Human Flower Project
Trumpomania
Glitz-prince of the U.S. lends his “brand” to a floralish hotel project in Dubai.
Palm Trump International Hotel and Tower, Dubai
construction scheduled to start in 2006
Dubai, one of the fastest growing cities on Earth, “is emerging as a hub for business and tourism. The number of tourists doubled in 1999-2004 to reach 5.4 million.” Rushing to compound the boom, the United Arab Emirates has turned to a blond velvet-Elvis: Donald Trump.
The U.S. real estate mogul and boss from hell is lending his “brand” to Emirates developer Nakheel for several projects off the Dubai coast, notably The Palm Trump International Hotel and Tower. An artist’s rendering shows a cylindrical building hidden among huge gold shields: “resembling a flowering tulip.”
The hotel will be built, starting next year, on the “trunk” of a palm shaped island, one of several in a man-made archipelago the development company has planned. (Declining to put a price tag on the project, Nakheel doesn’t need Trump’s money. It belongs to the UAE’s crown prince.)
“The joint venture gives Nakheel exclusive rights to build Trump-branded properties in 20 Middle Eastern countries.”
Semper Augustus tulip sold for 6000 florins in the 1630s
40 times the average annual income in Holland
Image: Wikipedia
Although gambling is currently illegal in the United Arab Emirates, Trump’s name conjures images of one-armed bandits and roulette wheels: he’s built several casinos in Las Vegas and Atlantic City. And while a tulip may have been selected for its consonance with “Trump,” more to the point, this is the Middle Eastern flower that set off tulipomania in 17th century Holland, perhaps the most notorious gambling epidemic in history. Many Netherlanders went bust in wild sprees of speculative trading, paying as much as a year’s income for one rare tulip bulb. (Red and white striped Semper Augustus sold for 6000 florins, 40 times the average yearly income in Holland at the time.)
Why pay for a name that blinks “Gambling” if you’re not planning to cash in on it? We figure that Nakheel and its princely owner have changes in store.
Comments
Wow, we have some pretty amazing stuff from Dubai ourselves. Sort of like Vegas on steroids….
Till I read the article I thought that there was going to be a casino there. It looks a bit like one, but thats about it as you have confirmed that gambling is not allowed. If you have time take a look at some of the older pictures of Dubai and see how quickly it has grown, its phenomenal how much of a difference you can see between 2000 and 2008.
I am a Apprentice fan, so seeing Donald Trump coming here to invest in real estate was a real treat. I found more information on the Palm Trump International Hotel and Tower here.