Here's a link to the official Death of Satwa website.
I have previously alluded to my deep fondness for Satwa, the last outpost of real 'organic' community living, where you can truly live out your dreams in a realistic and not unpleasant mix of cultures and communities. Since November last year, it's been clear that Satwa is going to become Squishwa.
Now we can see the whole awful thing in 3D renderings and gushy newspaper stories about the wonderful Dhs 350bn megaproject. The coverage is unsullied by a single critical word.
There's no doubt that the plans are amazing. The buildings are breathtaking. And I'm sure we all feel suitable astounded and dwarfed by it all. We're all pretty impressed down here, I can tell you.
The project will, according to Gulf News, 'redefine living in one of the most popular neighbourhoods of Dubai'.
GN doesn't go on to say why Satwa is one of the most popular neighbourhoods of Dubai: it's one of the few places where many people can afford to live. It's 'real' and has great places to wander around, eat and shop in real streets, not malls. It's close to the beach and sits bang between Deira and 'new Dubai'. It's got location, location, location without the mad rental price tags.
The new project will certainly be redefining things for all of us currently living and working in Satwa. It'll be redefining us the hell out of here to make way for some nice, planned, communities just like Jumeirah Beach Residence.
I am so very happy.
7 comments:
And what exactly are the existing residents supposed to do? Just move out? Have you received any such notification?
Precisely the case: purchase orders have been made by Dubai Lands Department, landlords have been refusing to renew tenancies and whole swathes of the area have already been demolished with more to come.
That's the breaks...
Ok just read your older post on Satwa... didn't know it was such a significant part of Dubai. Pity that it will be replaced with a forest of concrete.
What really gets my goat, so to speak, is the total hypocrisy.
We have the vast majority of "locals" who swagger around in their 5 litre camel coloured Caddies whingeing about how "their" culture is being eroded while they dole out CPOs on one of the two remaining - and only ever were - beating pulses of Dubai.
And what are they going to replace these real communities that provide a heady melange of life and ~living~ - with?
I'll tell you what - godforsaken, anonymous, bling bling tower blocks that make Milton Keynes look like bloody paradise.
Oh well, when the ivory towers all fall down within 20 years, the "locals" will be able to sleep happy in the fact that they have created the Gorbals of the Middle East. They've already managed to create the world's largest bloody council estate in the Springs.
Now where did I hear that Dubai was on the World Bank watch list because of its debt approaching USD $700 ~billion~?
One day the big bad wolf is going to come along.... and he'll huff and he'll puff and he'll..... oh, the irony!
Mad? You bet I am.
Savage of Satwa
To be fair...99% of locals don't really have a say in these developments.
It's an absolute disgrace the Satwa plan, with Karama apparently next on the radar.
However, I hear quite a lot of interesting things about the power and influence that Abu Dhabi could be wielding over Dubai in the next 10 years.
Calm down dear, it's only a commercial.
It'll take 12 years to complete - in developer's own words, which means 22 1/2 years with no joined up sewage network in the end - and HAS to be done in many, many phases. There are simply not enough consultants, project managers or contractor around to service a project like this, in addition to Mohammed Bind Rashid Gardens and Dubailand and and and.
I'm sad for Satwa and sadder still for my barber who lives there and my hardware store.
But then I discovered that I happen to know one of the developer's directors.
Moneymoneymoney!
nick I fail to understand why you complain about these projects dude... without them, you wouldn't be here! What I hope is that you take all this knowledge and ur solutions into your work and contribute to making this world a better place ;-)
and re: moneymoneymoney.. err... are u here for the weather?
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