The city of Dubai is fast becoming a sophisticated
hub for the Arab world, internationally renowned
for its extravagance and splendour. Boasting the
world's most luxurious hotel, this jewel of the
United Arab Emirates will soon be home to the
planet's biggest shopping mall, largest airport and
tallest skyscraper. When it comes to innovative
architecture, exclusive beachside resorts and
world-class events of all kinds if it's challenging
and exciting, it's likely to be found in Dubai
An Arab visionary
Manifestations of this dazzling city's wealth are evident to visitors even
before they arrive. Flying in over the Arabian Gulf, the city's magnificent
sail-shaped icon, the self-rated "seven-star" Burj Al Arab hotel, catches your
eye. Still more prominent is the Palm Jumeirah residential and tourist
development on reclaimed land, a massive cluster of islands and peninsulas
designed in the form of a palm branch. Dubai sparkles and its beauty is
overwhelming—even before you step through customs!
Dubai International Airport offers an impressive atrium, with Rolex
clocks on the walls, polished marble floors, high ceilings and columns inlaid
with gold. Customs officers in traditional Arab garb (white dishdashah
robes, gutrah head-dresses) stamp your passport with a smile.
The freeway into the city is lined with palm trees and early morning
traffic, lanes of Land Cruisers and limousines stretching as far as the eye
can see. The desert sun reflects brightly off of the golden dome of the
Grand Mosque and the two Emirates Towers skyscrapers, the focal point of
the city's central business district.
"Five years ago, hardly any of this was here," says my taxi driver in a
tone mixed with pride and regret as we pass the Emirates Towers on the
Sheikh Zayed Road. "Buildings like these are built very quickly in Dubai. This
city is growing so fast, it seems like it gets busier everyday."
The Sheikh Zayed Road is the backbone of Dubai, stretching from one
end of the city to the other. Formerly a humble dual carriageway, this eight-
lane highway began emerging from the desert only 15 years ago. Running
adjacent to the city's pristine beaches and coastline, it stretches past
spectacular skyscrapers, shopping centres, Ferrari, Maserati and Jaguar
dealerships, the office buildings of numerous multinationals and even a
Hard Rock Cafe. As you drive along, you'll also see the massive Mall of the
Emirates (with 400 shops, the largest shopping centre in the Middle East)
and billboards touting up-and-coming property developments. Everywhere
there are metre-high portraits of the emirate's ruler, His Highness Sheikh
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
Dubai is now the fastest-growing city in the United Arab Emirates, with
more than 1.1 million residents; but it didn't spring up out of the desert
sands overnight. This bustling metropolis, now the international focal point
of the Arabian Gulf, is the product of more than 20 years of intensive
economic and social development.
The present-day city of Dubai is the brainchild of Sheikh Rashid bin
Saeed Al Maktoum, who ruled the emirate until his death in 1990. Following
the discovery of oil in 1966, Sheikh Rashid used oil revenues to finance the
development of Dubai as a commercial hub in the Gulf region with
Singapore as a model. Among other things, he established a strong
import/export industry for the region by constructing a large seaport. In
the process, he transformed a small trading and fishing community into a
world-class, international tourist and business destination.
Sheikh Rashid was indeed far-sighted. Oil reserves in the richest of the
seven United Arab Emirates—Abu Dhabi—show no signs of abating, but
Dubai's oil reserves are dwindling fast. The emirate currently processes
roughly 200,000 barrels of oil per day, but its wells are expected to run dry
within five years. Even now, oil production accounts for a mere 6 per cent
of Dubai's revenue.
