A Dubai on the Atlantic?

Have you heard of "the new Dubai"? It seems like a contradiction in terms, considering that Dubai City itself is quite new (before 1971, there were no signs of that city on the Arabian Peninsula).

However, the "New Dubai" that I'm referring to is what the Senegalese government is calling its new capital, which will be located 150 kilometers North of Dakar, the present capital.

The city does not exist yet. On this remote stretch of coast, called Lompoul, Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade envisions a $30 billion "Dubai on the Atlantic," also called W.D.C. by its planners. Dubai World, the original Dubai's state holding company, will begin construction in Senegal next year.

The story was reported today, however a group of Gulf developers met with the Senegalese President this April in Dubai (the "old" Dubai) to discuss the "new administrative city" that was to be developed. Among the UAE business people in discussions were members of Dubai World as well as Tameer, a.k.a. Al Khaleej Development Company, which is also developing a $20 billion city in Libya.

President Wade's election in 2000 ended four decades of socialist rule, and since then has made Senegal attractive to foreign investors. However, he has faced criticism for not doing enough to end poverty and unemployment. Thousands of Senegalese people continue to risk their lives every year trying to reach Europe, and currently over 40% of the population is unemployed.

Reuters reported an interview with Ahmed Khalifa Niasse, the minister leading the project:

"In three years, the central government will no longer be in Dakar, but in the new capital. In the first two years, we expect 200,000 people to come, and three years later, 2 million. . .We think this new Dubai can be more attractive than the Dubai in the Gulf."

Senegal, a French-speaking country in West Africa, will model its new city on Maghreb styles, designed by a Parisian Architect. Plans for the city include Africa's first high-speed train linking Lompoul with Dakar, an eight lane toll road, and a Formula 1 circuit. Currently there are no direct flights from Senegal to anywhere in the Dubai area, which will change by 2008.

Sources: Reuters (Alertnet), Reuters (Africa), Overseas Property Mall