«Burj Khalifa» in Dubai is the tallest skyscraper in the world
Airport
Not long ago, the Dubai authorities announced their intention to invest $32 billion in the reconstruction of the airport, which should become the largest in the world in terms of capacity.
The first airport of the emirate's capital, opened back in 1960, is currently the largest in the world in terms of the number of international flight passengers served. It is located in the center of old Dubai and has been operating successfully for more than half a century. However, the air harbor has no room to grow further: residential and commercial buildings are nearby.
In 2010, a second Dubai airport, Al Maktoum International, was opened next to the Jebel Ali free economic zone. It is this one that the emirate's authorities decided to develop and gradually make the largest in the world in terms of passenger traffic.
The first phase of work is planned for six to eight years, after which the capacity of Al Maktoum International should reach 120 million passengers per year, and in longer-term plans, the figure should double to 240 million passengers per year. It is quite possible that the old airport will completely stop operating and be demolished, but this will happen no earlier than in 20-30 years.
Shopping mall
In 2015, construction of the world's largest shopping mall will begin in Dubai. The total area of the facility will be 4.5 million square meters, and the project cost is estimated at $6.8 billion. It is expected that the mega-mall, which will be called The Mall of the World, will be visited by 180 million people annually.
The largest currently operating shopping center in the world is also located in Dubai; it is called Dubai Mall. In 2013, it was visited by 75 million people.
The first city with climate control
The mega-mall will be part of a project to create the world's first city with climate control, which should significantly increase comfort in Dubai, where summer air temperatures exceed 40 degrees. In fact, air conditioners will be operating directly on the city streets, whose alleys will be covered with glass.
The project area is 450 hectares. In addition to a 7 km long shopping boulevard, the city will host hotels with 20,000 rooms, medical facilities, a theater, a circus, a park, and a family entertainment center.
However, it will not be soon that one can see a kind of city within a city: the project will take at least ten years to implement.
Skyscraper
Dubai is home to the tallest skyscraper in the world, Burj Khalifa. Its height is 828 m, and the total area of the building exceeds 340,000 square meters. The 163 floors of the tower house a hotel, apartments, offices, and shopping centers. The construction cost was $1.5 billion.
But Dubai is not satisfied with Burj Khalifa; it also wants to have the world's tallest purely residential building. Construction work on it began in the summer of 2009. Thirty floors were built, but in 2011 construction was frozen. This year it resumed. According to the plan, the height of the tower, which is called Pentominium, will be 516 m.
Meanwhile, an even more grandiose project has already begun in Saudi Arabia – the construction of Kingdom Tower with a height of 1000 m, which will become the new tallest skyscraper in the world. The work is planned to be completed by 2018. The project cost is estimated at $1.2 billion.
Parks
The largest flower garden in the world is also created in Dubai. It is called the Miracle Garden (Dubai Miracle Garden). The park area is about 7 hectares, the length of the paths reaches 4 km. The central place in the floral composition is occupied by a portrait of the first President of the UAE, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, surrounded by seven huge hearts – one for each emirate.
Some plants were specially brought to this region from Germany, the USA, and Italy. The watering of flowers in the park is underground – water and fertilizers go directly to the roots, and this saves up to 75% of water and electricity.
Also, the emirate plans to open the world's largest underwater park called the Pearl of Dubai. It will be organized in the image of the lost island of Atlantis. The park project was developed by a team that worked on the films Avatar and Pirates of the Caribbean. Nothing is known about the timing and cost of the project yet.