Yes, I recently finished Spec Ops the Line. I absolutely loved it.
I really love the destroyed Dubai as the stage for a game, it’s really iconic.
I was just wondering if there is a possibility that something like that might happen IRL? Of course, it looks like the sandstorm that destroyed in the game was massive, but is it possible? Or is more probable that the sea drowns the city when the sea levels rise up?
To be clear, I’m not wishing for the destruction of any mayor city. Just wondering if it’s a realistic scenario.
It is a lot more probable that the sea swallows Dubai.
Haboobs (big sandstorms) are common in that part of the world, but they noted more for the sand rather than the wind speed. Cyclones can hit Dubai, but I can’t recall a cyclone collapsing in a manner that would trigger a haboob. Even then, it is likely that the city is designed to withstand a cyclone and there generally isn’t anything in engineering codes to add to wind pressure for the presence of sand.
In contrast, as I mentioned, cyclones can hit Dubai. You also have potential issues with coastal flooding as a cyclone can push water from the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman into the relatively small Persian Gulf; this was a major cause for coastal flooding caused by post-cyclone Sandy to the New York City area. Worse for Dubai, it has destroyed a lot of its protective coral reeves by building the two Palms and the World. This can cause erosion of the seabed in front of Dubai, potentially causing greater problems with coastal flooding.