...you ‘ve probably guessed, I’m talking about Dubai – and as a relative newcomer to the market, it’s the most striking developments which interest me - the ones that have made me marvel as the sheer scale and audacity of their aspirations becomes clear.

Mention Dubai, and one of the first things that people mention is the Palms, or the World, or the Universe… The developer Nakheel (translating as ‘Palms’) has succeeded in forever altering the very shape of Dubai, creating man made structures dredged from the sea bed to create the iconic islands well known now for being visible from space.

What can we take from this?

Well, where money and passion go hand in hand the - frankly implausible - can suddenly become a global icon. Incredibly, Nakheel were simply given the land off shore (yeah, that’s right, the sea) when Dubai was divided-up between developers. From this totally inauspicious start they have succeeded in surpassing all expectations. see more from Nakheel here

However in my mind this isn’t the pinnacle of the audacity of Dubai development. In terms of sheer credibility, raising land from the sea becomes almost commonplace when some of the more ‘ambitious’ projects being mooted in Dubai are considered:

DUBAILAND™ 

Dubailand will cover an area of 3 billion square feet when completed and estimates a population of 2.5 million people once fully operational. This includes the creation an area to be known as "Restless Planet", a Jurassic-Park style area  with giant, animatronic versions of over 40 extinct species –including obviously our favourite dinos. visit Dubiland's website here

The Burj Dubai

Is astonishingly the world’s tallest structure and that’s before it’s even been completed, the eventual height is being kept a secret for the moment,  a rough estimation suggests there will be around 164 habitable floors! See the world tallest building here

Burj Dubai                                                  Downtown Dubai   (Artists impression)                                       

Or how about a revolving skyscaper??? Not for those faint of heart, the 68 floors will rotate around a central axis, generating electricity as it revolves. Another seemingly incomprehensible vision which is soon to grace reality!

Or perhaps an underwater hotel is more to your taste?

Dubai is an exciting place to visit, and when considering destination branding, lets face it, Dubai provides a very unique case study for all consultants and practitioners.

Dubai’s planners and developers have successfully created some of the most iconic structures in recent history – manoeuvring the destination firmly onto the world stage in what seems a very short period of time.

However the big question remains; will these developments stand the test of time? Do people want to visit the desert to see modern skyscapers or are they after something more, some culture and heritage. Perhaps we are seeing Dubai’s new culture being created before our very eyes. Can they be considered long term successes that drive footfall to this new destination, or will these ‘gimics’, such as The Palms having carved a niche in public awareness – continue to do so in future generations?

In a land where vision, money and a desire to stand out is the norm it’s difficult to predict what the future holds. Indeed as Nakheel’s own advertising asks at the moment: ‘What next?’