Went to Dubai on vacation with the family; absolutely incredible place! the energy is unbelievable! did you know that 50% of the worlds cranes are employed in Dubai? there are just unbelievable buildings going up everywhere.
Saw family and friends, which was great. Could not get in touch with Saeed before i went, I think he was in the Maldives. Too bad, I really wanted to shoot the 577 trex!
here are some pics of Dubai marina:




In the back ground, you see the Palm jumeirah, a 6km x 6km land reclamation project that will house 100,000 people. Its shaped like a palm, with 17 fronds


sunset over dubai


beach by the marina


Old Dubai, with the bank of Dubai across Dubai Creek,




Dune bashing in he desert: a real rush!


Burj Arabia, the only 7 star hotel in the world: has an underwater restaurant, and 7 tons of gold are used in its construction.




It was a great trip. Just disappointed I couldnt see Walter!
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Dubai has to be the most cosmopolitan and tolerant place in the world. there are people of 140 nationalities living together with minimal conflict and perfect harmony... I dont know how. But this is the first social experiment of this nature, and possibly a blueprint for the future.

Interesting report. I looked up the 7 star hotel. I wasn't aware of such a thing. It sounds like the restaurant is continuously booked full with reservations.

It is amazing what $105 per barrel oil will do...

I saw that land reclamation project on the Discovery Channel. They also did a show on the indoor ski slope in Dubai.

Anyone notice the vehicle that is running the dunes? Most people wouldn't tear one of those up offroad.

quote:

It is amazing what $105 per barrel oil will do...

I think, not sure, but Dubai's income is less than 10% from oil and gas. Majority is trade and manufacturing. Not sure what they manufacture.

Looks like tourism might become a big money maker in the near future. I would love to visit in January. How crowded were the beaches Indlovu? What does a motel run per night? Any fishing?

Is it true there are no taxes? If that is true than that is more likely the reason for all the growth.

After only 2 weeks there, I am no expert; but its true, there is no income tax, no VAT or sales tax, no property tax, no death tax. Oh, there are a few toll roads!
95% of dubai's income is not derived from oil exports; the main finance sources are that it is the financial center midway between hong kong and london. Some sources estimate that over 1 TRILLION dollars US flowed into the financial institutions of the principality in 2007. The population of dubai is about 1.8 million, so cash is not in short supply! It is fast becoming a tourist destination, and Dubai maritime Port will soon be the largest in the world. Dubai airport will soon be the largest and most modern in a year or so, and it is a hub for the middle east and asia
So its smarts, not oil!
More pics:

DUBAI SKYLINE



DUBAI AT NIGHT



EVENING IN THE DESERT

SPICES IN THE SPICE SOUK




HENNA ON A LADY'S HAND



The mix of traditional and ultra-modern is fascinating to me.
There is virtually NO crime.
Reason:there is no poverty among the UAE citizens; as for the 85% non citizens, any significant crime is punished simply by a one way ticket out of UAE!
And you dont have to take off your shoes at the airport! I am sure there must be security, but I saw no uniformed guards with guns, no scowling TSA types at all. Just a few smiling guys helping the passengers with directions etc, dressed in their long white flowing robes.

The only thing wrong with the place was that I did not come across any hunting! Saeed must know of some, as I know there are desert gazelle, bustard and so on, but not that i could find out about

Nice photos. That's pretty amazing about Dubai. I would like to see it someday. Just sitting in one place to watch traffic or crowds for awhile would be interesting.

I was there last September for my 40th what a place totally stunning,Iam off again next month (may) for my wifes 40th,hope iam not too jet lagged i get back fron a 10 hunting trip in Namiba then fly out to Dubia the same day

I've been there twice when our boat pulled into the port of Jebel-Ali. Absolutely beautiful, albeit modern metropolis. Nothing in the rest of the world matches it with the possible exception of Singapore. Too bad I didn't know Saeed well as I could have maybe dropped by for tea! jorge

Very beautiful place!

Any more photos? Saeed should post some of his favorites.

Somebody needs to tell are next President, Barack, about the no taxes deal.

Yes, everyone, PLEASE post more images of Dubai.

Is anyone aware of the laws in Dubai regarding firearms? If one were to relocate to Dubai, could someone with permanant residence status
import their firearms into Dubai?

I doubt handguns are legal there, the above questions are regarding hunting rifles.

I've had opportunities to relocate to Dubai. It is a very impressive place, to type the very least.

Freedom, and the free market. Dubai is likely THE prime example of how LESS taxes equals MORE prosperiety. I can do without a "Nanny State".

Capital takes the path of least resistance.

looks like alot of construction activity there,whos the main freeway builing co. does anyone know?

Hey guys, buy property there and you can live there! No taxes and proximity to Africa!!! see you at the Windsor, January, 2010!

I have been there about 30 times, all thanks to the Navy.

We have it down to a science.

Pull in book a hotel for port visit, usually 3 to 6 days. I stay someplace different everytime. I think one was called the Intercontinental, and we stayed in one owned by an Australian company.

The malls are kind of amazing, not that they are big, they are just really nice. We have nice malls in America, but they don't have Rolex, Breightling, and Patek Phillipe dealerships in every mall.

I don't usually hit the gold souk, but I will usually end up in the electronics souk just to see what's in there. And there is a bit of a gunshop there.

The water park near the Burj al Arab is amazing, worth a visit.

I usually go Wadi Bashing and we drive out in the desert up to a 1000 foot tall dune in Land Cruisers.

There is a spring out in the desert that is a really nice place for a picknic.

Nice place, no crime, lots of really nice Russian girls in the Thank god it's Thursdays resteraunt at night.

Photographs of luxury and pleasure in some of the most ostentatious in the world. I love them.

Greetings,

Oscar.

quote:

Originally posted by nvhunter:
Yes, everyone, PLEASE post more images of Dubai.

Is anyone aware of the laws in Dubai regarding firearms? If one were to relocate to Dubai, could someone with permanant residence status
import their firearms into Dubai?

I doubt handguns are legal there, the above questions are regarding hunting rifles.

I've had opportunities to relocate to Dubai. It is a very impressive place, to type the very least.

Freedom, and the free market. Dubai is likely THE prime example of how LESS taxes equals MORE prosperiety. I can do without a "Nanny State".

Capital takes the path of least resistance.

I have been working in Dubai for almost a year now.

No fire arms are allowed.

There is a shooting range in Jebel Ali where you can shoot a couple of clays if they have ammo.

I have had problems bringing my bow from South Africa.

To be honest. Dubai is a instand city and not a place where I would like to spend more than three years....

But that is just my opinion. Lots of people enjoy working and living here.

I lived and worked in the Middle East for about 6 years, including a spell in Dubai.

What Dubai got right was that about 20 years ago they saw that there would be an end to the oil and started to create an alternative economy based on finance and tourism. They have set out to be a major tourist and expatriate residential location helped by the removal of a law present in most Gulf states that only citizens of the GCC can own property. There are now 100,000 Brits living in Dubai and the main change is that five years ago all of them would have been there for jobs but now some use it as a holiday location.

One guy on a TV programme shown here last night had bought a villa on the Palm for GBP400k two years ago and it is now worth GBP3.5m another pair of Brits had bought an island (Britain) in The World for $50m and were building villas that would bring them profits of $250m - unbelievable.

This project is aided by the fact that they have almost unlimited money and an autocratic ruler who can make anything happen (or stop anything). The amazing skyline is the product of huge amounts of money and complete architectural freedom.

There are no personal taxes in most of the Gulf states as oil and other revenues fund government expenditure and therefore there is no need for tax. Also native populations are small therefore GDPs are huge.

When I was in Kuwait (pre-Saddam) there was a hospital complex which was open to anyone in the country at that time. Instead of an onchology ward, geriatric ward, etc. there was an onchology hospital, geriatric hospital, pediatric hospital, eye hospital etc. They had all the latest equipment and the surgeons and consultants were American, British and South African.

The downside is that democracy is very very limited, you are a guest in another country and breaches of some laws could find you on a one way ticket home at very short notice.

You go there knowing and accepting this and if you do so it is the most fantastic place, although I suspect that there is only so much of Dubai you could take.

So oil is the reason they have no taxes. Too bad we couldn't switch the world from oil dependency to BS dependency, then the US could go tax free.

No rifles is kind of a big detractor for me. Any other catches I should know about. Seems like a country without taxation would attract people in droves.

Wow!

doesnt look so incredible now,does it? Seems you can live there if you have a job there,no job get out in thirty days.Still own money on your speculated property value increase? Could find yourself in debtors prison. get out while you still can,if you still can.

quote:

Originally posted by jb:
doesnt look so incredible now,does it? Seems you can live there if you have a job there,no job get out in thirty days.Still own money on your speculated property value increase? Could find yourself in debtors prison. get out while you still can,if you still can.

The law has always been the same.

You can only have a residence here if you have a job.

I don't think it is much different than many other countries.

Not this one. I have a friend from Latin America who has a 700 acre private hunting reserve in South Carolina and a condo in Palm Beach.

Saeed

What about guns and shooting in Dubai?

We have a couple of shooting ranges open to the public, but I am afraid there no gunshops.

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
We have a couple of shooting ranges open to the public, but I am afraid there no gunshops.

Bwhaaaaa hahahaha

Sounds like there are more rifles in my county than all of Dubai.

quote:

Originally posted by SR4759:

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
We have a couple of shooting ranges open to the public, but I am afraid there no gunshops.

Bwhaaaaa hahahaha

Sounds like there are more rifles in my county than all of Dubai.

I doubt that very much.

I know a lot of people here who have several hundred rifles each, and most locals have at least one firearm.

Saeed,
I doubt I will ever get the chance to do this, but what would you suggest for a 7 day itinerary for an American couple in their 50's visiting Dubai for the first time?

Unfortunatly you have to be a local, i.e. a UAE passport holder, to own firearms even for sporting use.

Even as a reasonably affluent, homeowning, professional, sane, responsible adult, with a UK firearms permit and numerous civilian and military safety courses to my name I have no chance, it is a blanket ban and that is that. Not even a trap gun.

And like Saeed says, not even a gun store to drool over.

It is a great shame that I cannot keep a rifle here as a hunting trip now means I have to fly via the UK, pick up my rifle, then head off...

Like Saeed says there are a couple of gun clubs in the UEA where anyone can go, hire a 9mm or a 12 guage and shoot paper and clays, but no rifle range that I know of.

It is still a great town and I'd rather be sitting out the recession here than anywhere else.

Saeed, with no gun store what do you local guys do for ammo?

I have been told the eastern euro whores are the best thing dubai has to offer.

I have been told the moon is made from cheese. It is an urban myth. The "dark side" of Dubai is certainly much less in your face than, say, Manila, Hong Kong, Vegas, Rio or Hamburg.

There is quite a bit more to the place than euro-hookers I assure you.

More Dubai gun law questions, if Saeed has time to fool with them - can handguns be owned by UAE citizens - what are the basics of licensing and registration for citizens. One other, if you wanted to, could you buy and import anything you want from gunbroker.com?

UAE citizens can own any handgun. They apply for an import permit, then buy it from overseas.

We used to buy lots of firearms from the US. That has stopped now because the US requirements for the export.

I would imagine at least 50% of UAE citizens own handguns.

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
We have a couple of shooting ranges open to the public, but I am afraid there no gunshops.

So, are you saying if I moved there and opened a gun shop, business would be very good?!?!

looks wonderful I hope some day to get to visit and meet some new friends there