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Dubai Goes Green
Starting at the beginning of this year, Dubai instated green building standards and concepts without exception, following in the footsteps of Abu Dhabi which began looking at such initiatives in 2006...
Abu Dhabi sees it’s first carbon-neutral car-free zero waste city called Masdar by architecture great Norman Foster and his firm, Foster + Partners. It is simply an amazing feat for anywhere in the world, and even more so for the highest hydrocarbon-producing nation on Earth! And with the assistance of MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, the UAE once again brings the world together for a great cause, claiming stake as a nation with international eyes with MIT’s help in establishing Masdar Institute, a technology driven cutting-edge research and education engine…go green!
Dubai sees a few things going on as well…first, DubioTech was claimed to possibly be the world’s largest green building/headquarters - Dubai is never to reach low…we all know they love biggest, longest and tallest. Whether or not it in fact is the largest, what we do know is that it helps in putting Dubai on the eco-friendly map with refreshing design concepts in conjunction with addressing strict environmental concerns.
Dubai’s Lighthouse is set to be a prototype for the region as a low-carbon high-rise. By hoping to lower energy consumption by 65% and water consumption by 40%, and employing integrated wind turbines and photovoltaic panels, The Lighthouse will hopefully be the first of many towers of it’s kind…
On a grander note, and more in line with Masdar in Abu Dhabi, HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Rashid al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai announced the newest endeavor, S heikh Mohamed bin Rashid Gardens - set to be the regions lowest density city (within the city) and with a goal to cut water consumption by up to 45%, amongst many other green initiatives.
Starting at the beginning of this year, Dubai instated green building standards and concepts without exception, following in the foots... more -
Fog in Dubai cityscape...
I always thought views like this came from airplanes.
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Surreal Islands of Dubai
Ever thought about buying your own country? Well it just got a whole lot easier. The World islands are currently being built four miles off the cost of Dubai. They will be finished this year and include wacky themes like a pirate island, a medieval castle island, and even a safari island shaped like an African country complete with its own wild animals. Watching their promo video makes you feel like you have just fast-forwarded into the future, kinda creepy Really interesting! This pod will take the viewers into this totally surreal set of islands, talk to its developers and residents and see what The World is really like, Dubai style. Ever thought about buying your own country? Well it just got a whole lot easier. The World islands are currently being built four mi... more
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The first $1m holiday!
Abu Dhabi's Emirates Palace Hotel is offering an eye-wateringly expensive seven-day break for two people in what is being billed as the "ultimate holiday experience".
A hotel spokeswoman, described it as a "once-in-a-lifetime break in the stunning grandeur of one of the most the expensive hotels ever built". Past guests at the hotel have included Jennifer Lopez, Sir Elton John and Justin Timberlake.
Travel experts yesterday described the $1m pricetag as "trophy tourism" but said it was likely to attract big spenders looking to show off their wealth. Abu Dhabi's Emirates Palace Hotel is offering an eye-wateringly expensive seven-day break for two people in what is being billed as th... more -
17 'cross-dressing tourists' held in Dubai
Police in the Gulf tourist hub of Dubai say they've detained 17 foreigners for allegedly displaying homosexual behavior in the city's shopping malls and other public places.
Police spokesman Zuhair Horoun says all the suspects are men who were either visiting or working in Dubai. He says they were detained Wednesday but did not elaborate or give details about their behavior.
But the Dubai-based Gulf News reported Thursday that police detained "40 cross-dressing tourists."
The paper quotes Dubai's police chief as saying the arrests are part of a campaign against "transvestites."
Outward homosexual behavior is banned in the United Arab Emirates. Despite its Western outlook, Dubai is a conservative Muslim city-state and, like much of the Arab world, remains largely hostile to homosexuality.
(Up: I guess He is not one of them! ;) Police in the Gulf tourist hub of Dubai say they've detained 17 foreigners for allegedly displaying homosexual behavior in the city's ... more -
“40 cross-dressing tourists” arrested in Dubai
Police in the Gulf state of Dubai have arrested 40 men in a crackdown on transvestites.
"Any man or woman who dresses up and behaves like the opposite gender in public will be questioned and legal action will be taken against him or her," Lieutenant General Dahi Khalfan Tamim, Dubai Police Chief, said in a statement on the Dubai Police website.
"The 40 transvestites were referred to the Public Prosecution, which issued an administrative deportation order against them. All of those arrested were visitors and tourists and not residents.
"This is against the UAE's traditions and social values," he said.
In May Dahi announced that transvestites caught in public would be arrested as part of a new campaign.
He said "transvestites have been seen of late in public places, including shopping malls."
He said the campaign under the slogan "Our social values are precious.. let's protect them", targets those who "do not respect social values and behave like the opposite sex."
Dahi called on the Social Affairs Ministry to study the problem and find out the actual reasons behind the increase in transvestites.
"I think studying in a mixed environment is the reason behind the increase in this problem.
"However, there must be a study to find out the actual factors behind the problem," he said.
Dubai is one of the seven oil-rich United Arab Emirates.
It is unclear if any British men were arrested, though Dubai is a popular destination for UK tourists.
Despite claims that it is the most modern and "Westernised" state in the region, homosexual relations are still considered a crime and punishments range from jail to deportation and death penalty.
Last year two men aged 35 and 18 were sentenced by a Dubai court to fifteen years in prison for raping a 15-year-old Western boy.
One of the men is HIV positive.
Alexander Robert, of French-Swiss nationality, was in the United Arab Emirates last summer when a group of men took him to a desert, threatened him with a knife and repeatedly raped him.
According to Alexander's mother Veronique Robert, authorities neglected to inform them about the HIV status of one of the rapists in an attempt to hide that AIDS was present in the country. Police in the Gulf state of Dubai have arrested 40 men in a crackdown on transvestites. ... more -
Dubai detains foreigners accused of being gay
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Police in the Gulf tourist hub of Dubai say they've detained 17 foreign men for allegedly being gay and wearing women's clothing in malls and other public places.
Dubai's Gulf News quotes Dubai's police chief as saying the arrests are part of a campaign against "transvestites."
Despite Dubai's Western outlook, homosexuality is illegal in the Muslim city-state. DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Police in the Gulf tourist hub of Dubai say they've detained 17 foreign men for allegedly being gay and... more -
Street Style: Dubai
The latest fashion trends emerging from the streets of Dubai brought to you in this installment of Street Styles.
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British man dies after fall from Dubai building
The UK foreign office has reported that a British man was killed on Saturday, after he fell from his apartment block in Dubai.
His death is apparently being treated as suspicious: Two British nationals are currently being held by Police. The UK foreign office has reported that a British man was killed on Saturday, after he fell from his apartment block in Dubai. ... more -
Britons arrested for drunk sex on Dubai’s beach
Michelle Palmer, a 30 years old manager in publishing firm charged with having sex outside marriage, being drunk in public, in decent behavior and assaulting a police officer. Sex out of marriage is an offence in Dubai. Source Sun newspaper
The duo may face between three months and six years jail.
According to Michelle, the authorities are going to make them an example so they are going to get higher sentence. She also has to loose her job, as unmarried sex is strictly banned in United Arab Emirates.
According to her, she drank Champagne during a feast with colleagues. Then she go for a walk on Jumeirah beach with one of the friend of colleague.
Then the duo found by police having sex in beach. The police officer warned them to restrain but they did not hear him. On returning, he found them in same position and arrested them.
When police officer arrested Michelle, she tried to hit the officer with her high heel shoe.
Drink in public is also an offence in United Arab Emirates. Michelle Palmer, a 30 years old manager in publishing firm charged with having sex outside marriage, being drunk in public, in decent ... more -
British businesswoman facing jail in Dubai 'after having sex on the beach'
30-year-old British woman Michelle Palmer has lost her job and faces a jail sentence of between 3 months and 6 years for breaking decency laws in Dubai after having sex on a beach, according to the Daily Mail.
Now, we all know the Daily Mail isn't the best source of reliable and balanced news, but if this is
really the case this woman *should* be scared, and feeling more than a little stupid. Dubai doesn't go easy on its own population, let alone foreigners who refuse to tow the line. Sex outside marriage, cohabitation, adultery and homosexuality are all illegal and punishable by very severe sentences.
Why you'd want to go to such restrictive and extreme country in the first place I don't know, especially as a woman (well, I hear the money helps), but was this woman standing up to a repressive regime in some way by getting jiggy in the sand, or should she simply have obeyed the laws of the country she chose to work in... and, um, just gone home to bed?
30-year-old British woman Michelle Palmer has lost her job and faces a jail sentence of between 3 months and 6 years for breaking dece... more -
Whirl Of Fortune?
If youve ever sat in your penthouse apartment and thought to yourself "What this skyscraper needs is to have individual spinning floors" then youre in luck. Providing you live in Dubai or Moscow, can wait a couple of years and have £2 to £18 million spare. If youve ever sat in your penthouse apartment and thought to yourself "What this skyscraper needs is to have individual spinning floo... more
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Dubai's rotating skyscrapers that change shape
Buildings in Dubai and Moscow will be powered by sun and wind and continuously change shape as floors rotate around central axis.
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World's first rotating skyscraper
The 80-storey "Dynamic Tower," will be a shifting skyscraper of luxury apartments on spinning floors, which will be attached to a central column.
Plans for the project were unveiled in New York by Italian architect David Fisher, who said: "This building will have endless different shapes".
The 420-meter (1,378-foot) building features 80 apartments that spin a full 360 degrees around a central column by means of 79 power-generating wind turbines located between each floor
The 80-storey "Dynamic Tower," will be a shifting skyscraper of luxury apartments on spinning floors, which will be attached to a cent... more -
Dubai plans a 'moving' skyscraper
"The world's first moving building, a 80-storey tower with revolving floors giving an shifting shape, will be built in Dubai, its architect says.
The Dynamic Tower design is made up of 80 pre-fabricated apartments which will spin independently of one another.
"It's the first building that rotates, moves, and changes shape," said architect David Fisher, who is Italian, at a news conference in New York.
"This building never looks the same, not once in a lifetime," he added.
The 420-metre (1,378-foot) building's apartments would spin a full 360 degrees, at voice command, around a central column by means of 79 giant power-generating wind turbines located between each floor. "
Skyscrapers have moved before, but when they do, its kind of a one-time thing. "The world's first moving building, a 80-storey tower with revolving floors giving an shifting shape, will be built in Dubai, its arch... more -
Dubai plans first "moving" skyscraper
The world's first moving building, a 80-storey tower with revolving floors giving an shifting shape, will be built in Dubai, its architect says.
madness I tell you. Won't people get dizzy? The world's first moving building, a 80-storey tower with revolving floors giving an shifting shape, will be built in Dubai, its archi... more -
Rotating tower in Dubai to generate 10x more power than it consumes
It is estimated that the tower will create 1,200,000 kilowatt-hours of energy every year from solar panels and wind turbines generating 10 times more energy than required to power it. It is estimated that the tower will create 1,200,000 kilowatt-hours of energy every year from solar panels and wind turbines generatin... more
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Every house has a beach - Architecture @ its best
Palm Jumeirah @ DUBAI new pics
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Islamic Fashionista
You may not have heard of Rabia Z yet, but that is about to change. Meet Dubai Fahion Week's "Emerging Talent Winner" and the winner of the British Council's "Young Entrepreneur of the Gulf" award. This young woman has burst onto the fashion stage and she is aiming high. What makes her unique is that she is designing for the modern Muslim woman, and she isn't including burkas in her Fall line. She is taking traditional Muslim fashion and making it fun, fabulous, and "modern."
Rabia would like to thank:
Kristian Ranker and Nicole Means
www.kristianranker.com You may not have heard of Rabia Z yet, but that is about to change. Meet Dubai Fahion Week's "Emerging Talent Winner" and the winner ... more -
Brad Pitt Partnering to Design 5 Star Eco-Hotel in Dubai
Brad Pitt is once again diving into green building, recently announcing a collaboration with LA-based architecture firm GRAFT to design a 5-star “green resort” in Dubai. People are a bit skeptical about the project being called both “socially-conscious” and “an 800-room luxury hotel and adjoining leisure complex,” but we’ll see how it unfolds. No details or location have been announced yet, but given Brad’s friendship with Frank Gehry and his commitment to Global Green, I'm excited to see how the progresses. Brad Pitt is once again diving into green building, recently announcing a collaboration with LA-based architecture firm GRAFT to desig... more
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