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Dubai: Where the East meets the West

Mariana Silva Lima De Vasconcellos

Dubai: Where the East meets the West.

Rel. Piergiorgio Tosoni. Politecnico di Torino, Corso di laurea specialistica in Architettura, 2009

Abstract:

Introduction:

From ancient times, the occidental margin of the gulf is a meeting piace between Bedouins from the desert and fishermen, some looking for different kinds of fìshes and others diving for pearls. They believed in the forces of nature and prayed for the moon and the stars above. Throughout the years, others have arrived. The merchants and the sailors carne attracted by the commerce. They were always received with the utmost courtesy and hospitality according to the Bedouins traditions.

In this land of contrasts, the populations grew, around the rocky mountains, along the white beaches, the blue creeks and in the green oasis. The human habitat has also changed along the years, from the desert huts, to the smali villages on the coast, to the recent artificial islands filled with the highest skyscraper.

This rebirth of the gulf countries has always attracted my attention, from research, books, magazine articies, beautiful images and drawings, each one bringing out a bit of the curiosity in me. it seems as if everything I had dreamed of was becoming real, there were no more limits to human creativity.

The gulf has evolved teiling a thousand and one stories about its past. Stories whose influence we can stili see. It's not just a picture of modernity, technological advances and a powerful economy created by an abundant amount of oil. It's an evolution, a

process to create a city as precious as the Arabian Pearl.

The work is focused on the study of the main neighborhoods of Dubai and its history, along with the analysis of the city development in its main generai areas (such as economic and social development and infrastructure), outiining the vulnerabiiities and trying to portrait the Dubai that has been missed amid the giamorous architectural projects and travelers brochures .

The basic information to understand how it ali begun, the presentation of the United Arab Emirates as it is today and how it was before de oil boom and how the influence of the Islam and the Arab city is crucial to understanding the old Dubai. At the end, hope this study creates and answers some questions and critics to this new mode) of development.

Relatori: Piergiorgio Tosoni
Tipo di pubblicazione: A stampa
Soggetti: G Geografia, Antropologia e Luoghi geografici > GD Estero
?? STN Storia ??
Corso di laurea: Corso di laurea specialistica in Architettura
Classe di laurea: NON SPECIFICATO
Aziende collaboratrici: NON SPECIFICATO
URI: http://webthesis.biblio.polito.it/id/eprint/1550
Capitoli:

Summary

Sommario (in Italiano)

Acknowledgements

1. Introduction

2. The United Arab Emirates

2.1. The National Government

2.2. International Relations and Disputes

2.3. Demography

2.4. Economy

2.5. Education

2.6. Human Rights

3. The Influence of the Islam

3.1. Introduction

3.2. The Islamic Laws: The Shari'ah, Sunnah, Fiqh arid Hadith

3.3. Principles and Behavior Guidelines

3.4. The Shari'ah Laws' Influence on Architecture

3.4.1. The Streets

3.4.2. Visual corridors created by doors, windows and other openings

3.5. The Arab City

4. The United Arab

Emirates until the 1970s

4.1. The House

4.2. The Mosque

4.3.TheFort

4.4. Settling the Bedouin

5. Dubai

5.1. History

5.2. Dubai in the 1970s

5.3. Neighborhoods

5.3.1. The Creek

5.3.1.1. The 6th Crossing

5.3.1.2. The Lagoons

5.3.2. Bur Dubai - The Bastakiya

5.3.3. Bur Dubai - The Port Rashid and the Dubai Maritime City

5.3.4. Deira

5.3.4.1. Port Saeed

5.3.4.2. The Palm Deira

5.3.5. Jumeirah

5.3.5.1. Madinat Jumeirah

5.3.5.2. Dubai Marina

5.3.5.3. Burj AI Arab

5.3.5.4. The Palm Jumeirah

5.3.5.5. The World

5.3.5.6. The Universe

5.3.5.7. The Sheikh Zayed Road and the Burj Dubai 111

5.3.6. Jebel Ali

5.3.6.1.ThePalmJebelAli

5.3.6.2. Dubai Waterfront

6. Analyzing Dubai's Development

6.1. Economic Development

6.2. Social Development

6.2.1. National Identity and Social Cohesion

6.2.2. Nationals' Participation in Social and Economic Activities

6.2.3. Quality and Availability of Education

6.2.4. Quality and Availability of Healthcare

6.2.5. Quality and Availability of Social Assistance Services

6.2.6. Workíng Environment Conditions

6.2.6.1. Immigration and the Labor Force Problems

6.2.7. Culture - Enrich the Cultura) Environment

6.3. Infrastructure, Land and Environment

6.3.1. Emaar

6.3.2. Nakheel

7. Critics to the New Dubai

7.1. Urban Development Critics

7.2. Religious, Cultura and Identity Debates

8. Conclusion

9. Bibliography

10. Riassunto in Italiano

Bibliografia:

Bibliografia:

Books:

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Magazines and Newspapers:

Amran Abocar, Old Dubai clings to lite as new city rises, in «Reuters», May 28`h 2008.

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Donald P. Cole, Where have the Bedouin pone?, in «Anthropological QuarterlyWashington» Volume 76, Issue 2, Spring 2003.

John E Czarnecki, SOM designs world's tallest tower for Dubai, in « Architectural record» Volume 191, Number 7, July 2003.

Mike Davis, Fear and Money in Dubai, in «Topos: the international review of landscape architecture and urban design» Issue 58, 2007.

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Christopher Dickey, Dubai's Last Hurray, in «Newsweek Magazine» December 15`h 2008.

Keller Easterling, With satellites: Dubai + India, in « Architectural design» Volume 75, number 6, November 2005.

Hassan M. Fatah, Beyond Skimpy Skirts, a Rare Debate on Identity, in «New York Times» October 19 2006.

Hassan M. Fatah, In Dubai, an outcry from Asians for workplace rights, in «New York Times» March 26th 2006.

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Besim Hakin, The urf and its role in diversifying the architecture of traditional Islamic cities, in «Journal of Architectural and Planning Research» Volume 11:2, 1994.

Besim Hakin, Generative processes for revitalizing historic tows or heritage districts. From the website www.intbau.org

Dan Halpern, Arabian heights [Burj Dubai], in « Architect (Washington, D.C.) > Volume 96, number 6, May 2007.

Peter Jackson, Bastakia v,ind-tower houses, in « Architectural review» Volume 158, July 1975.

Ahmed Kanna. Dispatch from the subdivision archipelago, in «Harvard Design Magazine» Fall 2006/ Winter 2007.

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Sam Lubell, In a desert city, a skyline grows ever higher, in «Architecturai record» Volume 196, number 8, August 2008.

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Websites:

www.sheikhmohammed.ae - Sheikh Mohammed's Webpage

www.ecomist.com - The Economìst magazine

ixpats.com/dubai-expats - Dubai Expats Diaries

www.state.gov/g/tip/rls/fs/2005/50940.htm - The US Ministry of Defense

www.uea.ae - Government of Dubai

www.uaeprison.com/cameikids.htm - Government of Dubai

www.jafza.ae - Jebel Ali Free zone

www.dubaifags.com - Government of Dubai

www.dubaimaritimecity.com - Dubai Maritime City

www.dpworld.ae - DP World

www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/guran/014.gmt.html#014.001 - University of Southern California, Translations of the Qu'ran.

www.nakheel.com - Nakheel

www.emaar.com - Emaar

www.tomwrightdesign.com

www.atkinsdesign.com

www.buridubai.com

www.tanmia.ae

www.emiratisation.org/

www.dhcc.ae - The Dubai Healthcare City

www.rta.ae

www.alabbar.info

www.dubaided.gov.ae/main

www.emcredit.com

www.saadiyat.ae

www.artsiournal.com

www.nationalgeographic.com

www.therovalforums.com

http://faculty.maxwell.svr.edu/qaddis/HST354/Apr24/Default.htm - Pictures

www.alamuae.comal-maktoumshowtopics-184.html - Pictures of Old Dubai

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