Masdar City

Due to the efforts of my colleague and friend, Dr. Jihad Awad, some students and faculty members had the chance to visit “Masdar City” in Abu Dhabi. Masdar is under construction at the moment, the goal is to create a “zero carbon city”. The introduction to the project was given by Juergen Happ, a german architect and partner of the british office “Foster + Partners”.

                                          Student's group

The first project as a result of the Masdar Initiative is a new six million square meter sustainable development that uses the traditional planning principals of a walled city like the city of Shibam in Yemen, together with existing technologies, to achieve  a carbon neutral  and zero  waste  community.  Masdar responds to the urban identity of 

                                           Top: Shibam , Masdar City

Abu Dhabi while offering a sustainable urban blueprint for the future. Launched in 2007, it is an ambitious project that will attract the highest levels of international expertise and commerce, providing a mixed-use, high-density city. The programe

Funds for Nakheel and Dubai World

Due to their outstanding contribution to the development of Dubai and the UAE, the Dubai-government decided on a USD 8 Billion injection for Nakheel, and USD 1,5 Billion for Dubai world. 

Many investors will be very happy to hear these news for the reason, they were invested in projects which are, due to the worldwide financial crisis, on hold. These projects will now be completed which creates more value to the Emirate at the same time. But it will not change the problem that there are as good as no new projects in the pipeline. On the other hand side it seems to be a good decision to finish running projects first, before turning to new developments. 

The "brand" Dubai was essentially driven by the implementation of the vision of its leaders, leading to a new urban development, which has not be seen in the world before. As far as the existing problems are under control the Emirate should not miss to turn back to its former strength which was, and still is, admired worldwide. For sure the principles have to change, but there are still a lot of challenges which can be tackled in the future leading to further successful, unique and worldwide outstanding urban developments.

Krisen und Konservative

die kleidervorschriften, speziell in den malls von dubai sind, schon seit einiger zeit, strenger geworden. jetzt wurde ein paerchen verurteilt (4 wochen haft, danach erfolgt die ausweisung), welches sich in einem restaurant gekuesst hat und dabei von einer emiratischen frau und ihren kleinen kindern beobachtet wurde. ein anderes paerchen wurde ebenfalls beim austausch eindeutiger sms "erwischt" (4 wochen haft), welche der ehemann der betroffenen beim scheidungsprozess in dubai als beweismaterial vorgelegt hatte.


es steht ausser frage, dass man als gast eines landes die moralischen und ethischen vorschriften einhalten und auf die befindlichkeiten der gastgeber ruecksicht nehmen sollte. interessant ist allerdings die frage was zur strikteren auslegung der hiesigen, geschriebenen und ungeschriebenen, gesetze gefuehrt hat und weiterhin fuehrt. ist es die alte weisheit, dass krise immer die konservativeren kraefte staerkt oder haengt es vielleicht damit zusammen, dass abu dhabi politischen druck auf dubai ausuebt um auslaendische, westliche, investoren und touristen nach abu dhabi zu locken indem man die gleichen vorschriften zukuenftig dort liberaler auslegt ?


man fuehlt sich etwas an die geschichte sharjah's erinnert, ein vor der finanziellen unterstuetzung von saudi arabien sehr liberales emirat. heute verfolgt sharjah eine konservative politik. es ist z.b. das einzige emirat in welchem alkohol weder verkauft noch getrunken werden darf. andererseits gilt sharjah heute als kulturzentrum der vae und veranstaltet alle 2 jahre eine der erfolgreichsten kunstbienalen weltweit.

Speech at UoS

Michael was invited to deliver a speech at the School of Architectural Engineering at the University of Sharjah. The presentation with the title "in the most general sense, a dynamic system is a tuple" dealt with the situation in Dubai since 2008. A projection "Dubai 2030" showed Michaels idea to develop mathematical models, based on the science of systems-biology, to create a generic city-model and its architecture for the future of the artificial situation Dubai.

Friday Morning

Its Friday Morning, 07.00 am. Time to meet the guys from Harley to have the obligatory Friday morning breakfast ride.

Today its going to “Khasab”, Terry tells me. Well, its a 1,5 hours ride when doing it alone, 3 hours when you join the group. Not to mention the procedure at the Oman-border which can take another hour easily. I think, I am not in. 

Klaus tells me his gearbox is broken, he will get back home and then having breakfast at the  “Mariott Courtyard”. I like this idea and Fritz, a hard working guy in his own garage, will join us as well.

At breakfast we are talking about family, friends, Harleys. And about Dubai. Fritz is living in a gated community he tells us. He liked to live there for the last 4 years, but now things changed. The rental prices are reduced. His villa was AED 330.000 per year. Everything was fine. Nice people, fancy cars in the Neighborhood. Meanwhile you can get the villa for 160.000 we learn from him. Now all the normal people move into the community. Huge families, a lot of noise, children playing on the road. And a lot of Corollas and Sunnys. Dubai really has changed, he says. He wants to leave back home as soon as possible. Buying a farm in the mountains. Get rid of all this. I tell him that cities need this Melange, it adds quality to live. And especially Dubai needs it.

Its 11.00 am. Breakfast is finished. “Are you in next Friday ?” “Most probably yes” Klaus says and Fritz will join us as well. Hopefully its not Khasab, its really to far for a Friday ride. 

Dubai-The Sustainability of operative artificial Systems

(translated from german, published in the scientific book "Umbau 25", Technical University Vienna, 2010)

This essay should be understood as one which looks into the wide field of the “sustainability discussion” from a slightly different point of view, an architectural and socio-cultural one, less then a technical one.  To reach this outstanding goal of a sustainable UAE, we have to start to analyze the condition of the entire society, its tradition, its culture and its challenges in a multicultural environment. We have furthermore to look into a future, which can not be compared with developments in the past in other cities worldwide.  

Until 2007 it was unthinkable for all people living in Dubai that the development of the city would soon come to a sudden breakup, like it happened midyear 2008. The vision

Remarks * to Michael Schindhelm, former director at the cultural authority Dubai, in the german press

These remarks are based on interviews and articles Michael Schindhelm gave to i.e. "financial times", "washington post", "der spiegel" and others, and on his book "dubai-speed". we were asked by several people to answer these interviews and articles and to show our point of view about the situation in Dubai at the moment. its not about a struggle, its more about the same experiences people have when they come to this country and its different interpretation.

Michael Schindhelm in his apartment at

Sheikh Zayed Road

Many things about Dubai could be read in the last weeks in the german press. Especially the former director at the “Dubai Culture & Arts Authority” of the Emirate, Michael Schindhelm, mentioned a lot of things regarding his work and his failure as the director of this institution in german media. In general the question could be asked,