Zouérat Islamic Federation

[Cantona_21 3]

Reading this Journal makes me want to create an Arabic region.

Brilliant as always.

[BurroDiablo 222]

Wow, this is a beautiful CJ, great work!

[Benedict 3,119]

Another unique update - I love the contrast between the two realities of stunning islands and garbage dumps.

[elavery 1,013]

Replies:

City_Master: Thanks, those sea walls are pretty awesome.

emperordaniel: Thanks!

vivapanda: I am glad you like the island.

Cantona_21: I think Arabic regions can be done quite well in SC4.

BurroDiablo: Glad you like the CJ.

Benedict: There are many different sides to the Mahibadhoos!

Our journey through the Mahibadhoos towards the capital of Dhiraagu continues with the island of Hithadhoo, about 2 kilometres (1.2 miles) west of the capital. Hithadhoo is one of the larger settlements in the Mahibadhoos with about 8000 people living on the island. Due to its proximity to the capital, Hithadhoo is relatively developed, particularly compared to the island of Maeenboodhoo which we visited a few weeks ago.

Due to soaring land values in crowded Dhiraagu, some companies have decided to relocate to Hithadhoo. This gleaming new office building was built to accommodate these companies.

Hithadhoo also has the best football stadium in the Mahibadhoos outside of Dhiraagu. Victory SC, the most succesful Mahibadhian club outside of the capital play at this stadium.

Hithadhoo, despite being densely populated, still however retains some great beaches and places to escape the hustle and bustle.

Until next time, farewell from the Mahibadhoos.

[Charlie_Zane 963]

That island looks very nice and developed, that port area looks great! Love that office building

[simlink 1,098]

Beautiful as always, I really like the look of the island. Keep it up!

[vivapanda 422]

That's a nice developed island!

[Jack³ 291]

Wow, that port looks great! I think I may try something like that...

[Benedict 3,119]

I love the bigger boat surrounding by the smaller ones. And we're heading to the capital? I'm looking forward to that!

[elavery 1,013]

Replies:

City_Master: Yes, that office building really stands out in this context, even though it is primarily used as a filler-type building by most city builders.

sim_link: Thanks for your comment as always.

vivapanda: Thanks for being a regular visitor to the Mahibadhoos.

jack3oh3: I look forward to seeing your attempts at a similar port.

Benedict: We are getting ever closer to the capital which I promise will be the most amazing update yet. Probably a couple of weeks away yet.

Dhiraagu International Airport is located on the island of Hulhulé, just 1.4 kilometres from the capital, Dhiraagu. The island is largely reclaimed and in considered an administrative ward of Dhiraagu. The airport is served by multiple airlines regularly and then many charter airlines on a more sporadic basis.

Emirates Airlines offers flights once a week to fellow Zouérat Islamic Federation members Gharbiyya and Dhahran and also to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

Saudi Arabian Airlines offers flights once a week to Jeddah and Riyadh.

Monarch Airlines offers charter flights from Luton, Birmingham, and Manchester in the United Kingdom.

Etihad offers flights once every two weeks from Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.

Qatar Airways offers flights once a week to Doha.

While Dhiraagu International Airport may not be the busiest airport around it is a vital link between the Mahibadhoos and the rest of the world and enables the tourist industry to flourish. Tourists can catch a boat directly from the island of Hulhulé to their resort island, most of which can be reached in an hour at most.

In the next update we will continue our look at the island of Hulhulé and the International Airport.

[Charlie_Zane 963]

that airport looks amazing! I'd like to book a flight there but looks like theres no direct flights form Australia

[Cantona_21 3]

Airport looks awesome! Cant wait for the next updates.

[elavery 1,013]

Replies:

City_Master: A direct flight from Australia would be a very long flight. Your best option would be to fly from Dubai or Abu Dhabi.

Cantona_21: Thanks, another update is here.

Today we visit Dhiraagu International Airport on the island of Hulhulé for the second and final time. Today you will see the cargo terminal...

...the Hulhulé Airport Hotel, the Domestic terminal, and the International terminal.

Here you can see the newly-built Control Tower on the Eastern side of the island.

And finally, another mosaic.

[simlink 1,098]

Love the look of the airport and how it is surrounded by water... nice job!

[Charlie_Zane 963]

Great looking airport! is it risky to have a runway right near water?

Looks great, and i'll have to go Dubai and then to Dhiraagu International Airport then

[elavery 1,013]

Replies:

sim_link: Thanks, I love airports by the ocean.

City_Master: Glad you have sorted out your travel plans. Despite its setting, Dhiraagu airport has had very few accidents.

Just a hint of what you will be seeing in the next update when we visit the capital city of the Mahibadhoos, Dhiraagu. More soon.

[Charlie_Zane 963]

wow, great teaser! You've got me waiting!

That modern buildings looks great against those other buildings. Can't wait for the next update!

[elavery 1,013]

Replies:

City_Master: Thanks! Hope you enjoy today's update.

Dhiraagu is the capital and most populous city in the Mahibadhoos. With a 103,000 people crammed into 6 square kilometres (2 square miles), Dhiraagu contains a third of the Mahibadhian population and almost every Mahibadhian at some point either lives in or visits the city as it is the center of all administration and bureaucracy. The population has increased 80,000 in the last 25 years. The city of Dhiraagu is the only ordinary Mahibadhian city that tourists are permitted to visit and experience the traditional Islamic culture of the nation.

In the mosaic below you can see the bustling port on the northern shore of the island and the marina where tourists enter the city. Tourists can immediately immerse themselves in the main business district of the city and Jumhoree Maidhaan - the central square which is bordered by the National Islamic Centre, the National Military Headquarters, and the National Police Headquarters. Just behind the National Islamic Centre is the Sultan Park - the national garden of the Mahibadhoos. Jumhoree Maidhaan has been the center of much protest lately as the Mahibadhian people have been fighting against government corruption and poor living standards.

Also near Jumhoree Maidhaan is the ancient Friday Mosque - the oldest structure in the country with its historic graveyard.

Across the street from the Friday Mosque is Muliaage - the Presidential Palace which is also a historic building. Contrasting both the Friday Mosque and Muliaage is the Velaanaage Office Building, the largest and most modern office structure in the nation.

In a bid to improve living standards and happiness on the island the government decided to construct a man-made beach to offer a small escape from the hustle and bustle of the cramped capital. The man-made beach was built on reclaimed land and is a hit with the locals - most tourists leave their beach-going until they reach the resort islands.

By night, Dhiraagu continues to bustle with the entertainment tonight being an international football match at the National Stadium between the Mahibadhoos and Cape Verde.

Over at Jumhoree Maidhaan, the green glow of the Presidential Palce illuminates the night sky.

Please join me next time as we continue our tour of Dhiraagu.

  Edited June 10, 2012 by elavery  

[IL. 1,043]

Where do you get those BATs?

Your CJ is amazing!

[Charlie_Zane 963]

That man-made beach looks amazing!

All the park areas in the city look great!

[Benedict 3,119]

Amazing lighting on the soccer field and corner retail/office building.

[elavery 1,013]

Replies:

IL.: Which BATs do you mean? If you are interested in the spanish colonial buildings they can be found here http://descargas.cap....net/?sitio=csc. Just type colonial into the search feature.

City_Master: I was very happy with how the beach turned out - it took a bit of terraforming to achieve the desired result.

Benedict: Those BATs do look good at night.

Today we continue our tour of Dhiraagu, the capital city of the Mahibadhoos. Dhiraagu is an extremely crowded city but as you can see, there are a few areas reserved for recreation - these basketball and football courts being a good example of this.

Dhiraagu has a sizeable commercial port that is the second biggest in the country. Banidhoo, which we saw in an earlier update has the nations biggest port.

Another spot of recreation, Henveiru Stadium (capacity 500) which is home to local soccer club Eagles FC and acts as a training ground for the Mahibadhian national team when the National Stadium is unavailable.

For now, another Mahibadhian day comes to a close under the glow of the National Islamic Centre.

[SimCoug 5,976]

Wow! I wish I could add more, but I want to go back and look at your pictures again. Great update.

[Fox 1,444]

Love all those mosaics!

Especially the harbour lots and the playground on the foreshore.. very cool and realistic.

I still love the private beach too.

[Charlie_Zane 963]

Wow! I love those ports! With the curved edges wow! The city is crowded, but that brings more life into it! I love all the advertising in the city shots, looks great!

[vivapanda 422]

I can't find ayny words to describe how much I like this!

[simlink 1,098]

Fantastic mosaics... they're huge! Always nice to see an update. Really like all the ports.

[petriknl 15]

Awesome mosaic! The sea dotted with small boats is so real.. I can almost hear sailors shout to other boats

[elavery 1,013]

Replies:

SimCoug: More pictures for you to look at today.

Fox: I love mosaics too!

City_Master: Dhiraagu is indeed very cramped and crowded. You will a good idea of just how crowded it is today with a shot that shows the entire island.

vivapanda: Glad you liked the update.

sim_link: I would make the mosaics even bigger if I could.

petriknl: It is the little things like boats that make all the difference.

A couple of mosaics today which prominently display the National Sports Complex which contains basketball and tennis courts, football training fields, and the National Cricket Stadium. Cricket is a rapidly growing sport in the Mahibadhoos, despite being one of the lowest ranked national teams.

And finally, a mosaic which shows the entire island of Dhiraagu; I think this shot shows just how crowded the capital city is. The small size of the island is popular with tourists as they can walk the entire city and experience centuries of Mahibadhian culture in one afternoon before heading off to the resort islands

(Please treat the following image as unofficial as I don't consider its appearance to be up to the standards I wish to set in this CJ - unfortunately the sea walls I use do not look great at this zoom level and some of the buildings have a strange appearance also).

[vivapanda 422]

Awesome work! I actually like the last picture, it's a bit straight edged but it shows your intentions very well (: