Dubai: The next city of Tatooine?

Only from the 124th floor of the Burj Khalifa (the tallest man made structure to date at 828m) is the mirage of the Kingdom of Dubai finally broken. No matter how improbably vertical these gleaming extrusions become, their scale is incomparable to the seemingly infinite, dusty landscape that extends away towards a blurred horizon.

From above, away from its  synthetic civic spaces, the cityscape of Dubai resembles a settlement of advanced life forms on a hostile planet. In order for life to persist, it seals itself off from its environs, and develops highly artificial modes of existence.  Defensive clusters of geometric forms are laid out on this sandy canvas, bound together with ribbons of tarmac and concrete. Vast resources are consumed, and water, air, city and culture are simulated. Like Tatooine  (the desert planet ignored by the Old Republic) the climate of Dubai is unforgiving. Within these burning terrains of shifting sand dunes and swathes of wilderness, water and shade are scarce.

Planet Dubai

However, on Tatooine, the native life forms are hardy creatures who have developed robust methods of survival. The Jawas and the Tusken raiders roam the desert, scavenging for survival, living in subterranean environments. In Dubai, it is not the natives but the migrant population who suffer beneath the burning sun to build the next gleaming palace, robed in air-tight blue garbs and orange plastic hats.

Dubai's native life forms?

Tatooine is permeated by a number of high-traffic hyperspace routes. Like Dubai, the planet’s economy is largely based on catching the custom of passing trade, and its port cities have become busy trading posts frequented by travellers heading elsewhere. But out of the reach of the Galactic empire, this arid zone is dominated by Jabba the Hutt’s powerful criminal empire, whose smugglers, gangs and bounty hunters have given the planet a bad reputation. Jabba’s cartel is eventually destroyed, but what will be the fate of Dubai once the seemingly endless streams of wealth running into Dubai are eventually depleted?

Dubai celebrating Dubai