In the 90's, you might have been convinced by certain bestsellers and major motion pictures that if someone created a theme park full of man-made dinosaurs, you'd probably get eaten. What no one could have predicted back then was that you wouldn't be getting eaten by a dinosaur... you'd be getting eaten by a
robot dinosaur. At least that's likely what you can expect when Dubai's $1 billion "Restless Planet" park opens in late 2008, a 500,000 square foot recreation of our planet at a time when dinosaurs roamed -- replete with giant, animatronic / robotic versions of over 40 extinct species. According to the park's managing director Mustafa Galadari, "The Restless Planet provides a visual, audio and tactile experience allowing visitors to experience some of the exciting things that have gone on in the Earth's history," adding that the effect will be, "Extremely realistic and scary – but at the same time, educational." The dinos will contain embedded potentiometers and motion sensors (amongst others), apparently allowing the reptilian re-creations to follow visitors with their eyes, track specific colors of clothing, regulate their own movements, and even lunge at viewers... then eat them. Don't say we didn't warn you.
posted December 18th 2007 4:37PM
Saad, you've spent too much time with your comment. Frankly, I could care less about you think because you don't know what I know.
Behind the smokescreen that the UAE tries to put up by being "progessive", they're really just children playing with their money. From ski resorts, man-made islands, "world's largest skyscraper", the UAE is just playing with toys.
I would only that hope they grow up and become a real country and participate in world affairs. Instead, they taking it easy and riding the backs of the countries that are trying to make a difference.
Hahaha, with all do respect to your opinion tom, I just had to laugh at your reply. (No offense man)
I can tell you this: They are growing up, so fast that your brain can't handle it, and they are "a real country", so real that lies for you make more since at this point. :)
tom, pay Dubai a visit, please do.
Aww, somebody has a problem with a country using its wealth to build creative projects that don't kill people. :( Maybe you need to do some growing up.
Judging by how they are becoming a hub for the global economy it seems to me like they are doing a very good job of participating in world affairs (hence the incredible wealth). And they didn't even need to frame up any countries to invade.
Those plans that Dubai Holdings have...while they're great, they don't negate the disgusting playground for the rich that Dubai is about to come (actually it's already a huge tourist attraction for the rich).
Medical center for the rich and poor you say? Perhaps poor as in the people who work in all of these hotels?
Wonderful that the elite will have their spectacular getaway.
Please, this is a statement about our vanity and our obsession with the material. While Dubai Holdings may be doing some good things, what Dubai is going to become is not.
If you live in the US "Hardcore" .. maybe you shouldn't run your mouth about the weapons that provide the blanket of freedom you sleep so peacefully under.
Weapons provide freedom? Really? I always thought it was things like free speech and the right to vote; silly me. So Iran is trying to free their people by allegedly pursuing Nukes?
your sarcasm is a feeble attempt to cover up your lack of knowledge in world-affairs and our nation's history.
you know nothing.
Weapons provide freedom?? Perhaps we should be encouraging Iran to weaponize their nuke program. Subsidies anyone?
dubai is for camels... who would want to go there....
I am so jealous... :(
"Dubai right now is like a New York 100 years ago, but with more control, more religion, wiser leaders and lots of money!"
Now I am *really* scared.
Its interesting to hear the opinions of both the sides. Having lived in the US as well as in Dubai at the moment, let me try to shed my opinions.
Firstly, Dubai is just a city, not a country. The country is UAE nd the capital Abu Dhabi is filthy rich with oil money. However, Dubai doesnt have much oil left and thus they keep announcing these out of this world projects to make TOURISM their main source of income. Who wouldnt want to see all these "wonders" in the region- tourism has gone up at an unimaginable rate is Dubai.
I say thats a smart thing. They're spending money to make money for the longer run. It's called investing. It appears as "showing off" to many but how else do you attract tourism? By making news about something. As simple as that.
Having said that, Dubai is still decades away from becoming a city like New York or Chicago or LA. At the moment, Dubai is stuck between being extremely modern and losing its cultural values- even though a lot of projects in the region are trying to focus on heritage. It will take a long time for Dubai to find its comfort zone.
Ahhh but, Dubai Cares...
http://www.dubaicares.ae/eng/default.asp
I am living in Dubai and came after many years of planning. For at least 5 years of hearing the comments from both sides and visiting earlier I came to the concluion that Dubai and its surrounding cities are for REAL and these people are one of the most serious in almost all countries.
This is the only city I know which has some of the best quality roads and at ZERO taxes. That along with the existence of real and active industrial zones surrounding the city convinced me of the long term future of the city.
Slowly indirect payments like parking and road tolls are being increased but not to make money but to curb single people from driving above 3500 CC SUVs congesting the streets which are temporarily narrowed due to the building of the metro network.
In a year or two Inshallah (god willing) the metro shall be complete and the 1-3 lanes occupied by the road partitions for construction shall be removed and hopefully more people shall be taking the shiny new dual 70 seater buses and more lanes shall be open and the metro shall be on.
This shall speed up things a lot in preparation for 2010. Single currency like the Euro and more concentration on the tourism and educated economy.
Regards,
Khawar
Too bad anyone who has an Israeli stamp on there passport will be denied at the border, even though I am sure they are using plenty of Israeli technology in their theme park.
Ah, nothing makes me cackle like a good ol' Dubai thread. I can just see the jealously and frustration on some of these commentator's faces, angry and or dismissive over such success and wealth coming to a place that doesn't sit under the stars and stripes or union jack.