I think the best place to create a new Dubai or Singapore is the...
Tomas Pueyo@tomaspueyo
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Aug 24, 2026
~2 min read
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I think the best place to create a new Dubai or Singapore is the gorgeous alien-looking island of Socotra
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The island's nature is out of this world
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Dubai and Singapore both grew thanks to their ports: They're in the middle of huge shipping lanes, so they made their ports better and less taxed than any other in the area, and traffic ensued
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Socotra is in the middle of a traffic lane that's at least as good. But none of that traffic touches it.
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To bring this home, this is one of Singapore's two ports, and Socotra's in comparison (at scale)
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Why so puny? 2 reasons:
1. POLITICS
It's isolated. Mainland countries have had little influence over it
Recently, it was British until 1967, South Yemeni until 1990, then the civil war since 2014 means it was forgotten again
Recently, UAE and Saudi-backed forces contested it
1. POLITICS
It's isolated. Mainland countries have had little influence over it
Recently, it was British until 1967, South Yemeni until 1990, then the civil war since 2014 means it was forgotten again
Recently, UAE and Saudi-backed forces contested it
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2. ISOLATION & DESOLATION
The Portuguese occupied it & abandoned it, like the British 300y later. Why?
a. It gets very little rainfall (like Somalia & Arabia). No water➡️no food➡️small population➡️few exports
b. No great natural deepwater port. Dredging one is too expensive
The Portuguese occupied it & abandoned it, like the British 300y later. Why?
a. It gets very little rainfall (like Somalia & Arabia). No water➡️no food➡️small population➡️few exports
b. No great natural deepwater port. Dredging one is too expensive
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Was.
Both of these problems can be solved with technology:
1. Water can be desalinated
2. Machines can dredge ports
3. The energy for both can come from cheap Solar panels
For the 1st time in history, Socotra can develop—with enough investment and technology.
Both of these problems can be solved with technology:
1. Water can be desalinated
2. Machines can dredge ports
3. The energy for both can come from cheap Solar panels
For the 1st time in history, Socotra can develop—with enough investment and technology.
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This would have an additional benefit: Socotra is so beautiful that the UNESCO made it a world heritage site: ~37% of its plants, 90% of reptiles, and 95% of land-snails exist nowhere else on Earth. Unfortunately, they're at risk from overgrazing and careless construction
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The only solution is to make it richer. Kuznets curve shows that poor regions always destroy their environment. They need to be rich to care for it. A new jurisdiction in Socotra could be rich enough to not just protect, but improve its environment.
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How could such a new jurisdiction emerge? For that, we need to dream a bit. Here's my take, which I'm presenting to the @xprize
Would you be interested in seeing a series about this?
Would you be interested in seeing a series about this?
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@xprize So many uninformed in the comments: "White people shouldn't create more colonies."
Did Westerners create Dubai or Singapore?
Did Westerners create Dubai or Singapore?
