Arab Youth Unemployment

There's the pension timebomb and there is the Arab Youth Explosion. The former is happening. The latter will be a problem from a work availability perceptive for many years to come.



Although not covering the UAE specifically, this report compiled with mckinsey is important. Read it here: e4earabyouth

The Real Emirates Palace

When the Emirates Palace Hotel first opened, for a good few years there were emails being sent round of the hotel proposing it to be the new palace of the Sheikh, sometimes the "Sheikh of Dubai", sometimes of Abu Dhabi and sometime the Emir of the Emirates. For those that knew that the Emirates Palace was a hotel, this was a tad amusing. But the fact was that the Emirates Palace felt like a palace - and sometimes it still does.



But now, the real Emirates Palace is to be built. The Presidential Palace project was awarded last year - and pictures have surfaced of what it could like. Located next to the Emirates Palace in Ras Al Khor, the new palace will cover a total built-up area of 220,000 sq m between the existing presidential palace and the Emirates Palace Hotel. That is huge.

Here are the depictions:







Who knows whether they are real or not, but some started surfacing in 2009. This is how the site looks now:





Should be complete in 2015. But it's goodbye to the Abu Dhabi ladies Beach. ;< - and it has been for much time.

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