Dubai: Petrodollar Paradise

So yeah, fine, the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi cost the most to build of any hotel to date (estimated ?2 billion). And even though it may also represent the world's largest monolithic bubble of unbroken wireless net access, its gold-plated palm trees strike some as garish excess when the same money would be better spent on high style. Fortunately, this isn't as much of a problem in neighboring Dubai, the evolving micro-universe-metropolis overseen by its de facto ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum. (His older brother, Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid al-Maktoum, is actually emir of Dubai, but he spends most of his time occupied with his duties as vice president of the United Arab Emirates.) The expats call him "Sheik Mo," and there's no disputing that he's a visionary, adept, and (if need be) ruthless urban capitalist -- an Arab Steve Wynn with far more resources, power, and a bit of Lex Luthor in the mix, to put it mildly. No project seems too bizarre or vainglorious for Sheik Mo. Consider Hydropolis, the 220-suite underwater hotel (66 feet down) with walls of clear Plexiglas and an underwater SFX show right outside. On a more traditional but far grander scale, there's the Madinat Jumeriah resort complex, containing luxury boutique hotels, beaches, spa, shopping, and more. Even that sprawling compound is dwarfed in stature by the distinctive sail-like tower of the Burj Al Arab hotel -- probably the only building in the world that could make the nearby Jumeirah Beach Hotel seem a little puny by comparison. And then there's the ominously named Restless Planet dinosaur theme park, due to open in spring 2008. But the absolute apex of developer hubris has got to be The World, a collection of 300 manmade sand islands crafted to resemble a the continents and landmasses of the actual Earth, in miniature. Each island is for sale, though remember these are at vastly reduced scale (apparently it only takes three minutes to walk across Greenland). Though Dubai gets credited as the next big, glitzy tourist destination (even in the punishingly hot summer off-season), remember that this ain't Vegas. Like most monarchies in the region, the vast majority of Dubai's inhabitants are noncitizen foreign workers who have no rights, are viciously exploited and underpaid, and can be deported on a whim. You likely won't see them, of course, since such an encounter could cast a pall over a lucrative holiday. Utopia can't be for everyone, after all. Tip well.

Emirates Palace [Official site]
Abu Dhabi Hotel Is A Hacker's Dream [Hotel Chatter]
The world's most expensive hotel - but is it worth it? [Times]
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum [Official site]
Sinister Paradise [TomDispatch]
Hydropolis [Official site]
Build contract signed for dinosaur theme park [Property World]
Madinat Jumeriah [Official site]
Burj Al Arab [Official site]
Jumeirah Beach Hotel [Official site]
The World [Official site]
Mideast Piece [Cond頎ast Traveler]
Dubai: A city for the new century [Houston Chronicle]
Slope off and feel Dubai's heat [Times]

Previously: Tennis, Anyone? On a Helipad?, Ski Dubai! Or, Purchase a Private Florida-Shaped Island Near Dubai, World?s Most Expensive Hotel?, The Happiest Place in the UAE, Luxury on a Budget