United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. Skyscrapers, Skiing, and Sand
For a place designed to impress outsiders, Dubai delivers. The city’s Burj Al Arab is the world’s tallest building. Among other distinctions, tiny Dubai has the world’s second largest number of five-star hotels, the deepest swimming pool (60m), and the tallest landmark sign (19.3m). There are artificial islands of sand that reach into the Persian Gulf including Palm Jumeirah which looks like a massive palm tree from the air. Dubai is the most populous city (3.6 million) within a group of seven federal emirates known as the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Covering an area of 4,110 square kilometers, the emirate is located in the Arabian Desert east of Saudia Arabian and north of Oman. Dubai is ruled by the Al Maktoum family. About 85% of its population is made up of expatriate “guest workers” including many Indians and Pakistanis. Among great cities of the Middle East, Dubai is a newcomer. The city was founded in the early 19th century as a fishing village and as recently as 1822, its population was just 700. A few years later, a British surveyor reported a town inside a circular wall that had about a thousand residents. In 1892, the region around present-day Dubai fell under the protection of the United Kingdom. Oil was discovered in the Emirate’s territorial waters in 1966, leading to a construction boom, a large influx of foreign workers, and a rapid increase in population. In 1971, Dubai joined the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Today, oil accounts for just 1% of the Emirate’s revenue with the majority of income being produced by trade and tourism.
Arriving at Dubai International Airport, we took a car to the Burj Khalifa. Reaching a height of 829.9 meters, the skyscraper is made from reinforced concrete and steel and named after a former UAE president. The building’s bundled tube, Y-shaped design helps optimize space. Access to its 163 floors is facilitated by 57 elevators and eight escalators. Among the building’s claims, it has the world’s tallest restaurant (appropriately called “Atmosphere”) located on the 122nd floor and at a height of 442 meters. A 304-room hotel occupies 15 or the lowest 39 floors. Most impressive, the Burj has a staggering 24,348 windows. On my 2011 visit I took the elevator to an observation deck on the 148th floor (at a height of 555m). Although visibility was somewhat poor that day, I still had commanding views of the city. Later, I was told that on clear days, it’s possible to see the Iranian coastline 153 kilometers to the north. Another “must see” was the Dubai Mall of the Emirates. Extending into the mall’s parking lot is a sloping concrete ramp that is part of Ski Duba, a massive indoor snow skiing area. Another short drive took us to the beach for views of Burj Al Arab, a 201-meter-high luxury hotel constructed on an artificial island. Completed in 1999 at a cost of US$1 billion, the hotel has 56 floors, six restaurants, and 18 elevators. Rooms are beyond the price range of most persons. For example, the hotel’s Royal Suite costs US$24,000 per night. At the top of the building is a helipad where golfer Tiger Woods was given an opportunity to tee off in 2004. I recall someone mentioning that the Burj Al Arab is the world’s only seven-star hotel (the highest rating awarded in five stars). The seven-star rumor began after a British journalist participating in a pre-opening tour was overheard discussing the building’s virtues.
Our next stop was Saudi Arabia’s capital of Riyadh (population 7.6 million people). With a rapidly growing population, non-Saudi guest workers and their families outnumber Saudis citizens in Riyadh, three to one. Geographically, the city is located in the central an-Nafud Desert and within the eastern Najd Plateau. Stretching across 2.1 million square kilometers, Saudi Arabia occupies most of the Arabian Peninsula and is home to Islam’s two holiest cities, Mecca and Medina. Like Dubai, Riyadh is a young city. Nomadic people occupied the Saudi Arabian Peninsula before the arrival of Islam in the 7th century. By the 16th century the area fell under the domination of the Ottoman Empire. With help from the British, Arabs led by Hussein bin Ali revolted against the Ottomans. Subsequently, Ibn Saud conquered the territory and declared himself king. Riyadh was founded as a walled city in 1746 and by 1918 the city’s population had reached 18,000. The Kingdom was founded as an absolute monarchy in 1932 by King Abdulaziz (the former Ibn Saud). In the years since the discovery of oil in 1938, petroleum output has expanded considerably. Today the kingdom is the world’s third largest oil producer and world’s leading petroleum exporter.
Covering an area of 777 square kilometers, King Khalid International is the largest airport in the world by land area. Our drive from the airport served as a reminder that Saudi Arabia is located within a massive desert. Everything in and around Riyadh appeared dusty. The city has a year-round hot climate with summer highs averaging 44°C. We arrived in the morning, so our first stop was a restaurant. We were advised by our host to order a local favorite, camel liver sautéed with tomatoes, onions and spices. Served with whole wheat soup, camel liver is a breakfast tradition in Saudi Arabia. After eating, we unloaded our luggage at the Golden Ship Hotel. With rows of windows above and below its main “deck,” the hotel looks like a marooned cruise ship.
Since the purpose of my trip was to recruit students, I spent most days at my university’s booth in the International Convention and Exhibition Center. However, I did have a few open afternoons to explore the city and beyond. One stop was the impressive Kingdom Center. Located in Riyadh’s Al-Olaya District, the 99-story (302m) tower is Saudi Arabia’s fifth tallest building. Along with a 57,000 square meter shopping center, the Kingdom Center houses a Four Seasons Hotel, offices, luxury apartments, and the King Abdullah Mosque. At the structure’s top is an inverted parabolic arch containing a sky-bridge which rises about a half meter at the midway point between the towers. We paid a modest admission fee to take an elevator to the sky-bridge level. Located a short distance from the convention center is the Interior Ministry building. With a narrow base supporting increasingly wider upper floors, the building looks like a spaceship or upside-down pyramid. The 190,000 square meter building opened in 1990.
One evening we were invited to attend a reception at the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh. The embassy’s security has been significantly upgraded in the years since the September 2001 attacks on the U.S. Approaching vehicles must negotiate a maze of concrete barriers and before entering we were subject to a thorough security check. In an effort to respect Saudi cultural and religious practices, alcoholic beverages were not served at the reception. I was fortunate to sit next to a high-ranking U.S. Foreign Service officer who had just completed an assignment in Iraq. She identified herself as a principal deputy to the ambassador. On our last full day, we left the city for a drive west to the base of the Tuwaiq Mountains. Along the way, our host insisted that we see a collection of American cars. Inside several garages were dust covered classics including a Thunderbird, Hudson, Nash, De Soto, and Studebaker.
