Dubai is no stranger when it comes to building
record-breaking and sometimes even downright insane megaprojects. And while looking at its skyline today might
already be impressive, the city's development is far from finished. From the world’s largest ocean restoration
project, to a grand urban master plan that will fundamentally change the city forever. Today we bring you closer to the Dubai of
2040. Looking at pictures of Dubai from 50 years
ago, it wouldn’t be surprising for one to mistake it for a completely different place. Located within one of the most unforgiving
regions on Earth, the city’s success can only be described as a miracle. What once was just a small port city by the
Arabian gulf, has now become one of the most luxurious places on Earth. From the world’s tallest skyscraper, to
entire man made archipelagos, Dubai is constantly pushing the limits of what is possible in
construction and architecture. But to understand why the city has transformed
so much so quickly, we first have to look at how it got here. After the discovery of oil during the 60s,
infrastructure development in the region accelerated at an unprecedented rate. The city’s population exploded from only
60,000 residents, to nearly a million by the turn of the century. Dubai soon began the process of transforming
itself as the tourism capital of the region. Back then, ambitious megaprojects were a huge
success, such as the Burj Khalifa, the Dubai Mall, Palm Jumeirah and.. well.. many more
But in recent years this dynamic has slowly changed, with neighboring countries such as
Qatar and Saudi Arabia also competing for global recognition. Additionally, many projects in Dubai have
also been put on hold or turned out to be.. maybe a bit too ambitious. So, is Dubai’s transformation coming to
an end? Well, not exactly. But their image of the future has changed;
so here are the most impressive megaprojects of Future Dubai. Starting off with the
Dubai Reef: This will be a 200 square kilometer artificial
reef project that will wrap across the entire city’s coast (10). To put this into perspective, this project
alone will cover an area more than five times the entire city of Dubai itself! It’s planned that the reef will be home
to a total of 1 billion corals and more than 100 million mangrove trees (10) (11). But why are they doing it? One major problem that Dubai is trying to
solve is the adverse effects of their megaprojects on the environment. More specifically, to marine life. The Palm and World Islands are a testament
to Dubai’s economic status. From an engineering perspective, they are
impressive and truly unique. But, the creation of these islands has had
a significant impact on the surrounding waters, killing corals and severely disrupting entire
underwater ecosystems (9). Because of this, Dubai is proposing a radical
megaproject that they hope will restore the Emirate’s coastal waters. And that’s why the Dubai Reefs will stretch
across the entire coast. The project will also include a series of
floating islands that will house facilities for marine research and tourism (10). At the center of this enormous development
will be a marine institute that will be responsible for the protection of Dubai’s coastal ecosystem
(11). Ideally, once completed by 2040 (11), the
Dubai Reef will serve as a quote-unquote “blueprint for ocean living, whilst mitigating the impacts
of climate change” (10). Continuing this theme, Dubai follows up with
the so-called Dubai Loop:
A 90-kilometer long completely covered urban highway, but with a small twist. It's not for cars, instead it's for walking
and cycling. The idea was to connect more than 3 million
residents using modes of transport that are both healthy and environmentally friendly
(12). But with the hottest average temperatures
going as high as 40°C in the summer, Dubai isn’t exactly a place you’d want to walk
or cycle on. So, in order to solve this obvious problem,
the creators of the Loop devised a simple yet insane solution. Make the entire highway completely indoors
and climate controlled! You heard that right. The entire 90-kilometer stretch will enjoy
a climate controlled environment that runs 24/7. Aside from its climate control features, the
Loop will also have mix-use infrastructure providing leisure and wellness facilities
for their residents. There will also be indoor parks which can
be used for recreational activities and social gatherings. This massive structure would snake around
the entire city and connect major urban areas to each other. According to its creators, the Loop will entirely
be powered through renewable energy and will even have kinetic flooring (11) (12). Through this system, vibrations from walking
and cycling can be converted into electricity that will power the indoor highway. To make this possible, a deep understanding
in science and engineering is necessary, and luckily there is an easy and free way to learn
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with the Dubai Moon:
If the recently unveiled Las Vegas Sphere wasn’t impressive enough for you, then Dubai
has got something even crazier. At more than 200 meters across, this scaled
model of the moon would be even bigger than the MSG Sphere in Las Vegas, and also more
than twice as expensive. This $5 billion real estate project by Canadian
firm Moon World Resorts will become the newest addition to Dubai’s long list of insane
megaprojects. The MOON will be a luxury hotel and resort
that boldly claims will be able to let guests “experience space travel from Earth” (13). Constructed on top of a 30-meter foundation,
the MOON will consist of 4,000 rooms and an arena with a capacity for 10,000 people (14). Aside from the proposed location in Dubai,
there are also plans to build other Moon resorts around the world (15). The structure’s exterior will shine brightly
at night and could even accurately simulate the different phases of the moon. This will be done using a similar technology
to that of the Las Vegas Sphere. However, unlike its American rival, the MOON
will not only be bigger in size. It will also be a complete sphere from the
bottom to the top. Next up is the Dubai Healthcare City. This is a futuristic floating island supposed
to provide both quality healthcare and luxurious living. The project is designed to bring out the best
qualities of Dubai into one ambitious work of architecture. Compared to the other megaprojects in this
video, the Dubai Healthcare City is only a proof of concept. Many aspects of its design make use of technology
that is still not available. However, it’s still interesting to imagine
what Dubai might look like in the far future. The entire city complex will resemble that
of a crescent shape, incorporating Islamic design elements and Dubai’s luxurious architectural
style (16). The project is divided into three major components
which will be the primary use of the entire city. At the center will be a massive skyscraper
serving as an education and research institute. This central building will rise more than
160 meters above the water (17), and have a total floor area of as much as 1 million
square meters. It will primarily be used for educational
activities, research and development, exhibitions, and will even house a science and technology
park (16). Surrounding the central skyscraper will be
14 smaller individual towers which will each specialize in different medical functions
(16). Finally, at the two outer reaches of the crescent
will be 24 hotels, symmetrically framing the towering centerpiece. Aside from developments above ground, the
entire project will also be accessible through a dedicated underwater highway and transportation
system. The city will make use of futuristic modes
of transport and create infrastructure for a monorail system and electric cars (16). If you enjoyed this so far, consider subscribing
to Top Luxury. Thanks a lot! On top of all these future megaprojects, Dubai
is also planning to fundamentally transform the city from the ground up. Similar to Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, the
Emirate of Dubai has laid out a comprehensive plan that aims to fix many of the city’s
problems. The Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan:
It has one simple or not so simple vision. To reshape Dubai into one of the most livable
cities in the world. But what does that mean and how exactly will
they do that? One major goal of this master plan is the
redevelopment of three major urban areas to serve as their own city centers(4). Along with these, two new urban hubs will
be developed: the Expo 2020 Centre to the south, and the Dubai Silicon Oasis Centre
to the east (4). The creation of these new city centers aims
to improve the efficiency of Dubai. This will be done by designating specific
areas in the city for different purposes. To connect each of these new city centers,
the newly planned Loop will certainly help. But on top of that Dubai wants to create an
extensive public transit network across the entire city. By 2040, the city aims to completely transform
its notoriously confusing and disjointed road and transportation network. Their goal is to become a 20-minute city,
with focus on sustainable rapid transit systems and cycling and pedestrian infrastructure. Finally, in order to enhance the quality of
life of its residents, Dubai aims to double the size of its green areas (6). Over the next two decades, the Emirate plans
to allocate 60% of all its land and transform it into nature reserves and wildlife sanctuaries
(3). By creating more of these green spaces and
public parks, they hope to transform into a thriving oasis. Moreover, other important sectors such as
education and health will all receive a substantial increase in dedicated land area (6) (7). As it stands, Dubai's transformation is unprecedented
when it comes to record breaking architecture and engineering. And even though it has already proven to the
world that it is capable of building insane megaprojects, there is still plenty more to
be done. So what do you think about this development? Do you think these megaprojects are a good
addition to the city? Let us know in the comments down below. Thank you for watching, and we will see you
in the next video!
