It seems that UAE is literally nothing but high rises or skyscrapers (basically the same with Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia or Qatar) while Oman has none of that (since most of the infrastructure is marble white or using bright colors contrasting the sun), though they’re on an even playing field when speaking about their wealth. Is it because Oman has a different approach on how they spend their money or retain cultural heritage?
The UAE’s emirates and Qatar tried to build post-oil economies with a focus on their geographic position between Europe and East Asia. They have built large aviation logistics hubs and sought to develop their economies based on that leverage. This has pushed them into international business and tourism markets. Their luxury developments come from this strategic push.
Kuwait seems happy with its oil output, so it is providing its people with a suburban American experience, which seems to be popular with the local population.
Saudi Arabia doesn’t really have a deep long term plan, with most of its infrastructure projects being led by various princes trying to increase their clout within the country. Internal royal instability had made it hard for the country to have a long term plan like the smaller countries.
Oman seems to be trying to develop a post oil economy similar to the UAE and Qatar, but doesn’t seem to be directly competing against the two countries in similar industries. Part of it could be that Oman started later, so it had both an idea of what it would work as well as being pushed out of some industries. Another part is that Oman seems to have had more/different non-oil resources it could develop.
Too much money at once with no sustainability thinking. The purpose of building in UAE is 1. Showing off, 2. Creating a popular destination for visitors.
Glass skyscrapers are about the worst type of construction you can do in a desert. But that’s what was popular in the moment when the money came. And it’s easy to capture in photos, and make it look even more impressive.
Money compensates for shortcomings of the architecture. Massive amounts of power are needed to make those buildings livable.
When the Burj Khalifa was first constructed there’s a flaw, they didn’t install a proper sewer system. So what happened was that “poop” trucks showed up to collect waste in which is taken to a sewage plant. That only ceased when people demanded for a pipe to be installed connecting the building to the main sewer system.
They’re not on an even playing field, Oman has much less oil than other Arab nations. This means they have been thinking of alternate sources of income, such as tourism, for decades now, which had a big impact on the whole country.
What also helps is that the previous (now deceased) Sultan of Oman was schooled in the UK, and had some very modern notions of how the country should function. He basically guided it from a positively medieval country to a fairly modern one, striking a balance between progress and retaining the good things of their lifestyle.
There’s still plenty of things that could be better in Oman, such as the massive quality of life differences between native Omanis and Indian foreign workers, but in my opinion it’s one of the nicest countries in the world to visit. The people are wonderful (as long as you respect them, they are also proud), the nature is stunning, and their way of life is very laid back.
Source: have lived there a couple of years many decades ago and been back several times since.
It seems that UAE is literally nothing but high rises or skyscrapers
basically the same with Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia or Qatar
The cities are but they are just skyscrapers backing onto desert.
With the exception of Bahrain the urban buildup is pointless because they are not particularly densely populated. The skyscrapers are for vibes. Basically giant penis extensions.
They are some of the hottest and most inhospitable places on earth.You’ll find green spaces and some agriculture but these wouldn’t exist without desalination. For most of the year its impossible to be outside for any length of time. Without air conditioning, human habitation would be impossible.
And what powers the air con and desalination plants? Burning tonnes and tonnes of fossil fuels. The whole peninsula is an environmental disaster.
These places are not exactly known for being progressive, so it’s no surprise they follow a woefully outdated model of urban development.
I think it’s down to the fact that small places like - and are more able to - concentrate money on being showy, whereas if a country becomes larger it becomes harder to manage money or concentrate spending. For instance if Oman decides it wants to make its capital fancy, that’s leaving the other cities behind and there might be outcry from them; the UAE however is only about 5 towns in a close area.
The UAE does have 1 or 2 more antique cities east of Dubai, and someone claimed to me that they’re “Much nicer” on account of being left as historical relics. I think it’s subjective, but i’m guessing they’re less car dependent.
I don’t have a source but i think some of it might also just be leadership philosophy. Oman may be committed to not being extravagant with wealth and being more traditional than their northern peers.
Doesn’t Oman also have less access to oil than the teeny-tiny places, or am I imagining that?
Some illutrations would really help here.
History, culture and geography I guess.
Countries are different, even when they’re close together.
