As we draw 2013 to a close, I have to say that it’s been a great year overall, but even more for the great city of Dubai. In fact, some might say that Dubai rocked more in 2013 than ever before – which makes us look forward to 2014 because, if we know Dubai, it only gets better and better.
So let’s take a quick look back at some of the most awesome things that went on in Dubai this last year.
Dubai Mall opened its 820-metre walkway
Okay, so technically, this opened in the days between Christmas and New Year’s Eve in 2012, but it became the first big story of 2013.
Remember back in the day, when we used to take the metro to The Dubai Mall? We had to walk out of the metro station, get on a shuttle bus, wait for it to fill up and then it would take us on a two-minute ride to The Dubai Mall? And the same again backwards?
The new walkway (although leg-achingly long and not appreciated by kids under five) is 820m long and, well, let’s be honest, takes longer to travel, but on the flip side, keeps you in control of how long you take to get there, and is – of course – probably some sort of a world record.
The world’s tallest hotel, JW Marriott Marquis, opened
And, while we’re on the topic of setting records, the new JW Marriott Marquis towers popped up as a pair of behemoths that looked oddly similar to a two-headed Smaug.
The 72-storey, 355m twin-tower skyscraper complex cost some AED 1.8 billion to build, and features a 1,608-room hotel as well as the “spend AED 20K if you want a table at this exclusive nightclub” VIP Room – which, we must admit, is one hell of a neat joint.
This prestigious hotel is the world’s tallest, yes. And if that doesn’t knock your socks off, here’s something else – 6 out of the world’s 10 tallest hotels are in Dubai. We like it big here, you might say.
The Color Run came to Dubai
Founded in January of 2012, The Color Run didn’t take long to come to Dubai, actually. The event promotes itself as the “Happiest 5k on the Planet” and is the single largest event series in the United States.
It involves three basic things – people, color and running. While all of Dubai said “omgwowimustbethereomgomgomg”, all of India said “Meh, it’s just Holi with less people”.
In any case, it was definitely one of the coolest events in Dubai this year.
Somebody brought up “The Bubble”
If you drove North on SZR coming from Abu Dhabi, all you had to do was look left to see a big red sign emblazoned across Al Shatha Tower – a half-finished advertisement by Dubai-based real estate portal propertyfinder.ae that read: “Keep Calm There’s No Bubble”.
Now, I’m not saying there is a bubble and I’m not saying there isn’t a bubble, but I think it was better when no one was bringing it up. With things starting to change for the better, consumer confidence rising, investments rising and rents going higher, who better than a realtor to convince us that there ain’t no bubble. Right? Right?
Except that it was half-finished… which many on social media claimed was because they ran out of money. We were all surprised that this freaking amazing ad didn’t self-combust with its own inherent irony. What did happen, though, was that someone in Dubai managed to cheekily mention the bubble, which we’re told now doesn’t exist. So, phew.
The new airport opened
After a long, long wait, The Maktoum International Airport finally opened its gates (pun intended) to passenger aircrafts. If you’re a cynic who feels four airports is three too many for a city the size of Dubai, well, pssh! Actually, if you’ve ever traveled through Dubai, particularly through Terminal 1 or 3, you’ll feel that there’s an entire city right in there – yes, they’re that busy, and 24/7, mind you.
The new terminal will be a welcome option for those who live in the “new” Dubai areas, being a quick 10 minutes away. Of course at the moment, the number of airlines and destinations are somewhat limited, but we’re expecting it to grow fast, as do many things in Dubai.
The Dubai Police Fleet Upgrade
What is a constituted body of persons empowered by the state to enforce the law, protect property, and limit civil disorder? The police? What is all of the above but also has a Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4, a Ferrari FF, a Chevrolet Camaro SS, a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, a Bentley Continental GT, a limited edition Aston Martin One-77, a Ford Mustang GT and a Bugatti Veyron for patrolling? The Dubai Police.
Somewhere along the way, the local cops decided to upgrade their fleet, and upgrade they did. From the somewhat modest M6 Gran Coupés and AMGs of not too long ago, in a classic Dubai move, they took everything on the menu. And man do they look nice as they cruise along the Dubai highways.
NYE Fireworks
To be fair, this hasn’t actually happened yet at the time of writing, but it appears that the final set of fireworks in Dubai before we ring in the new year will be some sort of world record – and you thought we were done milking that cow!
Well, think again, because on the eve of the first day of 2014, Dubai will dazzle all (including the peeps over at Guinness World Records, who’ve decided that it’s too much trouble flying down here month on month, so they just set up an office right in the city) with what is set to be the largest fireworks display ever on New Year’s Eve.
However, this admittedly comes with its own set of woes. The chosen location, the Palm Jumeirah island, is set to host some of Dubai’s hottest NYE parties, and the party-goers won’t be too pleased by the expected traffic jams.
Let’s just hope that the fireworks display is so mega-ultra-spectacular that those stuck in a standstill shuttle bus will be amazed enough to forget the party they’re not attending on time.
Without a doubt, almost all of 2013 was shadowed with expectation as the year built up to the announcement of which city will get to host the World Expo in 2020. And Dubai won, beating İzmir (Turkey), Yekaterinburg (Russia) and São Paulo (Brazil) in a landslide victory.
Yes, that means an economic boom is expected, the job market widening is expected, huge amounts of construction is expected and a serious infrastructure upgrade is expected – but what it means most is that the people of Dubai, us, have erupted in joyous triumph for the city that we love, and Dubai has proved once again why it is one of the greatest cities to live in – its constant willingness and ability to keep getting better.
Dubai was a barren land filled with sand; look where we are now. And we’re not even halfway done.
WE SAID THIS: Don’t miss Our Top 20 Scoops of 2013!