The richest city in the world...

I apparently live in the richest city in the world. It is a construction site at the moment, a city that’s literally being built from the sand up, but the wealthiest place on Earth nonetheless.

However, progress is not happening as fast as it did in Dubai(which led to the crash). All the plans are in place (and they’re incredible... just google ‘Abu Dhabi 2030 Plan’ and you’ll get the picture) to make it one of the most beautiful and exciting destinations in the world. But things in this Emirate are far more considered. It is going to be astounding though. Masdar City, a new development here, will be the first zero carbon, zero waste city in the world once it’s built - a combination of insane engineering, the most cutting edge technology available to the human race, and a huge amount of foresight and wisdom.

Abu Dhabi alone produces almost 10% of the entire world’s oil supply (you know, the stuff that has messed up the planet, contributed to global warming around which the world revolves - enormous carbon-footprint generator and contributor) - AND it’s only about 67 500 square kilometers big! (As a comparison, South Africa is well over a million square kilometers.) Tiny place. HUGE cash-flow that all comes from that black stuff under the sand’s surface. But they think big here. And they really actually seem to care about the environment.

It’s not actually that far-fetched to comprehend that the Arabs give a damn about the land itself. Less than 40 years ago, Abu Dhabi was little more than an oasis and the people that lived here were Bedouins. You’ve got to admire those folk. Seriously. Them and Eskimos. Why oh why would you even want to live in places of such harsh extremities? There are loads of other places on our planet that are much, much easier to live in.

Anyway, survive the Bedouins did, thanks in no small part to their connection with the animals and plants of the region. There’s centuries of heritage here and the government regularly pays homage to the land that sustained them for so long before the discovery of oil.

Enough with the philosophical history lesson, but still on the topic of the richest city in the world: Yesterday an ATM machine that dispenses gold bars was unveiled at the Emirates Palace Hotel. Thank goodness! I was getting worried because I couldn’t find anywhere that would give me my daily fix of bullion.

Don’t believe me? Check it out.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/unitedarabemirates/7720491/The-ATM-that-dispenses-gold-bars.html