7 SANDY ABANDONED WONDERS OF THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Derelict Dubai: 7 Sandy Abandoned Wonders of the UAE
By Steph, Web Urbanist, 26 March 2014.

Known for its extravagance and disdain for rational limits, Dubai never shies away from incredibly ambitious architectural projects - but when they fail, as they often do, the result is a whole lot of sandy half-excavated construction sites. But along with the rest of the United Arab Emirates, this hub of vast oil and gas fortunes is in a state of constant flux, with a rapidly changing landscape that can transform from a swath of desert to a strip of glittering skyscrapers in what seems like no time at all.

1. Lots of Luxury Vehicles

More than 3,000 abandoned luxury vehicles were counted in Dubai in a single year, left behind, as the story goes, when expats fled the nation to escape debts after the economy crashed. One such vehicle was a limited edition Ferrari Enzo, worth more than US$1.65 million. Others include US$100K Range Rovers, Porches, BMWs and Mercedes. Photographs show them covered in dust and sand, sometimes haphazardly protected with tarps.

Under Sharia law, non-payment of debt is a criminal offense, and foreigners have been prevented from leaving the Emirates for missing a single credit card payment or bouncing a check. But according to Business Insider, it’s not just expats fleeing financial repercussions. Locals bought cars they couldn’t afford, and then struggled to make the payments. On the plus side, bargain hunters have gotten some insane deals on the cars when they’re re-sold at rock-bottom prices at police auctions.

2. On-Going Wastelands of Stalled Construction Projects

Dubai itself and the surrounding areas often have large tracts of land that look like wastelands of sand and abandoned construction equipment thanks to countless projects that are started and then put on hold for financial reasons.

At any given time, there are thousands of such sites in various stages of progress, and while some eventually pick back up and are completed, others stay like this for years or are eventually scrapped. Nakheel Tower (first photo) was meant to be the centrepiece of Dubai’s famous man-made Palm Islands, and the site had been cleared and levelled before the project was cancelled in 2009.

Another project, the Burj Al Alam (second photo), suffered a similar fate, with trucks finally bringing in loads of sand to refill areas that had been excavated after developers decided not to go forward with the 108-story tower.

3. World’s Largest Artificial Islands On Hold and Sinking

Dubai’s artificial islands, including the Palm Islands, the World and the Universe, were intended to be the ultimate in luxury possessions, sold only to millionaires who could afford the hefty price tags and the yachts required to reach them. While a few of them have already been developed, with residents beginning to move in, others have sat in a state of partial completion since construction began in 2001.

The 2008 financial crisis led developers to pull back from actively working on the project, and by 2011, some of the islands began sinking into the sea. Despite the developers’ denials, third-party inspectors confirmed that the islands were already eroding, and aerial photographs show that those intended to make up the shapes of the world map are becoming little more than a patchwork of rounded blobs.

4. Jebel Ali Village And Its Namesake Palm Island

Jebel Ali Village, built outside Dubai in 1977, was a settlement of about 300 villas for expatriates along with schuss, a club, a park, medical clinics and a desalination water plant. It didn’t have its own supermarket, requiring residents to make a long, hot drive without air conditioning all the way to Dubai to purchase supplies back when Abu Dhabi Road was a single-lane unlit carriageway used by camels as well as vehicles.

By 2011, the once-treasured community was entirely abandoned. One of the artificial islands built off the coast of Dubai was named in its honour, but that project has been put on hold, leading to even more abandonments with the Jebel Ali name. The monolithic structures, pictured top, were built as part of a flyover going to Jebel Ali Palm Island, but as construction was halted, they’ve just been left like this, looking like a row of ancient ruins. But as with many other projects in Dubai, they’re in transition - the village is being rebuilt.

5. Jazirat al-Hamra Ghost Town, UAE

The last historic, traditional town still standing in the United Arab Emirates, Jazirat Al Hamra dates back to the 16th century and was abandoned about 40 years ago before the discovery of oil and gas in the region brought on wave after wave of modernization.

Many of the buildings, including residences, a fortress and several mosques, have crumbled into piles of debris under the desert sun. Today, it’s considered an important archaeological site, and draws in visitors curious about Dubai’s past as well as local legends about it being haunted.

6. Queen Elizabeth 2 Cruise Ship

The luxury transatlantic liner that served as a cruise ship from 1969 until its retirement in 2008 made its last voyage from New York to Dubai in 2009. Purchased by Istithmar, the private equity arm of Dubai World, it was docked at Port Rashid with the intention of converting it into a 500-room floating hotel at the Palm Jumeirah offshore resort

But of course, the financial crisis hit this project, too, so it’s still just sitting there, five years later. Rumour has it that a Chinese company bought it for scrap, but nothing has been confirmed, and the ship hasn’t moved.

7. Dubai as an Apocalyptic Wasteland

Considering Dubai’s state of constant construction, nothing looks amiss at first glance in these photos - they could simply be snapshots of sites still in progress, or abandoned in a half-finished state. But look closer and you’ll see that, aside from the lack of people and cars, there’s something decidedly strange going on here: zebras, kangaroos, antelope and other animals are perched among the ruins.

The images were created by British photographer Richard Allenby-Pratt as a vision of post-apocalyptic Dubai being swallowed up by the sand and taken over by wildlife. And if you’re thinking that most of these animals are definitely not native to the area, you’re absolutely correct - but given that many wealthy people in Dubai have exotic creatures as pets, it’s not beyond the realm of possibility that they would escape and reproduce if humans weren’t around to keep them caged.

[Source: Web Urbanist. Edited.]