Allison (Allie) Boler is one of the chief travel co-ord's and correspondents for the BSAC Travel Club (you can find their detail on the BSAC forum). Allie and I have been in contact recently over a number of Middle Eastern (Oman, Dubai etc.) dive resorts of late, and after one of our convo's, she's kindly come back to me with the following news about diving in Dubai! Check it out:
"Bren,
An interesting aside on diving Dubai: Saw an article in the press last week about the amazing Palm Islands being built in Dubai at the moment.
The first is at the Jumerirah Beach resort and will extend 10 miles out to sea at completion in 2005 have various hotels and villas etc on it, all in the shape of a palm tree.
Its already visible from space as they build up the foundations.
The second one is being built at Jebel Ali and is even bigger - complete in 2007. This one will incorporate a "divers world" with a whole city beneath the sea to be explored including a Boing 707 (not sure, it might have been a 777) which has already been sunk to form one of the artificial reefs, and loads more, they are spending BILLIONS.
Anyway, the interesting little twist is that every day for
the first year anyway, a member of the ruling Royal family (or representative of) is going to drop a 1kg gold brick into the water - finders keepers!!
I've added a link to the (BSAC) website about the first island which is already well on the way. You can see the satellite pix.
So, what was the viz like in Dubai?
Not sure what it will be like after all this construction...
Allie "
Related link: Palm Island
http://www.palmisland.co.ae/enter.html
[Bren wrote]:
So, if the National Lottery isn't cutting it for you, get in amongst it in Dubai!!! (Neil Bedwin, you could see me and Fi coming back over to see ya in Muscat mate, ask Irene to have the kettle on!;-)