Dubai has not been lucky in the fact that there are no oil fields in the place. This has made the government of Dubai to focus more on the tourism and other methods of improving the economy. The economic development has also been dependant on the real estate boom in the place. The government was able to start the real estate boom by creating a market and also by setting up two companies namely Emaar and Al Naheel. Each of these two companies have been on a development spree and they have developed many properties in the country.

In spite of the companies being set up as early as 1997, the real boom in the real estate market occurred only after 2002, when the order was passed by the government of Dubai that the outsiders who came to Dubai could buy and own freehold properties in Dubai.

Once Dubai started changing the leases into freehold property ownership, many of the other governments in the United Arab Emirates also started following the government of Dubai and started allowing people living in them to purchase and also own properties. Any person who has such properties will be able to lease the property or sell it too.

Dubai International City brings together diverse architectural styles and cultures from nine different countries all within one united society. The hallmark of this living space is the distinct residential districts of Greece, Morocco, Spain, Persia, Italy, England, France, China and Russia. Dubai International City will provide pleasant and affordable living space for 60,000 residents who will live in the apartments. The buildings will also include shops and retail units on the lower levels of the buildings.

Dubai International City, situated over an extensive 800-hectare parcel of land, will compliment the expansive residential areas with a variety of entertainment venues, tourist attractions, retail outlets and commercial opportunities. To truly understand the scope of the project you will need to refer to a map or master plan of the project.

Located near the Dubai International Airport on the Emirates Road, Dubai Festival City and The Dubai International Financial Center are just a short drive away.

Dubai International City is made of four main districts: Residential District, Central Business District (CBD), Forbidden City and Lake District. In addition to the four districts, visitors and residents can also enjoy a multitude of experiences and offerings at the Dubai Design Center and Dragon Mart Complex.

The Central Business District, with its 34 plots each containing 10 story towers, is the central hub of this development. Each tower contains retail stores on the bottom floor and provides parking for 130 vehicles in the basement. The Central Business District represents the most luxurious part of the International City Dubai project.

The Residential District offers many specific country and themed retail outlets and residential developments. It will also house restaurants, commercial stores, medical centers, police station, post office, transportation services and two civil defense units. Everything will be provided all in one place.

The Lake District is located near Al Warsan Lake. This natural eco-system is home for almost 200 species of birds, including many of the most rare and exotic birds found in Asia and the Arabian Peninsula.

Forbidden City, a close replica to the Forbidden City in China, is comprised of a variety of restaurants, retail stores, restaurants, public squares, and themed Chinese displays. The Forbidden City is attracting visitors from across the U.A.E.

The Dragon Mart is a gigantic trade mall built in the shape of a dragon. It serves as the commercial center for over 3,000 Chinese companies and offers fantastic bargains.

Dubai Design Center, a unique exhibit venue with extensive facilities for both visitors and exhibitors, houses both temporary and permanent exhibitions

Dubai International City with its wide array of residential, retail, commercial and tourist attractions offers something for just about everyone.

Al Reem Island is a business, commercial and residential project development located on Al Reem Isle, an island just off the coast from Abu Dhabi city and just twenty minutes away from Abu Dhabi International Airport. The development has previously been called The Pearl, Emirates Pearl Island and Abu Al Shuoom. Al Reem Island will be connected to Abu Dhabi city by two bridges and is being developed by three different developers, Sorouh Real Estate, Tamouh Investments and Reem Investments. The project encompasses over 68 million square feet and development costs are expected to exceed $30 billion.

There are several divisions in the Al Reem Island project. Pearl of the Emirates by developer Tamouh Investments includes a 5-star hotel and 15 towers. Within the Pearl of the Emirates Development is Marina Square, which includes both commercial and residential districts. The project will contain 14 waterfront towers, including Tala Tower (Sorouh Real Estate), Marina Heights 1 and 2 (Profile Group Properties), and Ocean Terrace Residence (First Gulf Bank). Addax Port is another development within the Pearl of the Emirates and includes 5 towers (Park Tower, Office Tower, Marina Tower, Light Tower and Executive Tower).

Al Shams Abu Dhabi is a residential development of Sorouh Real Estate, which covers an area of 14 million square feet and is scheduled to be complete in 2011.

Najmat Abu Dhabi, developed by Al Reem Investments is a waterside community that will accommodate 80,000 residents and cover an area of 20 million square feet. The project is scheduled to be complete in 2012.

The project has gained a lot of interest from foreign investors, as it is one of the first free zones established in Abu Dhabi, allowing foreigners to purchase property as a 99-year leasehold. 22,000 or more residential units are planned to be constructed, with the first scheduled to be complete in Marina Square in 2009. It is estimated that Reem Island will house 280,000 residents and will feature social services and amenities including medical clinics, schools, restaurants, shopping malls, a golf course, spas, resorts, hotels, and beaches.

Al Reem Island will offer all the amenities and attractions of a city combined with the peace and serenity of an island. In addition to all the residential, commercial and business opportunities, Reem Island will also provide many opportunities to engage in leisure and recreation activities such as snorkeling, water-skiing, scuba diving, sailing and fishing.

Al Reem Island is connected by two bridges to Abu Dhabi city and is conveniently located just twenty minutes away from Abu Dhabi International Airport. The Al Reem Island development, as the first freehold property in Abu Dhabi, is an important project that will help to bring foreign investment and interest to Abu Dhabi and help to diversify its economy to rely not only on oil revenues, but business and real estate services and tourism as well. With all the numerous residential, business and commercial opportunities available, Reem Island will operate as a major metropolis helping to put Abu Dhabi on the international map.

Al Burj was a supertall skyscraper proposed by the Dubai developer Nakheel Properties. Originally conceived as The Pinnacle and situated on the Palm Jumeirah, the project was renamed Al Burj and moved to the Dubai Waterfront in 2005. The Al Burj was designed to be one of the world’s tallest buildings and be a centerpiece and anchor of the Dubai Waterfront, a new downtown area and part of the central business district of Madinat Al Arab.

Development of the Dubai Waterfront was led by Dubai’s Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum as part of a larger project, the Arabian Canal. The first development phase of the Dubai Waterfront focused on the downtown metropolis of Madinat Al Arab, which included the Al Burj. The beachfront was to be mixed use with both planned residential communities and office space. The Dubai Waterfront, which would form the largest waterfront in the world is located southwest of Dubai and borders on the emirate of Abu Dhabi. As the newest gateway into Dubai, the Dubai Waterfront has been carefully planned and developed by some of the world’s finest planners, urban developers and architects.

The Al Burj, had a similar form to The Pinnacle, designed by the architectural firm of Pei Partnership Architects. The Pinnacle was conceived as 3 towers clustered around a hollow and circular interior and connected together by 6 sky bridges. Each sky bridge contained a garden with an atrium that was open to the sky on three sides. Two of the three towers were 750 meters (2,461 feet) and topped with spires. The third tower was slightly shorter at 700 meters and had a roof terrace with a swimming pool overlooking a glass circular penthouse. The Pinnacle was an all-residential building and included luxury apartments, health club, and an observation deck. When The Pinnacle project was shifted to the Al Burj, the design remained the same but the plans included additional sky bridges, the height of the building was increased to up to 1200 meters (3938 feet) with 228 floors, and the building became mixed use including offices and hotels instead of an all-residential building.

Al Burj was envisioned as one of the world’s tallest buildings and a centerpiece of the Dubai Waterfront project. Land reclamation and ground leveling was initiated on the Dubai Waterfront. However, construction of the Al Burj was never started. One of the stumbling blocks was due to its close location to the Al Maktoum International Airport, which was under construction. The Al Burj was once again renamed and moved to a different location. It was briefly called The Tall Tower and its current name is the Nakheel Tower. The project has been shifted to a parcel of land near the Dubai Marina and Jumeirah Lake Towers near the Ibn Battuta Mall. Pei Partnership Architects have been replaced with the architectural firm of Woods Bagot and the design has been changed to a single tower that is proposed to be over 1 kilometer (1,000 meters or 2,200 feet) tall. Nakheel announced that construction of the Nakheel is on hold due to the economic climate and real estate conditions in Dubai.

Palm Jebel Ali, the second part of property developer Nakheel’s ambitious and truly unique palm trilogy, is an island dedicated completely to entertainment. The conception of Palm Jebel Ali expands on the first palm property, the Palm Jumeirah, but is fifty percent larger. It will also feature freehold properties in a manner similar to Palm Jumeirah but will also have several extra attractions for Dubai property investors to enjoy. The Palm Jebel Ali will be located farther away from the city in the heart of Jebel Ali and will also be very nearby other freehold properties. The intention is to expand Jebel Ali even more.

Palm Jebel Ali with offer freehold property for the wealthy, with garden villas and signature villas similar to the Palm Jumeirah but in larger quantities. This will appeal to many property investors after seeing the success of these villas at Palm Jumeirah, however, what is even more exciting will be the amazing Water Homes, which will be constructed on stilts and overlooking the Arabian Sea. These utterly unique properties epitomize the wide array and variety of properties that are available in Dubai. They have sold very fast and are very difficult to obtain. The Palm Jebel Ali, like the Palm Jumeirah, will offer a wide array of town homes, penthouses and luxury apartments, along with water parks, shopping malls and many other conveniences and attractions to keep visitors and residents fascinated and entertained for many years. The Palm Jebel Ali project has been slightly delayed. However, this was done to correct some of the problems that were encountered on the Palm Jumeirah project. The corrections should benefit the Dubai property investors who have purchased homes there.

The Palm Jebel Ali shares a similar concept to the Palm Jumeirah but the emphasis is more on being an attraction for tourists and will feature a water park among a wide array of other entertainment attracts designed to draw in residents and visitors. The Jebel Ali Palm, just like its predecessor Palm Jumeriah, is facing delays but is eagerly anticipated due to the unique nature of the development and its many offerings.

The properties of the Palm Jebel Ali will feature once again signature villas with private beaches and garden villas with private swimming pools. The selection of town homes, penthouses and apartments along the trunk of the property will stretch beyond the original Palm Jumeirah, and will include other exclusive sub-developments from other global property developers. The latest addition to freehold property selections in the Jebel Ali Palm is the offering of water homes. These truly unique homes will be constructed on stilts and will overlook the beautiful Arabian Sea offering breathtaking views and amazing living experiences. Nakheel continues to offer the finest quality properties with each of its development projects and the Palm Jebel Ali will undoubtedly follow in the footsteps of its predecessors to offer a truly unique and high quality experience for all of its visitors and residents.

The Pinnacle Tower, which was first proposed by the Dubai, United Arab Emirates property developer Nakheel Properties in 2003, was to have been a super tall skyscraper and serve as central landmark for The Jumeirah Palm, one of the largest man-made islands in the world and also another Nakheel project. This tower was to rise up out of the center of a canal which is located at the trunk of Jumeirah Island. Designed by the architectural firm of Pei Partnership Architects, the Pinnacle Tower was designed to be of 3 towers which clustered around one circular and hollow interior. Two of the towers were 750 meters ( or, 22,461 feet) capped with spires and the third one was slightly shorter at 700 meters, which included a roof terrace also with a swimming pool overlooking a glass circular penthouse. The towers were connected by six sky bridges and also were to function as the tower’s express elevators. At the very top of the sky bridges there were gardens with towering atriums that opened to the sky on three sides.

The Pinnacle Tower was originally conceived as an all-residential tower, consisting of an area of 6,800,00 square feet, with 180 floors of top of the line luxury apartments. There were 7,274 apartments that ranged in size from 3000 square feet single apartments to 6,000 square feet triplexes that included indoor swimming pools. The building also included a health club, restaurants with catering and full room service and observation deck on the top floor.

The Pinnacle Tower project was cancelled by Nakheel Properties in January 2005 and replaced with the Trump International Hotel. The Pinnacle was renamed Al Burj and moved to the Dubai Waterfront. The Al Burj project had a similar design to the Pinnacle, however the number of sky bridges increased to 10 and the building was to have been a mixed-used tower rather than entirely residential. The Al Burj project also did not get off the ground and was replaced by The Nakheel Tower, targeted for yet another location, at the intersection of the Arabian Canal and Sheikh Zayed Road, which would be in close proximity to another one of Nakheel’s projects, the Jumeirah Palm, as well as Jumeirah Island, and the Ibu Battuta Mall. The Nakheel Tower has also been put on hold due to the global financial crisis and worsening real estate market.

The state-owned developer Nakheel has been instrumental in bringing many innovative skyscrapers and construction projects to Dubai, United Arab Emirates including The Palm Jumeirah, Palm Jumeirah Islands and The World Islands, among others. The Pinnacle Tower, renamed Al Burj and then later transformed with a new design and location into Nakheel Tower, is a project that has not gotten off the ground yet. Local real estate conditions and tightening credit conditions affected by the recent global financial crisis are the major contributing factors to the changes and delays. The Nakheel Properties continues to be one leading property developer and it brings new innovative designs and construction projects to Dubai, United Emirates, and it is most likely to continue to do so for some time to come in future.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is one oil-rich country which is situated between Saudi Arabia and Oman in the Middle East along the southern part of the Persian Gulf. It is one federation comprised of seven emirates: Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Fujairah, Ajman, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah, and Umm al-Quwain. The country boasts one of the world’s fastest growing economies and highest GDP. The residents of the UAE enjoy a very high standard of living. Although it is still very dependent on oil for its revenues, this country has recently began diversifying its economy fueled by an enormous construction boom, expanded manufacturing and service sectors, and a new emphasis on tourism.

The United Arab Emirates has its origins in the tribal sheikhdoms which is located along the coasts of the Persian Gulf. The sheikhdoms of this country came under the protection of the British in the 19th century, although they were never governed as colonies. Oil was discovered here in the 1960s. The discovery of oil here led sheikhdoms to call for unification. The UAE was formed after the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the Persian Gulf in 1971 and is now comprised of seven emirates.

Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, first president of the UAE and ruler of the emirate Abu Dhabi, quickly seized on the potential that the oil industry offered and was instrumental in developing the oil industry in the seven emirates. Revenue from the oil has been used to form the country’s infrastructure, education and healthcare and has transformed The United Arab Emirates into a modern nation state.

The UAE has a very diverse population, with a sizeable Indian population, along with many Pakistanis, Afghans, Egyptians and other groups of immigrants from the Middle East and areas of Africa, Europe, Russia and North America. Over 80% of its residents live in urban areas with the rest of the population spread out in small towns and oil field camps. Dubai, with a population of 1.6 million people, is the UAE’s largest city, and Abu Dhabi is the nation’s capital.

The UAE has a free trade zone that offers 100% foreign ownership and no taxes, which has helped to attract foreign investors. The nation’s fast growing economy and soaring oil revenues have fueled a huge construction boom in the major cities of the UAE. Some of the worlds most grandiose and ambitious development projects and buildings have been constructed, or are in the process of being constructed, in the United Arab Emirates. The major cities and major urban areas boast numerous skyscrapers, upscale hotels and numerous other tourist attractions and business centers.

Currently there is over $350 billion worth in current construction projects. Some of the major projects include the construction of the world’s tallest building (Burj Dubai), the world’s largest shopping mall (Dubai Mall), Dubailand, a tourist attraction which will be twice as big as Disney world, a trilogy of man-made islands called the Palms, and other major skyscrapers, tourist attractions and business centers. With its business friendly environment, thriving economy, warm climate, and multitude of commercial, residential and tourist opportunities available, the United Arab Emirates is attracting people from all over the world to visit, live, and invest in this fascinating country.