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Dubai's next big thing? Perhaps a $5 billion man-made 'moon' as the city's real estate market booms

15 Comments
By NICK EL HAJJ

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15 Comments
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Spaceballs.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Canadian entrepreneur Michael Henderson envisions building a 274-meter replica of the moon atop a 30-meter building in Dubai, already home to the world's tallest building and other architectural wonders.

Dubai is a monument to late stage capitalist oligarchic infrastructure money laundering using South Asian slave labor

The sooner they are marginalized by AI advancement and scarcity system is eliminated the better.

6 ( +8 / -2 )

“It’s hard to please everybody," Henderson acknowledged. "You might need dark curtains.”

But, of course, he won't be paying so his project will be subsidised or compensated for by others if they wish to maintain their current standard of living. Defensive spending, it is called and contributes mightily to GDP these days. Plus, all the extra light, even if it doesn't make the real moon invisible, will make seeing the stars less visible and one of the most inspiring sights a human can see is devalued. They will have to visit a planetarium instead to get a simulation. And on it goes. Ok, it's Dubai, not the most forward-thinking place, despite "a non-democratic elite but nonetheless believe strongly in science and 'progress'"

1 ( +2 / -1 )

My brother has been working there for more than 10 years. Visited once. Wasn't really my cup of tea but he loves it there.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

@Aly Rustom ... Same here. I've a friend who had worked and lived there for many years, until recently. Went to visit a couple of times. That was enough for me.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Well, they very much overdo there, and according to their own religion, Allah doesn’t like overdoing and overdoing people. Anyway, as long as you are not a native there and member of a rich family, you will always be second or third class only and you will always be potentially subject to restrictions or any unforeseen measures that even could hurt, imprison or kill you. Even with maximum money or wealth, as a Westerner you are only their dependent toy.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

They have so much money, they are investing in the future, and nothing but the future. If only they could drop some of their objective mindsets and extremist traditions, it would be a place every person wanted to move to. Even when the oil based world infrastructure is over, they will be in a perfect position to advance in the next big way. Let them build their moons, skyscrapers, executive hotels, artificial islands, 200 mile long cities in a box, and robo-everything. They have so much sun, they could power half the world with solar, and that's exactly what they're building too. That's a 50 year plan to replace an industry they know will become obsolete, paid for by itself. I'm all for the UAE doing what they are.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Or is that really a "Death Star"? Bwaa-haaa-haaa!

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Obi Wan Kenobi: That's no moon…it's a space station.

Luke: I have a very bad feeling about this."

(Star Wars Episode IV)

0 ( +1 / -1 )

The utter insanity of some countries, with Dubai on top. We are being told to consume less and not to travel on the name of global warming and preserving the environment and nobody blinks an eye when businesses and countries waste resources

2 ( +3 / -1 )

This project sounds fascinating. Can't say I know enough about it to form an opinion. This article is the first time I am hearing about the Moon project.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

We had a family member who was tempted to go over there to make a nest egg, but in the end they decided against it. In order to take advantage of the tax free status, too much time away from home would have been necessary.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

He's the true embodiment of the phrase, 'Crazy Canuck'. More money than sense.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

What an eyesore.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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