Dubai, the Mecca of luxury
Impeccable and punctual, construction tycoon Mohamed Alabbar (Dubai, 1958) sneaks into the room, wearing a newly ironed white kandura. Sitting on a large grey sofa, we begin informal conversations about Dubai's hot November this year. The wall on the right casts the shadow of China, and a group of Bedouins walk in the desert next to camels. No other details in the room refer to anything related to the Middle East.
The meeting was held in the private room of Armani Hotel, located on the first floor of the tallest building in the world. The leading praise company, emaar properties, is responsible for lifting the mastodon into a spiral shape, originally known as burj dubai. Cuando la crisis económica asoló la ciudad en 2009, el jeque de Abu Dabi (y presidente de Emiratos Árabes Unidos), Khalifa bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, prestó 8.000 millones de euros a sus vecinos para reflotar las cuentas. As a thank you, Mohamed bin rashid al Maktoum, known as the leader of Sheikh Mohamed and Dubai, named his guinness record burj khalifa.
The majestic tower, which stands 828 meters high and can see the whole city and part of the desert from its upper level, suddenly enters the horizon as a clear proof of Dubai's hegemony. This is a way to tell the earth: "Look at us, we are here, we have the ability to do great things." The stage is completely different from the city of praise where he grew up. "Before I was 14, we didn't have running water or electricity in our home. People don't live in brick and concrete houses, but in shelters of palm leaves. It is our chieftain's passion for changing the quality of our lives and promoting growth that has triggered all this. We started to improve, we have roads, electricity, hospitals, schools. . . . . . "
Three days before the meeting with Mr. Labal, Franca Sozzani, director of Vogue Italy, held the second Vogue Fashion Dubai Experience (vfde) in the city. Organized in partnership with emaar, the conference promotes a fashion culture that goes beyond shopping (the city already has a chapter on the badge of honor) and has local talent parades, conferences and exhibitions on its agenda.
The event was made possible by the insistence of Mohamed Alabbar, who traveled to Milan in 2012 to convince Sozzani it was a good idea to organise something together. "He told me that the mall they opened in 2008, the Dubai Mall, had over 60 million people passing by every year and I found it incredible. So I answered: "You have visitors, you have websites, and we will bring you creativity," recalls the director of vogue italia, stirring her teacup with a spoon after the opening of vfde. Sitting in one of the lounges of this mall, the largest and busiest in the world (2014 ended with a record number of visitors, according to data from managing emaar: 80 million), and he did not hesitate to admit that he did not know what Dubai was five years ago. "I know it is growing, it has suffered a crisis, and now it is renewing. The picture I gave was not very good because it looked like shopping in Las Vegas, but when I arrived, I found it had nothing to do with it: It is like a small part of New York in the middle of the desert, and this place may become the center of fashion. It is already one of the most important markets in the world for a company like Chanel or Louis Vuitton.
The hubris of urbanization has completely changed the vision of the city in the blink of an eye, bringing many benefits to UAE people. Tourism stays in its well-designed and ornate hotels, while expatriates stay in luxury villas on the docks or Palm Island at a rent of about 50,000 euros per year. Local teenagers go to school on the steering wheel of Porsche. If someone decides to use public transport, they will enjoy air conditioning at all stations.
The discovery of oil wells in the 1960s and the arrival of petrodollars allowed Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed al Maktoum (from 1958 until his death in 1990) to turn his pearl-picking village into a modern, ambitious city that thrives in post-oil scenarios. After all, they have much less black gold than their neighbors. His premise is clear: Must become the center of the region. Sheikh Mohamed's father, Sheikh Rashid, opened an airport, created (and expanded) a commercial port, and set up the World Trade Center in the suburbs, a building destined to become an international business center. This has launched a free trade zone, and many multinationals (from microsoft to cnn, through oracle and Reuters) have set up headquarters because they have found huge benefits: Tax exemption, access to land ownership, the possibility of setting up an account with a local bank, and absolute confidentiality. . . . . . Such a successful and profitable proposal (according to ibp's book "Doing Business and Investing in uae" published last year, More than 5,000 companies from 80 different countries have been established in these areas, with turnover of over 3 billion euros.) Other Gulf countries, such as Qatar, are already imitating this formula.
"Everything Rashid did was visionary, but there was a lot of criticism at the time," writes Charlie Kestmbaum, a U.S. diplomat based in the region, in his book in Dubai: City of Gold (published by Jim Krane in Picador in 2009). "People want to know: '¿ Why build a 39-storey tower in the desert? " Half a century later, his son and successor, Sheikh Mohammed, face the same choice. ' Is it necessary to build the tallest building in the world? ' And the ski resort in the middle of the desert? ' Do you really need an artificial island in the shape of a palm tree?
As Sheikh Rashid predicted, the ancient desert village of Dubai is now one of the nerve centers on Earth. Revenue from crude oil sales accounts for just 3pc of the local economy, and aviation (thanks to the Emirates) and tourism have topped 27pc of its GDP, contributing € 21 bn to its economy last year, according to analysis by market research firm Oxford Economics. The same committee of experts predicts that this number will double by 2020 (they will organize the World Expo).
Dubai is different from any neighboring country rich in natural resources. If anything, one of the few comparable sites on the planet is singapur. "They are all city-states, and their economy is based on services because they produce nothing; Engaged in cargo and passenger transport (whose airline is the most powerful in the world) and hospitality, they built great buildings that people crave to visit, "said Jim Krane, a Persian Gulf expert at Beige University's Baker Institute for Public Policy (Houston, eu). For the researcher, the only similar emirate might be neighboring Shariah, but the poor decision made by his chief left him behind in the struggle for supremacy: "Dubai built a port in front of them, and while they had their first airport, the arrival of the Emirate swept their economic prospects. Also, in the 1980s, alcohol was banned even in hotels, and tourism moved to Dubai. " ' Can it be compared with tasting? While researcher Jim Krane mimics some of Dubai's survival strategies in a post-petrodollar scenario, he certainly will: Qatar has the highest crude oil and natural gas resources on earth.
When Dubai tycoon mohamed alabbar was young, oil sales enabled him to secure government funding at the University of Seattle's school of business and economics. It was his first step towards becoming one of the emirate's most prominent figures. After Singapur held multiple government positions and worked for the government for several years (he took the opportunity to investigate how they built the city), he founded the public company emaar in 1997, which is now the largest real estate company in Dubai. And become a hero to his countrymen.
As everything seemed possible at the turn of the century, Sheikh's realm extended to the sea. In 1999, he opened the Arab Castle on an artificial island 280 meters from the coast. The luxury hotel, costing more than 500 million euros, has become a major symbol of power in a growing city. It is still. Residents of Dubai call him "the only seven stars in the world". The helipad sits on the roof of the structure, shaped like a candle, with several mythical parties; Among them were tennis players roger federer and andre agassi, which aired in 2005. Footballer David Beckham also contributed to the city's promotion as he was one of the first to buy a villa on Palm Island, the next experiment on the artificial island, this time in the shape of a palm tree across the dock. Sales associated with the project increased by more than 500 kilometres of coastline, soaring after knowing the owners could become neighbours of football stars.
In the first decade of the nineteenth century, businessman Mohamed Alabbar went hand in hand with Sheikh and without hesitation succumbed to urban fanaticism. In the middle of the desert, 50 degrees in the shade, it built the world's most popular shopping mall (75 million visitors in 2013, according to your company), the world's tallest skyscraper, and the surrounding downtown Dubai. While the most modern infrastructure in the world laid the foundations, the city made headlines. From a completely unknown place to a place to go. Chuck Bass is one of the protagonists in the Gossip Girl series and has been there on business; Paris Hilton looks for her best friend Dubaiti on the TV show, while Tom Cruise hangs upside down on burj khalifa in the impossible: Ghost Agreement (2011). "The city has a unique period in its history and this is a crazy opportunity to build everything without limits because the investment is unlimited; What Sheikh Mohamed did was take advantage of this time window and he knew that this best situation would not happen again, "explained Jim Krane of Rice University.
The government made more suggestions: Palm-shaped new islands, another dedicated to fashion, an archipelago replicating a map of the world. . . . But in 2009, a glimpse of reality awakened him from the brick dream he lived in. The global economic crisis has seriously affected the liquidity of investors. Lack of regulation of property sales, thanks to a bailout from the neighboring emirate, contributed to Dubai's collapse. "Sheikh has lost a lot of credibility. He made promises and predictions that didn't happen, and he was ashamed, "researcher Jim Crane recalled. Abu Dhabi's president and the Central Bank of the Arab Emirates signed a generous loan to restore Dubai.
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-Jo ã oTiago The sun on October 25th at 11: 53: 03 +0000 2020
The experimental project stops drying. For 10 years, Ritu upadhyay, a Middle East reporter for Women's Wear Daily, recalled that not a penny could be invested in large buildings that could not be repaid. "They put their energy into their work and their interests. Emaar created the entire city center with a very successful formula: Built the tallest building in the world; In its shadow, the world's largest shopping mall, and the surrounding luxury hotels: Everything is feeding back. "
Is an analysis shared by other observers. Infrastructure has been built, and after the crisis, large buildings are very useful for the future of the city and its international visibility. Compared with other competitors, their great advantage is that they can urbanize according to their own needs in a short time. "After the crisis is over, they will remain strong," added the journalist based in the Ritu upadhyay area. "People who live here want to have a lot of shopping malls because the taxes are far lower than the rest of the Middle East, Asia or even Russia. Other countries in the region, such as Saudi Arabia's outrage, may replicate the formula, but it will never be the same. "
Hotels in the city had more than 11 million visitors in 2013, and the average occupancy rate remained at 80% between January and December, according to Dubai's Ministry of Economy. For locals, the figure is equally appealing to luxury multinationals finding a coveted emerging market in the Gulf.
Last May, an artificial island in Dubai was the scene of the last parade in the Chanel Resort series. Sitting in chairs, famous people see models walk past, while in the background, the futuristic horizon rises and is composed of countless skyscrapers. A new york or tokio in the middle of the desert. "The location inspired the trip and evoked the true spirit of the cruise line," said Bruno Pavlovsky, president of Luxury. On style.com, Karl Lagerfeld defines it as "the next step, the new reality. This is a completely unexpected thing that you couldn't imagine 50 years ago. "
Teresa hairstylist Karpinska, who worked with the French House of Representatives during preparations for the march, has lived in the city for a decade and is part of a broad community of expatriates, 95% of the more than 2 million residents. When he arrived, he offered flight safety courses. Now as a stylist, individual shopper and blogger: "I always say this is what America used to be like: Land of opportunity. If you are ambitious and diligent, you will succeed. " According to Karpinska, Chanel's choice of the city to march is related to the brand's turnover in the region. And many visual stimuli can be found: "The mix of cultures that takes place here, a place with more than 200 ethnic groups, is very interesting."
According to emaar properties, 30% of global luxury goods sales come from the United Arab Emirates, and half of that comes from shopping malls in Dubai. Their aisle is a group of customers wearing the same clothes as those offered in the shop window: Christian Louboutin Heels, Meadow Bag, Dolce Sunglasses& -gabbana, exclusive gucci and hem è s scarves. British makeup artist Sheida Babareza, who has lived in the city for four years, is walking around among one of the runners, attracting dozens of women. They wear shirts, burqas, jeans or summer models.
Babareza talks about Dubai's wish lifestyle: "There is no limit on how much you can spend. When you move here from Europe, you will find out how much luxury goods cost and how important they are to them. You keep seeing the brand logo; So, at some point, you feel the need to get them to the top ". Dubait í is visibly immersed in the language, obscuring the wishes of the candid Sozzani: Director of Vogue Italia, who has traveled to the Middle East to promote the local designer industry, found that only one of the more than 1,200 stores in Dubai's shopping malls, symphony, provides customers with the clothes of new talents.
The organization of Vogue Fashion Week brought together eight international designers (from different regions such as Korea, Australia or Saudi Arabia) to take part in the parade of the nerve center of Dubai shopping center. The candid sozzani is ready to fulfill his promise: Bring creativity where 80 million eyes can see it. To this end, he built a sidewalk in a coastal art center on the ground floor of the shopping center. From the balcony upstairs, the audience can gather to enjoy the performance.
On the ground floor of Burj Khalifa, another group of designers, called by vogue italia, gathered to show their work to a local audience. Among them, the young shamsa alabbar, not the accidental daughter of mohamed alabbar, the owner and president of emaar. "The difference between when I wear two T-shirts to school all year round and when my kids go is huge," the tycoon concluded. The businessman, who ranks second on the list of the 100 most powerful Arab leaders and is one of Sheikh Mohamed's main lieutenants, is living evidence of the radical changes that have transformed Dubai in less than half a century, according to the Arab Business Journal.
Fifteen years ago, Sheikh Mohamed declared that he wanted to turn his city into a world investment and tourism center in the 21st century. He explained that moving to London and New York is not impossible. So you just have to make a plan and fight for it. This year, Forbes magazine combined the Arab Emirates as the 26th best country to do business, and positioned Dubai as the seventh most influential city in the world (behind London, New York, Paris and Singabul) and enjoyed better air connectivity.
Emirates Airlines, founded by the government in 1985 and chaired by Ahmed bin saeed al Maktoum (uncle of Sheikh Mohamed), is primarily responsible for this success. In 30 years, it has turned Bedouin settlements into one of the most important air nodes on Earth. Dubai is only one flight from 140 cities in the world and has the world's largest aircraft-the most important fleet of Airbus 380. Planned for an ambitious expansion to become the world's largest, the sprawling international airport has already competed with Heathrow (London) to position itself as the busiest airport of the year: By the end of the year, the number of passengers will reach 72 million. Many of them will arrive in cities, visit shopping malls, dine in restaurants and sleep in hotels. Others will stop at one of their docks, have some coffee, or shop at the grocery of their crowded duty-free shops in their limitless corridors.
So far, the future of the emirate depends on the decisions made by one person. In 2008, Hamdan bin Mohamed bin rashid al Maktoum, the second son of Sheikh Mohamed, was nominated as crown prince. This young dark-haired, handsome, adventurous, 32-year-old, as his father's version 2.0. He opened the city's first e-university in 2009, and following in his footsteps through social networks is not difficult. His Twitter alias is@hamdanmohammed, and on Instagram he is named@faz3.
Journalist Leonard Stall interviewed him in 2012 for the local magazine Vision. The young heir's speech and his plans for this unusual territory are not out of play. "Today, working hand in hand with my father, my priority is to support the transition from Dubai to the next stage of growth. First, ensure that the key sectors of our economy (trade, logistics, finance, tourism and retail) become stronger and more competitive. Then, we must focus on becoming the center of a large market of more than 2 billion people in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia. We will do this by supporting the development of the best Emirati ideas and welcoming the most talented ideas from other parts of the world. "
When he arrived, the crown prince engaged in other activities, such as flying over Burj Khalifa or climbing to the top of skyscrapers, and then spreading images on social networks.
