Craziness...in Abu Dhabi

I lifted this article from Emirates Business 24/7. The shit they are planning is craziness. There was another article about Six Flags and Dubailand... Masdar City is going to be the one to watch with it being zero-emissions and zero-waste city. Google it, it's unreal.

"More than $190 billion (Dh697bn) is being budgeted across just the top 10 civil construction projects currently planned or under way in Abu Dhabi, according to research company Proleads.Many of these are being showcased at Cityscape Abu Dhabi. The cityscape of Abu Dhabi is being transformed by a series of multi-billion new cities, island resorts and communities – including the world's first planned zero-carbon, zero-waste city."The sheer scale of these combined projects is remarkable. Little wonder that investors have flocked to Cityscape Abu Dhabi, visitor attendance figures for the first two days of the show exceeded 20,000, which is double the number we recorded last year at the same stage," said Mark Goodchild, project manager, Cityscape Abu Dhabi.

The biggest single project is the new capital city for Abu Dhabi – Khalifa City. Budgeted at $40bn, the planned city is to comprise all federal ministries, local government offices and embassies. The development will cover 49 million square metres. The city is expected to be completed by 2030.

Work has started on the Yas Island Development, a massive $39bn mixed-use tourist development, including residential, hotels, beaches, marinas, retail, golf and equestrian facilities as well as a Ferrari theme park. The island will have a total developed area about one-third the size of Abu Dhabi island.Burooj Properties is behind a planned $24bn mixed-use real estate community project in Abu Dhabi to include 11 residential towers, offices, four hotels and a shopping mall.

Saadiyat Island is another massive offshore development under way with a budget of more than $22bn. It includes 19km of beachfront, 29 hotels, three marinas, 8,000 residential villas and more than 38,000 apartments. The project also includes a museum, concert hall, maritime history centre, three harbours, a park, golf course and sailing club.

A $22bn budget has been allocated for the ambitious Masdar City project, billed as the first zero-carbon, zero-waste city. The city will include a university, commercial, residential and eco-friendly industrial areas. It will depend on solar energy. Masdar City will also be car-free. Around the city will be wind and photovoltaic farms, as well as plantations to supply crops for bio-fuel factories.

Also under way is the $13bn Al Raha Beach Complex, another mixed-use hospitality development involving reclaimed land and will include 50 high-rise and a number of low-rise buildings for nearly 120,000 people. Water-taxis will provide access to Abu Dhabi city centre.

Al Reem Island development is a $7.8bn mixed-use community next to the bridge connecting Al Reem Island to Abu Dhabi city. Several 40- and 50-storey towers will form the central business district. The development will include two 80-storey buildings and house 80,000 people."

While I'm lifting articles...check this one out about Organic food. It kinda reminds me of the Comcast commercial where they say, "90% of statistics can be made to say anything...50% of the time."

In addition, Dubai is hosting the 2008 SkiBoard World Cup from an indoor ski mountain - SkiDubai. Can't wait...