I spent a week in Dubai in 2007 to put together a report on prospects for selling engineered timber products into the UAE and even though it was at the height of the boom, I ultimately advised caution for engineered timber while recommending we did look at some options to sell other timber merchant and DIY driven products (not my area of expertise).

The main reason was about the poor prospects and potential return for engineered timber in a concrete dominated marketplace, but I did write in my report that I was ultimately not sure how long this boom would last at such an intense level! I was at a bar one night on the phone back to the UK and was stood outside and counted 13 tower blocks all above 30+ storeys under-construction in my 180 deg view. I remember thinking, who is going to live and work in these concrete edifices given the then population, this must at least slow down.

It looks like other areas of the Middle East where a little more cautious of rapid growth, not least the next door Emeritae of Abu Dhabi, who construction market has held reasonably steady because it never put itself in a position for a big fall.

I see the swear filter changed the words 'sad w*nker' to 'cartoon' in the thread heading.

what a shame.

Ramrod hits Dubai

Looks like Brid

dubai doesnt have the oil reserves to fall back on like the rest of the UAE. Abu Dhabi have bankrolled a lot of the development in dubai but that bubble has burst. Abu dabhi looks like its starting to go down the same route with the GP circuit although they have billions of barrells of oil to back up their plans.

Wow hello gang, just returned from scoping the place and looking for some suitable dwellings for the wife and little Ramroders.

Stunning place and you are correct, feeling the impact of jumping up the social ladder too quickly for its own good, but hey that's why I'm going, its the new land of opportunity my friends and I for one won't miss the UK - the land that opportunity has now forgotten!!

I doubt no body would miss Bradford no matter where they went in the world!

Good luck anyways

Yep. Got your maths right there.

I've still never seen anyone post from quite so many IP addresses as Mr Ramrod, I don't think there are any left in the UK that he hasn't used, its almost like he goes into an internet cafe, uses them once and then gets told to never come back again...

He is loaded afterall!!

That list is pretty impressive isn't it?

He must have a different IP address for each room in his Bradford mansion.

They can be pretty tetchy about people soiling the screens.