Sunday 4 November 2018

They're building on the beaches

This is the last remaining open, free and natural beach in Dubai. There are no cafes, restaurants, toilets, deck chairs for hire or jet skiers whizzing by.

Reached only by car and local knowledge, it is located next to the Sheikhs Beach residence and I can only assume the construction is something to do with maintaining his privacy. In the past you could swim and kayak in front, boat tours and the ferry used to pass by, but now all traffic is directed around the Palm.

Dubai's main industry focus these days is no longer oil, it's tourism. All the other public beaches are now amusement centres aimed at tourists to the region, new land is being constructed out at sea to increase the shore line to build more hotels and holiday resorts on.

Sadly for us locals it puts the cost of living up, expensive parking to the other beaches, entrance fees and overpriced food outlets to now do something that used to be free to us.

I don't want my experiences in Dubai enhanced anymore.



If you're interested in seeing more about the construction projects I've been documenting in Dubai and around the world, then click on the links below:

Week 158 Dubai Bluewater Islands and Dubai Eye. Man made island a 210m high Big Wheel
Week 159 Dubai Dubai Marina - Reflections
Week 160 Dubai Dubai Frame. A window between the Old and New Dubai and a 150m high glass floor.
Week 161 Dubai Dubai Marina 3 years apart.
Week 163 Dubai New Metro Line for Expo 2020
Week 164 Arizona and Nevada Hoover Dam 2002 - 2010
Week 165 Dubai Dubai Opera House What a difference a year makes
Week 166 Dubai Unfinished buildings. The Pentominium
Week 167 Coventry Mixing the old and the new. Coventry Catherdral
Week 168 Dubai New Dubai Metro Station 
Week 169 Dubai The new extension of the Dubai Mall and Burj Khalifa 
Week 170 Dubai Hotel fire After the Address fire 
Week 171 Dubai Unusual designs The Opus Building
Week 172 Dubai District Cooling. Keeping the desert cool.
Week 173 Dubai Can I visit the Burj Al Arab
Week 174 Dubai The Almas Tower
Week 175 Dubai The Cayan Tower
Week 176 Toronto The CN Tower
Week 177 Nevada The Paris Hotel 
Week 178 Dubai Ibn Battuta Gate
Week 179 A Wedding Our first child got married
Week 180 Dubai The World's Tallest Tower
Week 181 Dubai and Wales Al Fahidi Fort and Chepstow Castle 
Week 182 Dubai New Metro Station in Al Furjan 
Week 183 Dubai Ski Dubai
Week 184 Another Wedding
Week 185 South Africa Life in a township
Week 186 Austria Ski Jump 
Week 187 Dubai Green Plant Bio Dome 
Week 188 Dubai Update on the Metro Station
Week 189 Dubai My view from the balcony changed in 8 months
Week 190 Greece Just how instagramable is it?
Week 191-192 Dubai Before and After. 3 months out of Dubai
Week 193 Dubai Building a boat in the sky
Week 194 South Africa An African Sunset
Week 195 South Africa Building with boxes Charity work in South Africa
Week 196 Another family wedding and a year of travel
Week 197 Dubai What are they building now? World Trade Centre
Week 198 Monmouth Building work in South Wales
Week 198 Dubai The cladding is going on, on the metro station

18 comments:

  1. Wow, it's crazy that they're actually building out to sea to create more space!

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    1. yep, islands and a canal to create more water front properties

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  2. That's a fascinating illustration of Dubai's most famous landmarks. Only ever been one, but the Burj al Arab had only just opened. Anyway, will have a read of youro ther blog post when I get a moment. Looks insightful. #mysundayphoto

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    1. it won't be long before all these iconic buildings are hidden from sight due to more building work and construction

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  3. I agree too much building on the beach is wrong - they do that here in Florida. Give me a natural beach any day. #MSundayPhoto

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    1. I have to drive up the coast for over an hour now to find a free, natural beach

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  4. Some places just shouldn't be built on and beaches is one of these.

    Thank you for linking up to #MySundayPhoto

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  5. I feel for you, it sounds like tourism is taking all the beautiful spots.

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  6. Oh that is so sad, tourism should enhance life for locals not make it harder.
    #mysundayphoto

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  7. Is that the beach that we decided was the one I’d been on years ago. It’s a shame that it’s all being so radically changed #mysundayphoto

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    1. ‪@minnowmep when you came to Dubai that beach would’ve been 20+ miles away with nothing around it, for me to find another beach like this I’d have to drive for almost two hours ‬

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  8. It is a shame that everything is been built on including the beaches. It seems so wrong just for tourists to come x

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    1. we need an industry here, but not at the expense of the locals, but i'm not sure how else they could do it tbh

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  9. Hi Suzanne,it is a shame when tourism drastically changes an area. I know tourism brings in money and with it employment, but it does make me sad to see the non-financial cost of the industry. Sometimes I do wonder if it is worth it.

    Popping by rather late from #MySundayPhoto.

    xx

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    Replies
    1. It's great to have more opportunities to experience things but it's such a shame that locals suffer

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