Day 3 - Monday May 16th

This morning we went to the DCC offices and began with a lecture by Mr. Mazen Hallak, the DCC Projects Coordination Manager. He taught us about reading and understanding different types of construction drawings. We learned about the three basic drawing types which are Architectural, Structural and MEP (Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing). Within these drawings there are five stages which are Design Stage, Tender Stage, For Construction Stage, Workshop Drawings and As-built Drawings. We used drawings from the villa designed by the son of Mr. Yabroudi, Hassan, to further understand the concepts that were taught to us. Later on, we had a quiz to reinforce the concepts that we learned in the Health and Safety lecture from yesterday.

The afternoon was devoted to a tour of popular sites in Dubai. The first place we went was the Madinat Jumeirah, Jumeirah City. We visited the souk, the Arabic word for a market, which was full of vendors of many fine products. We were able to get a great view of the Burj al Arab, one of the most luxurious hotels in the world.

Next we drove to Old Dubai which was across Dubai Creek. On our way we stopped at the Dubai Museum where we learned about the progression of Dubai throughout the ages.

Old Dubai is a much smaller section of the city filled with many souks and areas of trade. We walked through the Gold Souk, which was a very interesting experience. You could not walk 20 feet without a salesman coming up to you trying to sell knock off products of all makes including Rolex, Louis Vitton and many others. Sean attempted to barter with a man for a “silk” rug but they could not agree upon a price. Our last stop of the day was the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world. We went up to the viewing deck on the 124th floor which was about 2/3 the way up to the top. The views were amazing. You could see for miles in any direction. It was great to learn more about Dubai and an unforgettable day.