Piers Morgan in Dubai

Dubai: how many schools are using this as a possible context for teaching concepts, or as a place which has awe and wonder, and the 'wow' factor...

Enjoyed watching this last week. Taken a while to finish this blog post about the programme... Some good quotes in typical Piers Morgan style:
Catch it on ITV PLAYER for next 26 days (and counting)
"Dubai hasn't just put itself on the map, it's put the map on itself..."
This introduced an interview with the new $50 million owners of Great Britain: Safi Qurashi. They bought the GB island of 'The World' development.
The website of the development is well worth exploring: it has videos, images and further information on the development. Explore ideas of terraforming, and the nature of the islands.

You could also have students send a postcard from the website of an image and some appopriate accompanying text. Several of these tourist type sites have that particular feature, and it could be a way of generating an assessment piece, which is then e-mailed to the teacher.

Daily Mail article on the purchase of Great Britain island.

They plan to fill the island with luxury accommodation, swimming pools and spas. They plan to build 100 villas which might each sell for around £5 million, despite being "just across the water from the French and the Germans."

Showed the major projects, all under the buzz words of "Glamour, wealth and hedonism"
Burj al Arab, The Palm

"Dubai is twice the size of London, but most activity in 20 mile strip along the coast."

2001: law changed to allow foreign national to own property: Palm Jumeirah was the first main project.Thousands of properties were bought before a brick was laid. Atlantis Hotel, with a lost city in a huge fish tanks sits at the end of the palm, and £7 million was spent on the opening night party.

England footballers bought properties: "WAG sur mer" and "Brookside on the beach"

Waterfront property commands a premium, and 300 miles has been added to Dubai's coastline.

How has the city been created within 20 years ?

Visited the 7 star hotel: Burj al Arab - apparently cost so much to build and run that it will never make a profit. Best rooms cost £12 000 a night.

Ad break in the programme was interesting: "Because of Geography..." the Emirates Ad for Dubai in the ad break - nice work !

Ski Dubai: a snow resort in the desert.

"The crazier the idea, the more likely it is to be accepted."

Theme Park currently being built: 107 square miles: bigger than Birmingham. 
Dubai Land (TM)- apparently going to be built within 7 years. A massive model ! - lifesize models of world buildings.

World's biggest shopping centre, with massive fish tank.
Burj Dubai will be around 1km high: adding a new storey every 3 days. No one is quite sure how high it will be in the end...

A look at the history of development of Dubai. "3 things matter: business, finance and success."

Millions of cheap workers from overseas. 
Workers send $4bn in wages home.
Jewel encrusted mobile phones costing £110 000 each.
For some interesting perspectives on the programme, try the EXPAT forums that discuss the programme, and the various 'interests', particularly the issue of the migrant workforce and their working conditions, which have apparently 'improved' recently...

Plenty to explore and excite following on from this programme...

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