Astounding metamorphosis

Dubai: Rome was not built in a day, but Dubai was. Well almost. And this is how textbooks will probably refer to its metamorphosis a few decades down the line.

Many who are new to Dubai may find it difficult to believe how quick the city has been emerging as an iconic modern metropolis. Those living in the city for some time now are witness of this astounding metamorphosis.

Desert lands across Dubai, a little far from Aweer or Nad Al Sheba - that were only sand dunes just a few years ago, have been turned into landscaped developments with theme parks, residential, commercial and leisure centres.

A frame-by-frame pictorial of Dubai's changing landscape would be enough to turn heads on how the city has amazingly changed over the last half a decade. Almost all the projects announced in 2001-03 are now in various stages of development and completion.

One doesn't have to fly to see these developments. However, Nakheel, the largest property developer in Dubai by project value, yesterday extended its courtesy to take the local media on a helicopter trip for a visual treat to showcase some of its $40 billion worth of projects, including the Palm Jumeirah, International City, Jumeirah Golf Estates, The Gardens, Discovery Gardens, Jumeirah Lake Towers, the World and Palm Jebel Ali.

The trip also provided a bird's-eye view of other projects. Dubai Marina, by Emaar Properties, for example, emerges as another reality, where thousands of families are living an upmarket housing.

The Dubai government-owned Nakheel has been reshaping some of the emirate's most impressive projects. One of its biggest successes to date is the palm-shaped island trilogy, the first of which is now fully visible from sky. Thousands of housing units including villas and apartments are being completed in this huge man-made island which will also host more than 40 hotels and resorts.

To cut a long story short - Dubai has almost been built in a day.