Dubai...Day 4...Continued

Each morning I would have the breakfast of choice at the Marriott, which was a 3 egg, cheese, and ham omelet and coffee for 20 dhs, or about $6.50…and it was very good and served with toast and jelly….very filling. I would then get the 11:00 AM shuttle that the Marriott provided to take guests to the Mall of the Emirates in that this was the largest shopping mall near to the hotel. In my case, it was also the best connection to the Metro, which is like new and 2 years old. The Metro runs from south of the airport, and this is the way that I will get back to the airport…north about 40 miles to a new area called Jebel Ali (pronounced jebbel alley), which is the location for the new Port…Port of Jebel Ali) which is the largest in the Middle East. It is a duty-free port that the government-funded so as to take some of the business on this side of the Gulf from both Iran and Qatar, and it has worked. It is partially man-made out into the Gulf and can take the largest oil transport currently out there….
I bought a day ticket on the Metro which was 6.50 dhs, or about $2….and headed north thinking that I would get off at either Dubai Internet City or Dubai Marina. Both of these areas are planned development areas for specific industries, or interests. The Internet City is the home of all of the high, and low, tech companies in the country, and ones that are very obvious with their signs are Microsoft, 3M, Oracle, and HP, along with many others. Internet City looks to be pretty well-built out, but almost every hi-rise has a To Let or To Rent sign on the side of the building.  Dubai Marina was designed to be an upscale condo and office hi-rise area right on the water, with its own private up-scale Marina for the rich and famous world over. It is just north of the Palm Island development and the Atlantis complex, so the intent was to draw from those kinds of investors to sell Dubai Marina. Probably would have happened had not the recession hit….but the point was made that all of the PGA  golfers and most of the ranked Tennis players, along with the world soccer players were given introductory packages to buy in the Palms and they did…..and the same was offered to both movie and music stars, such as Michael Jackson, who owned a unit in the Palms. Many of these rich and famous only come for a week, or whatever…but hold on to them as tax shelters. So was the plan with the Dubai Marina….and so we have probably a dozen empty hi-rise condos and maybe 6-8 in the construction phase.
I didn’t get off for I was concerned that I would run out of time before the shuttle back to the hotel….so stayed on the Metro to the end, going into the Jebel Ali Trade Zone area. Enroute, I started seeing the power, aluminum, and smelter plants along the ocean. More stacks at the power companies than I have ever seen…just one after the other. This went on for about 5 miles….and out from these big plants came the massive power lines…taking power all over the country. Then came the dock areas, and, again, like Oakland Harbor, probably 50 big ocean tanker unloading cranes…just amazing. Then came the oil storage round tanks, and I could only count probably 50…and looked to be 3 or 4 times that many. Then came the warehousing area, which was nearest to the Metro. obviously, Dubai is planning on being the commerce and trade center of the mid east….bigger area and more in the construction stage than I have ever seen or imagined.
Heading south on the Metro you go past both the Mall of the Emirates and the Dubai Mall…and eventuly the International Airort…and about 3 stops more and you are at the end of the Red Line. In Sept they are going to open the Green line, which is very good for that will cover a wider area than the Red covers, going west from the ocean.
Well, got off at the World Trade Center to get a feel for the companies in that huge hi-rise….and probably over 300 companies in that building alone….just too many to count and the Security guy was nervous…but a magnificent new building and full of international businesses.
Got back to the Mall of the Emirates…shuttle did make it so took a cab and then the hotel reimbursed me…..so had a very interesting day literally going from one end of Dubai to the other. Well worth the time….and all for now.