Drunk with power

Rico says you can view these images in whichever order you want; the open desert could have been Dubai in 1990, before all the building started, or it could be Dubai in a hundred years, once we've figured out how to stop running cars on imported oil...

My embedded reporter has this to say: "I do not understand the economics involved. It seems to be a “build it and they will come” attitude. Who is going to buy the thousands of apartments being built, especially when property freehold laws are something foreign to Dubai Courts? Still, there seems to be a dearth of apartments available if you judge by the way rents are rising.
My prediction for 2050 is that Dubai will become a ghost town. I do not see how they can sustain the current level of construction and growth. The area has few redeeming qualities to entice people to move there except to work for a few years and make some quick money. Sharia law does not have the concept of corporate shields like Western law. Once a few businessmen are hauled off to court for non-payment of loans that will become evident. The quality of the construction is poor, at best. Owners of those expensive condos will soon find that they need to pay big repair bills when the plumbing and electric start failing. The new islands being built will slowly erode away and it will take a fortune to keep them in place. Only an idiot would buy land on them.
The place is hot, dusty and has no scenery. I do not understand why Europeans are so infatuated with the place. I would rather be in Mexico where things are green and don’t need irrigation to grow. There will be a limit to how far tourism can grow in a Muslim country, even with the big Disney-like developments. Who will want to go to DubaiLand during Ramadan when you can’t buy a bottle of water to drink during the day? Who will want to go there in 120 degree heat?
Finally, the Emiratis have no experience at running anything. They are okay in figurehead positions but have no actual experience managing anything. They will need the continuing support of expats to keep the thing running. If the Muslim extremists decide to bring Dubai back into the fold of the True Believers, there will be an exodus of westerners and the place will grind to a halt."

Rico says he can hardly wait... (He may not make 2050, but wherever he is at the time he'll be laughing at these poor bastards.)