In the folk legend of Dick Whittington, the titular character moves to London, believing that the streets are paved with gold, and that even the poor can make a fortune. But one luxury destination has taken the saying a bit too literally and has announced plans to create the world’s first gold-paved street. 

Long billing itself as the ‘City of Gold’, the controversial destination is home to Dubai’s Gold Souk, one of the Emirates’ oldest traditional markets. This is set in Deira, one of the city’s older parts, away from the huge skyscrapers and mega-resorts beloved by tourists.

The street will be part of Deira’s new Dubai Gold District, aiming to cement the city’s reputation as a destination for luxury goods. It’ll also be a major draw for those in the jewellery industry, with over 1,000 shops selling gold items in addition to perfumes, cosmetics, and expensive designer gear.

Many local brands will be included, as well as international companies such as Joyalukkas, who have two branches in London and plans to open a flagship store. There are also plans for six new hotels, adding 1,000 additional rooms to the area.

Other than the new gold street, plans for the district are mostly being kept under wraps for now, with further announcements set to be revealed in stages.

Dubai is known for its record-breaking buildings that often grab the headlines. Earlier this month, a £730 million plan to build the world’s tallest building, beating the current structure of Burj Khalifa, was announced.

The Dubai Creek Tower was supposed to be built pre-Covid, with the pandemic putting the mega project on hold. Speaking at the Dubai International Project Management Forum, Emaar Properties founder, Mohamed Ali Alabbar said: “We built the Burj Khalifa and continue to enhance it—most recently by upgrading its lighting.

“As Dubai reaches extraordinary heights, words are not enough. We must build something truly special. The tender for the Creek Tower will be offered in three months. We have changed the design, even though the previous one had already been announced.”

However, Saudi Arabia aims to clinch the title of world’s tallest building with the Jeddah Tower, which is planned to be the first building in the world to hit 1km (about 0.6 miles) in height. The project is part of a £20+ billion project known as Kingdom City.

In recent months, a Dubai expat shared a video showing the reasons Brits should avoid moving to Dubai. While many Brits are tempted by the sunshine, the YouTuber who has lived in the megacity for more than four years explained that the summer brings brutal weather.

He also revealed that the cost of living has hit the area hard, doubling his rent during his time overseas, and that he missed home comforts such as proper fish and chip shops.

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