Dubai Sex Appeal - Enough to Make it One of tThe World's Great Cities?

A new city was born when images of Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras playing tennis on a suspended court on the top of the Burj Al Arab hotel hit CNN and other channels worldwide.

The Palm Islands (palm shaped man made islands), Burj Dubai (the world's tallest skyscraper), Ski Dubai (indoor skiing), The World (man made archepelogo in the shape of the world) - these projects all provided strong messages of intent.

But does Dubai have enough 'sex appeal' to make it a truely great city?

A great city is one where:
- People will migrate to in search of jobs
- Tourists will visit from countries worldwide
- Residents will have a good standard of life
- Businesses will want to establish themselves
- (The environment plays an increasingly important role)

Several years ago, the rulers set out to make Dubai the world's greatest city and essentially had a blank drawing board on which to work. There is an infamous image in circulation taken in 1972 showing a handful of buildings along the Sheikh Zayed Road (main highway through the city) which along with old Dubai accounted for much of the city until recently.

A so called 'Strategic Plan' was drawn up laying out a plan to transform Dubai into the world's greatest city by developing the tourism, real estate, financial and private sectors.

Tourism is definitely booming and it has to be said that Dubai is a special place to visit. Dubai is one of the few destinations that can offer a city-break and beach-holiday all in one. Most hotels are excellent and there is an abundance of things to see and do - all of this while the best is still to come and much of the city is under construction.

The location makes the city easily accessible within a few hours flight from Europe and Asia, and when the new airport opens, Dubai will become one of the world's most important travel hubs.

Dubai offers an exceptional range property investments and prices are still much lower than rivalling cities such as London, New York or Toyko. In the medium to long term, Dubai property owners will enjoy strong capital appreciation despite the glitch caused by the global economic downturn.

Furthermore, the healthcare system is world class and the city is extremely safe to live and visit. Although crime does exist, the zero-tolerance attitude ensures this is kept to a minimum making Dubai one of the safest cities.

Currently the transport systems are somewhat lacking, but the opening of the ultra-modern driver-less Dubai Metro in September 2009 will facilitate transport between many of the communities along the Sheikh Zayed Road, also relieving the renound heavy traffic at peak times for commuters.

Dubai is an exceptional place for business, and special tax incentives and free-zones have attracted many businesses to set up base in the city, thereby creating a wealth of jobs in all sectors. The Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) opened in 2004 and aims to bridge the gap as a financial hub between London and New York in the west, and Hong Kong and Tokyo in the east.

The difference in religion and culture is more pronounced than in cities such as Hong Kong, but Dubai has had an important impact on bridging the gap between the Arabic world and the west. Despite strict religious and cultural local customs, Dubai is now a truly cosmopolitan city although there is little integration between expats and Emirates.

The weather in Dubai is unbearably hot for the summer months, during which time the streets are deserted and much of the city effectively closes down. The extreme heat, normally between 40-45°C, is difficult for everyone and confines people to air-conditioned environments. On the contrary, for eight months of the year the climate is ideal with plenty of sunshine and temperatures which rarely drop under 25°C.

Dubai is by no means an environmentally friendly city. The numerous fountains and man-made lakes use significant amounts of water - not to mention the water needed to maintain the city's golf courses, parks and green areas. With low petrol prices, most residents drive big non eco-friendly cars, and there is little initiative to use the sun's energy - of which there is an abundance.

In conclusion, Dubai does indeed have the 'sex appeal' to become a great city - with many more pros than cons. The extreme summer climate and difference in religious and cultural local customs can make it difficult for foreigners to live as they would in the own countries. However, Dubai is a cosmopolitan, safe, exciting, buzzing and booming city.