Al Manakh 1 - excerpts (1/3) Gulf Survey

68

Black Sea

diterranean Sea

RedSea

CENTRAL

ALB.

SYRIACYPRUS LEB.

GEORGIA

AZARMENIA

IRAQ

MONT.

T U R K E Y

I B Y AE G Y P T

T.)

JORDAN

ISRAEL

(GR.)

DJI

BULGARIA

SAUDI

A

ERITREA

GREECE

MACEDONIA

CHAD

S U D A N

ETHIOPIA

cily

Crete

Yerevan

N'Djamena

Nicosia

Cairo

Athens

Baghdad Amman

Beirut

etta

Riy

Damascus

Ankara

jevo

Tel Aviv-Yafo Alexandria

Izmir

·

·

Istanbul

Port Sudan

Jerusalem

Jiddah

Aswan

Kirkuk

Tbilisi

DAddis

Khartoum

Skopje

Sofia

Mecca

Ababa

Asmara

Omdurman

Aleppo

Al B

Mosul

Al Jizah

-

Bursa

Konya Adana

A

Banghazi-

Tirana

-

-

2006

UN

Pol

itica

l Map

Gulf A

tlas

New York

13h

Casablanca

8.5h

Lagos

8h

Frankfurt

6hLondon

7h

Beirut

3h

Gulf SurveyEdited by AMO

02_volume12_amo_part1_CORR_june468 6802_volume12_amo_part1_CORR_june468 68 6/5/07 3:45:01 PM6/5/07 3:45:01 PM

Gu

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rvey 69

AM

OCaspian

Sea

Gulf

Sea

Arabian

Persian

Gulf of Aden

YEMEN

(YEMEN)

1Line o

UZBEKISTAN

AZERBAIJANIA

I R A N

AQAFGHANISTAN

PAKISTAN

KUWAIT

BAHRAIN

QATAR UNITED ARABEMIRATES

OMAN

OMAN

DJIBOUTI

TURKMENISTAN

KYR

TAJI

DI

ARABIA

(INDIA)

PIA

Socotra

LAKSHADW

Kabul

Baku

Manama

Tehran

ad

Bi

Muscat

Islam

Doha Riyadh

Dushanbe

AbuDhabi

Tashkent

Kuwait

Ashgabat

Esfahan ¯

¯

¯

¯ ¸

Mashhad

Karachi

k

Djibouti

Sanaaa

Mu (Bom

LaAl Basrah

ulTabriz

Shiraz

Aden

Quetta

Berbera

Kandahar

¯

Moscow

5h

Tehran

3h

Mumbai

2h

Singapore

7.5h

Hong Kong

8h

Osaka

9h

Shanghai

9h

Sydney

15hJohannesburg

8.5h


70

GDP per CapitaIn $US thousands

>25,00025,000-15,000

15,000-50005000-1500

<1500

Foreign Direct InvestmentFDI fl ows to the GCC in $US millions

no data< 500

500 - 20002000 - 30003000 - 4600

TransparencyPerceptions of the degree of corruption as seen by business people and country analysts

< 11 - 33 - 55 - 77 - 9

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Gulf A

tlas

Regional Statistics


Gu

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AM

O

YouthAverage Age

> 3531-3526-3021-25< 20

Illiteracy% of the population that is illiterate

0 %< 10 %

10-30 %30-50 %

> 50

Ecological Footprint per CapitaHectares per person

< 11 - 5

5 - 1010 - 15

> 15

CIA

Wor

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20

06C

IA W

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Fac

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ide

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for

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72

5 km 25 km 100 km

Venice, Italy Beijing, China Cairo, Egypt

Sizing the Gulf

Gulf A

tlas

K5-Bubiyan Island

K6-Failaka Island

K11-Madinat Al Hareer

K17-Green Island

K15-Heritage Village

K26-Kheiran Pearl City

K13-Madinat Al Fahaheel

K14-Khabary City

K9-Subiya Causeway

K23-Kuwait University’s new campus

K22-Kuwait Int’l Airport expansion

Venice could fi t in a quarter of The World development in Dubai. Development on a seemingly scaleless landscape begs global comparisons when trying to grasp its size. When looking at the major urban projects from Kuwait to Ras Al Khaimah, a selection of world-recognized urban landmarks reveal the magnitude of this urban project. (Numbers refer to descriptions in the Development Atlas at the end of Gulf Survey.)

KUWAIT


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AM

O

Hong Kong, China Paris, France Mumbai, India

Q20-New Doha Int’l Airport

Q9-The Pearl-Qatar

Q17-Al Khor Resort

Q4-Lusail Development

B10-Durrat Al Bahrain Island

B1-Al Areen Desert Spa and Resort

B32-Bahrain Mega Equestrian Resort

B29-Riffa ViewsB41-Marina West

B11-Lulu Island

B7-Bahrain Bay

B12-Amwaj Islands

B40-Two Seas

BAHRAIN QATAR

MD

A F

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74

Sizing the Gulf

Gulf A

tlas

5 km 25 km 100 km

Moscow, Russia Las Vegas, NVManhattan, New York

A1-Al Raha Beach Resort

A14-Al Reef Villas

A6-Saadiyat Island

A16-Reem Island

A3-Central Market

A2-Al Gurm Resort

D12-Dubai Waterfront

D7-Palm Jebel Ali

D13-Arabian Canal

D73-Dubai World Central

D14-Jumeirah Golf Estates

D11-Discovery Garden

D63-Dubai Marina

D1-Palm Jumeirah

D9-The World

D6

D5

D35-Dubai

D16-Jumeirah Village

D15-Jumeirah IslandsD66-The Lakes

D75-Dubai Investments Park

D9

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Abu Dhabi

Dubai


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AM

O

Istanbul, Turkey Barcelona, Spain London, UK

es

D8-Palm Deira

D71-Dubai Festival CityD62-Downtown Burj Dubai

D56-Business Bay

D18-International City

D35-Dubailand

R2-Al Marjan IslandsR1-Mina Al Arab

R15-Al Noor City

R4-Ras Al Khaimah Gateway

R14-Mangrove Island

R8-Saraya Islands

age

nds

D95-Dubai Silicon Oasis

R5-Jebel Al Jais

D60-The Lagoons

Ras Al Khaimah

Sharjah

MD

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80

Argument

A Region in Brief

The current architectural substance of the Gulf consists of four major components, produced in three distinct waves:

1. In the seventies and eighties – as part of the fi rst surge of oil wealth and therefore as a matter of course – big architectural names were involved in the Gulf… Jørn Utzon (Kuwait National Assembly), Kenzo Tange (Kuwait International Airport and Arab Gulf University plan), the Smithsons (unrealized Kuwait City plan), Kiyonori Kikutake (unrealized hotel), William Pereira (Sheraton Hotel), The Architects Collaborative (Abu Dhabi Cultural Center). The Gulf became a fi eld of architectural experimentation, where ver-nacular elements, particularly indigenous cooling and natural ventilation techniques, were used to renew and redefi ne contemporary architecture…

2. In the second wave in the nineties, fi rms typically with an engineering background, but soon equipped with master planning and even architec-tural sections, whose convenient presence on the ground gives them an almost monopolistic claim to most planning and architectural efforts – Halcrow, Atkins, more recently HOK – developed among them an intricate, quasi-organic resort urbanism, driven by coastline multiplication, both on land and on sea… It is this wave that has given Dubai its unique ‘look.’

3. Superimposed on this context, will be the imminent contributions of international starchitects like Zaha Hadid, Jean Nouvel, Norman Foster and others; the dilemmas faced by the third wave are obvious: relatively inexperienced clients, the ‘experience economy’ as the sole and pervasive discourse, a well-established quasi-Islamic-modernist language, expecta-tions of ‘signature’ which will make deviation and surprise, let alone reinvention, diffi cult.

4. Independent of these phases, we can also observe since the seventies an ongoing production of ‘undesigned’, modest – but dominant in places like Sharjah – presence of a generic, modernist ‘architecture without architects’ – a cheap, seemingly spontaneous, mostly concrete, always utilitarian architecture that comes closest to traditionally ‘urban’ conditions: closely packed streets, alleys, galleries, parks and plazas and residential neighborhoods based on mini-compounds. These have an appeal, espe-cially compared to globalization’s past and future fi reworks. – RK


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Expectations of ‘signature’ will make deviation and surprise, let alone reinvention, diffi cult


116G

ulf Histories

Abu DhabiAbu Dhabi has nothing to prove. Its anchored indispensability in global markets – as a result of its immense oil reserves – ensures that its regional and global position remains undisputed. With its global political weight ensured, Abu Dhabi has developed a confi dent and careful approach to its urban development. Whereas cities worldwide have converted their municipal departments into marketing machines for attracting outside investment, Abu Dhabi sells privilege, not pitches. It was a slow start, with oil monies not quickly reinvested in urban development until the ascension of Sheikh Zayed. In the past year, media requests have been granted to a press eager to know the Emirate’s plans. Abu Dhabi is now responding to the competitive sphere in the Gulf with a clear agenda, backed up by a new tool for the Gulf – culture master planning.


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AM

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MD

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118G

ulf Histories

Al Ittihad Square

Snapshots


119G

ulf S

urvey

AM

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Refl exive passive ventilation, when air conditioning is on too highIn-between cities on road to Dubai

Modern day dhows

Corniche apartments Parking before mosque

Port Zayed Khalifa Street


120G

ulf Histories

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1958. Abu Dhabi Fort

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The HobbyistSheikh Zayed replaces his brother in 1966 as ruler of Abu Dhabi, resulting in a shift in the Emirate’s approach to investment and development. Beyond the obviousneed for roads and infrastructure, the Sheikh extends a clear vision of urbanity, comparable to Western monarchs from centuries before who made architecture and urbanism their hobbies. Eager British engineers and European architects help the Sheikh realize some of the best examples of stadiums, airports, and hotels in the region, generating a stately fi eld of commemorative structures and verdant landscaping.

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Upon the urging of the British Political Agent, John Harris visits Sheikh Shakhbut – two days’ air travel to Dubai and a full day of jeep travel over sand, water and sand again to arrive in Abu Dhabi about 150 km away

A large castle dominated the small dilapidated town which stretched along the shore. There were a few palms, and near them was a well where we watered our camels while some Arabs eyed us curiously, wondering who we were. Then we went over to the castle and sat outside the walls, waiting for the Sheikhs to wake from their afternoon slumbers.Wilfred Thesiger upon his arrival in Abu Dhabi, from Arabian Sands, 1950


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Discussions over the new road network

1960s. Abu Dhabi stamp 1961. Abu Dhabi airport terminal

Abu Dhabi – Gateway to the GulfIt is no longer of special interest when land blossoms where there was formerly a vast expanse of white sand; when a sleeping fi shing village is transformed almost overnight into a large sprawling city with modern buildings rising on the debris of old palm leaf huts; or when concrete roads probe into a desert as silent and as ancient as time.Advertisement that appeared in The Washington Post, December 16, 1970

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1960s. Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al-Nahyan with Sheikh Tahnoun planning Abu Dhabi National Oil Company buildings


122G

ulf Histories

Opulence in LandscapeCorniche – where seafront meets skyline – sculpts the city’s façade. The urban device is borrowed from Monaco, via Beirut and Kuwait, and generates housing prices that compete with towers facing New York City’s Central Park. The Corniche’s at once current and dated feel, represents Abu Dhabi’s developing history of opulence and confi dent ease.

The Corniche also exemplifi es Abu Dhabi’s obsession with green. Over 130 million planted trees garnish landscaped highways, waterfront resorts, residential yards, and oasis-style parklands – all notable despite the conspicuous lack of rainfall (only 43 mm per year in the city). Even the Emirate’s much fought-for inland oasis is now almost dry, now requiring desalinated water from the coast.

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1950s. Abu Dhabi seafront

2006. Corniche redevelopment1980s. Abu Dhabi Corniche

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They used to say, agriculture has no future, but with God’s blessing and our determination, we have suceeded in transforming the desert into a green land.Sheikh Zayed Salloum, H. ‘How the Sheikh Turned the Desert Green’, The Christian Science Monitor May 27, 1997

A fl eet of bulldozers dig into desert sand during the construction of canals and lakes in Abu Dhabi

The UAE is the largest water consuming country after the US and Canada

1980. Zayed Sports City Stadium. Seating capacity: 70,000

In the Emirate of Abu Dhabi alone, some 130 million trees have been planted. The UAE’s 22 million, mostly newly planted palm trees now represent 20 percent of all the palms on the planet.Salloum, H. ‘How the Sheikh Turned the Desert Green’, The Christian Science Monitor 1997.


124G

ulf Histories

1988. Fish, Fruit and Vegetable Souks Abbad Al Radi and Nazar Ahmad

arch

net.o

rg

1977. American Ambassador Residence John Harris

Single VisionReinforcing the original fort within a new cultural compound, erecting sculptural stadiums for Olympic aspirations and transforming an obsolete airport into strolling gardens – the 1980s saw the realization of Sheikh Zayed’s vision. Shopping centers, offi ces and residential towers pepper the vanishing desert, but all within the strict land use controls of the Sheikh.

1970. Colonnade at School

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1988. Abu Dhabi National Oil Company

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Sheikh Zayed reviews model for the ‘Zayed Mosque’

1985. Abu Dhabi Library and Cultural Center, The Architects Collaborative 1988. Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank

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1977. The Mastaba of Abu Dhabi proposed by Christo

Old souk in Abu Dhabi, with 196 shops 1962. Development plan with the Ruler’s palace and Governmental buildings

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The new mosque will accommodate 30,000 worshippers at one time

Instinctive habits are, mercifully, much more powerful than bad architecture; and the residents of the souk were simply ignoring all the architect’s design on them. They had set up stalls in the walkways and constructed their own labyrinth in spaces which had been meant as routes of access. Jonathan Raban, Arabia, 1979


126G

ulf Histories

An Awakened GiantIn 2005 Sheikh Khalifa, Zayed’s son, single-handedly transforms Abu Dhabi with new laws opening emirate real estate to the free market. Overnight, Abu Dhabi experiences the avarice of investors wanting a piece of an unfailing success story. Huge developments would sell out in less than an hour. Made even stronger by the fact that its impressive development plans are not founded in desperation, Abu Dhabi brings stiffer competition to the region. Evolution of the tourist industry: from sun/sand, to shopping and now to culture. Even compared to bold efforts to extend coastlines along the Gulf, this next stage could very well test the fi nancial endurance of the Gulf. Money has to fi ll the gap. Not only investing in an extravagant building project, Abu Dhabi will also foot the bill for its own collection imprinted with Guggenheim endorsement.

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After a decade of living in Dubai’s shadow, Abu Dhabi – the UAE’s largest emirate – is now developing its own projects that look set to challenge its smaller neighbor to the north. Last week a free hold property sold out in 45 minutes.Foreman, Colin.’Abu Dhabi gets ready to step out of the shadow cast by Dubai.’ ITP Construction, June 25, 2005 www.itp.net/business/features/details.php?id=2832&category=construction

1980s. Chamber Tower and Clock Tower

Estimates of ADIA’s [Abu Dhabi Investment Authority] size range from $200 billion to ‘way north of $500 billion’, according to one foreign investment banker. In other words, it may be the world’s biggest investment fund.

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More Fortunes Than DegreesA local pastime is betting how much taller Abu Dhabi’s clock tower will be than Dubai’s most impressive local landmark, which is, of course a clock tower.The Washington Post November 4, 1974

‘The Gate,’ Saadiyat Island, Arquitectonica

2006. Yas Island development in Abu Dhabi showcased at Dubai Cityscape

While we recognise and applaud Dubai’s success, we do not view Abu Dhabi’s development in terms of ‘catching up.’ I would like to emphasise that plans currently under development or in the pipeline are focused on the top end of the market. Ali Ahmed Hosani Director of Marketing Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority‘Abu Dhabi Comes of Age.’ ITP Hospitality, August 4, 2006


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Emirates Palace literally glows with luxury. The hotel, owned by the government of Abu Dhabi, took more than three years and reportedly more than $3 billion to build, which would make it the most expensive hotel in the world

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The Persian Gulf emirate of Abu Dhabi said it will invest $730 million in ... developing a Gulf island into an international ‘capital and commodities center.’ The action... heats up a competition to be the region’s fi nancial hub. Wall Street Journal July 20, 1999

Abu Dhabi ... unveiled a new public joint stock company charged with developing ... its fl agship Saadiyat Island project ... into a strategic international tourism destination.www.saadiyat.ae

Transformation of Saadiyat Island. Plans include a franchised Louvre Museum

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July, 8 2006. Frank Gehry at Emirates Palace Hotel, Abu Dhabi

The Guggenheim EffectBilbao’s Investment 1997: 80m euroAbu Dhabi Investment 2006: 155m euro

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July 8, 2006. Thomas Krens, Guggenheim Director, and Sheikh Suroor bin Mohammed Al Nahyan

You should expect that all fi gures in paintings will be clothed. Thomas Krens, Director of the Guggenheim Foundation.

1999 Ë 2006

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Documents

Al Manakh 1 - excerpts (1/3) Gulf Survey