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I have friends in Dubai and other Arab cities, but I have never understood the attraction.
But that’s even more of monstrosity.
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In case viewing the above has made anyone feel slightly nauseous, here’s some interesting, new ‘feelgood’ architecture:-
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It seems to be the air of opulence, fashionability, insulation from the outside world and toys that draws people to these places. I have a friend and ex-colleague who has worked for the Saudis for nearly 30 years, eventually becoming a muslim.
Not at all a place I’d choose to live, but I can see why some are drawn to it.
I was on assignment in Dubai from March ‘97 until January 2000. It wasn’t too bad then, it still had some character. We spent a few days there en route to Oman last September and it’s deteriorated dreadfully. The city has, in effect, moved and it’s now just a concrete jungle. Had it been as it is now in ‘97 we wouldn’t have taken the assignment.
However, of all the M/E (and Pakistan, which was also part of my patch) cities I visited none could compare, not even bombed out Beirut, in shittiness to Riyadh and IMO nothing could ever, ever make it any better, apart from total destruction 
Jeddah on the otherhand is a nice city, it just a pity that it’s in that hell on earth Saudi.
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Well, they need something to spend the oil profits on.
Not strictly ME, but did you ever get to Tashkent or Dushanbe? - they were seriously shitty, late 80’s
It’s a bloody big Kaaba, like the one in Mecca, but much bigger. Go figure.
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No, thank goodness.
I think that’s the idea alright.
It’s sad, because great wealth has brought nothing but ostentation. I could imagine enjoying time in a Bedouin village, even though I hate camping, but not in these air-conditioned monstrosities.
Does anyone know what the locals think about it? Is it seen as desirable or a carbuncle?
I doubt they care what the locals think 
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Probably, but there have been a couple of monstrous building projects mooted recently, which made me wonder if living like that was desirable in that part of the world.
London has it’s share now of hideous modern monstrosities spoiling it’s skyline. Modern architects are bloody useless except for ugly intrusive designs.
I’ll stick to the countryside and Mother Nature.
The Line.
So sad. Mind you what can you expect from a city called Monday, which used I think to be called Stalinabad.
Interesting. Building cities on rock and desert means using imagination. Not all imaginings should.
Such cities are not being built for ‘all people’. In all likelihood, entrance will be restricted to the permitted. Probably no ‘poor’ people, labourers or housemaids unless accompanying their child charges, apart from working centre employees. But that is the point. Such a city is for the pleasure and safety of the wealthy privileged only.
As global ecological deterioration results in increasing parts of the world being all but unliveable, the wealthy will withdraw into fantasy-like cities with high walls and armed guards to keep the desperate and the hungry out.
Not really new, beyond the idea of the architecture. Today you can see cities with high separation between have and have-nots, like Manila, Delhi, Jakarta… Walled residential villages with day guards and night guards, luxurious shopping malls with gated entrances and ‘sports clubs’ with ‘Hawaiian Islands swimming pools and empty golf courses in a city where many poor do not have access to clean water.
L’égalité, mais pas pour tous
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London, Paris, Washington…
Chances of getting built?
Zero
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Squared.