LONGECITY

And to think how much biotech and medical research could be bought with the money invested in this brick and mortar wonderland...

Insanity

... makes me wonder why nobody is taking notice of the potential that lies within the biotech industry.

Wow, I hope they are investing in other areas, for the eventuality of oil running out, or prices dropping because other energy sources are being utilized.

Also, I wonder how long it would be till the splendor attracted terrorist interest... there is still a lot of disparity in income and political/religious instability in the region.

I have seen some shows on that indoor snow ski resort they have. That thing is pretty spectacular. If I ever go, I am definitely doing that.

They must have some very tight security in Dubai!! If too many westerners travel there, the Burj will be a prime target. I hear Dubai is already becoming a top tourist destination, not so much with U.S. travellers but international citizens. I know I would like to go there. I prefer natural settings, but as far as urban travel...it sure looks cool.

However, it is a massive amount of money, enough to completely fund SENS, and an a couple orbital space stations, etc...

Maybe I should try to contact Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum and convince him to throw a couple of dollars towards life extension.

Any black diamonds? From the outside it looks like it couldn't be all that much of a ski slope.

Go for it!

Tell him that stem cells are the next oil and that an international biology research facility that rivals CERN would lead to Dubai becoming the capital of the world as medical tourists would flock there in droves seeking stem cell, genetic and other rejuvenation therapies. It'll be a $50 trillion dollar market and the country that gets their first and will have wealth and cities that make Dubai look like slums of sub-Saharan Africa.


Edit: fixed sloppy grammar mistakes and typos
Edited by maestro949, 12 September 2007 - 07:39 PM.

I doubt it. They only have 5 total runs, and the longest is only 400 meters (quarter of a mile), but it would still be neat, I think. (although I love snow skiing, so maybe it appeals to me more) Evidently the snow making technology they used is far superior to anything used before, and the snow is as close to natural as you will find anywhere. (and they get a perfect amount of snowfall every night)

Here are some of the stats from their site:
- 85 meters high (approximately 25 stories) and 80 meters wide
- 22,500m² covered with real snow all year round – (equivalent to 3 football fields)
- 5 different runs of varying difficulty and length, longest run of 400 meters
- Full capacity of 1500 guests
- Freestyle zone
- Permanent: 1/4 pipe snowboard area
- 3,000m² Snow Park with a snow cavern
- Quad chairlift, tow lift and flying carpets
- Mountain resort theme

Here are some pics pulled from their website of what it looks on the inside:

I looked at how much it cost, and it would be about $73 US dollars (after you do the conversion from United Arab Emirates Dirhams, AED) for a full day pass, which is pretty high (but I guess having a snow ski resort in the middle of the desert tends to bump up the price a little), but only about half that for a 2 hour pass. Since it is only 5 runs, I'd probably only do the 2 hour pass just to say I had done it.

I heard on NPR that there is an unspoken rule between terrorist organizations and Dubai--they don't hit Dubai because it is the Switzerland of the Middle East. That is to say, tons of financing/money for terrorist organizations sit in/are transfered through Dubai banks.

So there is honor among thieves.