Abu Dhabi and Dubai Blog

Adil Khalid, the UAE’s lone Olympian in sailing at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, rues the fact that he doesn’t have a structured training programme to date - but he can’t hide the enthusiasm as he speaks of Dubai’s bid for the Olympics.

http://www.gulfnews.com/sport/Olympic/10327577.html

Dubai authorities on June 19 banned demonstrations by Iranian immigrants who have been protesting for four days in the Arab emirate against the presidential election results in Iran, Gulf News reported.

“We don’t want the power struggle between the two conflicting parties to be fought over here,” the newspaper quoted Dubai police chief Dahi Khalfan Tamim as saying.

http://finchannel.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=40588&Itemid=13

The city of Dubai is now in the final stages of opening the first line of its metro system, scheduled for September 9, 2009. It is to be the world’s largest full automated subway, and the first subway of any kind in the region.

“The Metro is expected to change life in Dubai as it will not only provide easy public transport but will also help reduce traffic, improve environment and attract tourists,” said Abdul Majeed Al Khaja, chief executive officer of the Rail Agency of the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), which is carrying out the project.

Some 3,200 people are being trained to ensure the smooth operation of the Metro. UK-based company Serco has been tasked with operating the Metro for the first 10 years. Serco is currently providing training to employees - including UAE nationals - as it gears up for the launch of the Red Line.

http://www.gulfnews.com/nation/Traffic_and_Transport/10318639.html

A piece from the New York Times on the crashing of Dubai’s economy for the many foreigners who have been living in an economic bubble of artificial wealth and lavish spending. Also discusses the tale that the Palm Jumeirah hotel may in fact be sinking, and is ridden with cockroaches.

Some things are clear: real estate prices, which rose dramatically during Dubai’s six-year boom, have dropped 30 percent or more over the past two or three months in some parts of the city. Last week, Moody’s Investor’s Service announced that it might downgrade its ratings on six of Dubai’s most prominent state-owned companies, citing a deterioration in the economic outlook. So many used luxury cars are for sale , they are sometimes sold for 40 percent less than the asking price two months ago, car dealers say. Dubai’s roads, usually thick with traffic at this time of year, are now mostly clear.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/12/world/middleeast/12dubai.html?_r=2&hp

More shots from the cataclysmic opening of the Palm Jumeirah.

[Show as slideshow]

Here is the amazing opening of Dubai’s Palm Jumeriah hotel, not to be confused with the 1945 Allied bombing of Dresden.

The pop singer Rihanna will not perform at a concert in Dubai scheduled for May 28, the same date that a court hearing is scheduled in Los Angeles for her companion, Chris Brown, The Associated Press reported.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/06/arts/music/06arts-RIHANNACANCE_BRF.html?ref=arts

A brief clip from a Discovery show that has a lot of good shots of the work going on in the city.

Home prices in the once red-hot Middle East boomtown of Dubai plunged 41 percent in the first three months of 2009 as the global economic slowdown raised concerns about job security and dried up financing, according to figures released Tuesday that suggest nearly two years of gains have evaporated.

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2009/04/28/ap6348187.html