, desert dune buggies and 4x4 sand racing, desert encampments with feasts and shisha, dancing etc, camel riding, jet ski, water ski, underwater diving, water theme park and rides, theme park, beaches, private beaches and pools, every kind of sports, golf courses, shopping, more shopping, luxury hotels and malls, every kind of restaurant possible etc etc.

Think about all the important cities in the world.

Chances are you're going to have mental images of culturally significant iconography, which Dubai lacks.
 

nib95

Banned
Very intriguing. Are you a commercial real estate broker?

Commercial.

That was probably a smart move on your part. Most people who try to invest in properties go bankrupt when it ends up being impossible to sell. Worse still are the cases when they run out of money during construction, so it never gets built despite the fact that you already paid for it, only being able to get out of it by scamming someone else.

Agreed, but it depends where and when you invest. We've made a fair chunk of cheddar out in Dubai and continue to do so. There's certain spots that on reflection were going for peanuts compared to what they're worth today, and the rent yield if your location and property is decent, is very healthy, tax free and hassle free too. You get paid entire years rent in one lump sum, and you find the kind of people who rent are classy enough to keep your place spotless anyway. They actually hire and contract cleaners etc themselves throughout the year to keep the place looking good as new.

But yea, no doubt there are many pitfalls and bad investments as well as good one's to be made. It's a messy market, but that's the same as any country really.
 
Agreed, but it depends where and when you invest. We've made a fair chunk of cheddar out in Dubai and continue to do so. There's certain spots that on reflection were going for peanuts compared to what they're worth today, and the rent yield if your location and property is decent, is very healthy, tax free and hassle free too. You get paid entire years rent in one lump sum, and you find the kind of people who rent are classy enough to keep your place spotless anyway. They actually hire cleaners etc themselves to keep the place looking good as new.
True, one's experiences will always differ with anecdotes and all that. And I'd say being tax-free would only be a benefit if the cost of living wasn't so high.
But yea, no doubt there are many pitfalls and bad investments as well as good one's to be made. It's a messy market, but that's the same as any country really.
True, but I'd wager that the pitfalls outweigh the number of actual opportunities today.
 

RiZ III

Member
I'm going there in two weeks to visit my sister who moved there a year ago. She loves it there. From everything she's told me, it isn't really a ghost town. Most buildings are not full, but there is a good amount of people there.
 

HK-47

Oh, bitch bitch bitch.
More like foreign slave labor. I think Dubai is probably proof that the pyramids were built by humans, enslaved humans that is.

Except thats not actually the prevailing opinion on the pyramids anymore. But it is the actual reality of Dubai.
 
I'm going there in two weeks to visit my sister who moved there a year ago. She loves it there. From everything she's told me, it isn't really a ghost town. Most buildings are not full, but there is a good amount of people there.

A single woman in Dubai?
I wouldn't dare to live in Dubai on my own if I was a woman, heard way too many horror stories from there.
 

Tabris

Member
I see a lot of people jealous.

1) Dubai has already transitioned a lot of it's business to trade outside of Oil and tourism.

2) It's foreign workforce is mainly Indian workers. I don't know why everyone blames Dubai for employing them and not the shitty situation in India (caste system, economic situation) that causes them to find work outside the country in less shitty situation (but still shitty). There's also a lot of other countries that hire Indian workers.

I just respect what they've done in Dubai because I love densification and I hope we as a western civilization can adopt some of it's techniques to return a lot more land from suburbia to nature and agriculture, while creating beautiful cities.
 

Konka

Banned
More like foreign slave labor. I think Dubai is probably proof that the pyramids were built by humans, enslaved humans that is.

Pyramids were built mostly by farmers who had nothing else to do when they weren't tending their fields. They weren't forced and were paid. They built towns for them to live in during construction.

I see a lot of people jealous.

1) Dubai has already transitioned a lot of it's business to trade outside of Oil and tourism.

2) It's foreign workforce is mainly Indian workers. I don't know why everyone blames Dubai for employing them and not the shitty situation in India (caste system, economic situation) that causes them to find work outside the country in less shitty situation (but still shitty). There's also a lot of other countries that hire Indian workers.

I just respect what they've done in Dubai because I love densification and I hope we as a western civilization can adopt some of it's techniques to return a lot more land from suburbia to nature and agriculture.

Like jailing a woman for reporting a rape....
 
N

NinjaFridge

Unconfirmed Member
The whole taking their passports from them leaves a bad taste in some people's mouths.
 

RiZ III

Member
A single woman in Dubai?
I wouldn't dare to live in Dubai on my own if I was a woman, heard way too many horror stories from there.

She's married with two kids. Both her and her husband have it made there. They're both making a ton of money which is tax free from what I understand. A lot of people go there to earn tax free for a few years and save a bunch for a few years. I don't know how long she and to stay there, but I'm basically going to see my little nephews.

Edit: Also I think a lot of you have a biased view of the place because its Arab/Muslim. It's a well developed, rich, and educated country. They take care of their citizens very well and the people there are comfortable and satisfied. Every country has its share of problems and Dubai is no different, but the wide sweeping bias against it is a bit unfair.
 
The whole taking their passports from them leaves a bad taste in some people's mouths.

Because otherwise they'd leave the country the moment their investment goes wrong.
Which kinda goes to tell that you probably shouldn't be investing in the nation in the first place.

Nah, but it's acceptable course of action if you end up broke, the problem is when they withhold passports from rape victims.

She's married with two kids. Both her and her husband have it made there. They're both making a ton of money which is tax free from what I understand. A lot of people go there to earn tax free for a few years and save a bunch for a few years. I don't know how long she and to stay there, but I'm basically going to see my little nephews.

Oh alright, that's different.
I can see the appeal as a tax free haven, but can you really earn that much money compared to their home nation as Dubai is generally pretty expensive?
 

Tabris

Member
Like jailing a woman for reporting a rape....

That has to do with an entire region's and religion's cultures and values. They are evolving, slowly, and cities like Dubai with it's more progressive nature are leading the way.

So to shit on it, because it's trying to become more than what it was before, is a pretty horrible perspective.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom