Flying High In Dubai

It was on Tuesday, March 4, 2003, when I last walked the streets of Dubai City, the capital of the second largest of the seven emirates that in 1971 joined together in a federation, the United Arab Emirates (UAE). I thought I was in an Arab country but I quickly found out that of its roughly 2.6 million inhabitants, nearly 75 percent were foreigners of many nationalities. Most of them seemed to make a comfortable living, particularly in the fast growing boom towns of Dubai (1.14 mill.) and Abu Dhabi (475,000).

While the native Arabs are the ruling minority, most laborers come from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. Americans and Western Europeans provide managerial, technical, medical, and educational services. There may well be more Hindus and Christians in Dubai than Muslims. Expatriates can choose their entertainment from concerts by top Western musicians to cricket and rugby matches to a German-style Oktoberfest.

Huge oil and gas revenues have given the Emirates one of the highest per capita incomes in the world. Since these revenues were bound to decline, however, the country’s forward-looking royal leaders decided to use their wealth toward turning Dubai into one of the world’s leading trading ports and centers of finance and education.

According to the Dubai Ports Authority, it operates in the largest man-made harbor where the Jebel Ali Free Zone provides the most advanced maritime trading hub in the Middle East and serves as base of operations for some 3,800 companies from more than 100 countries.

To promote tourism, Dubai built “The Palm,” a development extending far into the Gulf and adding 120 km of shoreline, thousands of new homes and 40 new hotels. Having erected a sail-shaped skyscraper with the world’s only seven-star hotel, the Burj Al Arab, Dubai is now constructing what is to be the world’s tallest building at a height of over 500 meters.

Together with the world’s largest shopping center, this expansion is to create “the most prestigious square kilometer on the planet,” according to Dubai’s own advertisements. All those superlatives are obviously designed to attract more business and more tourism to a metropolis that has already some 250 hotels. An American I met at one of the city’s classy country clubs suggested the Emirates’ national bird ought to be the construction crane.

Already in operation are the Dubai International Financial Centre, the Dubai Internet City, now combined with the Dubai Media City. and the Dubai Knowledge Village for education and training. As an American, you quickly feel at home when you see the large presence of such corporations as IBM, Microsoft, Oracle, or EMC Corporation, and media organizations such as CNN, AP, and Reuters. The country’s links to the world are bolstered by the fast growing Emirates Airlines and the Dubai International Airport which carries over 12 million passengers a year.

“What’s good for business is good for Dubai,” said Sheikh Rashid who, from 1958 to 1990, guided his country toward exemplary prosperity in the Arabian desert and in one of the world’s most unstable regions. He wanted Dubai to be wide open for traders and tourists alike. It is probably still easier for foreigners, including money launderers and terrorists, to get into the UAE than into any other country. That is its strength and its weakness.

The Emirates’ government, as well as private elements, may well support the anti-Israeli resistance of Hamas and Hizbollah because they see them as fighting to free the Middle East from decades of oppressive foreign occupation. The U.S. Congressmen who routinely denounce Dubai and its Ports Authority with their anti-Arab invectives do America a distinct disservice. If they would take the time to study this outpost of free enterprise, they would quickly learn that its prospering people want more trade, not terror, more business, not bigotry.

Wolf D. Fuhrig	Home	03-12-06
Flying High In Dubai
It was on Tuesday, March 4, 2003, when I last walked the streets of Dubai City, the capital of the second largest of the seven emirates that in 1971 joined together in a federation, the United Arab Emirates (UAE). I thought I was in an Arab country but I quickly found out that of its roughly 2.6 million inhabitants, nearly 75 percent were foreigners of many nationalities. Most of them seemed to make a comfortable living, particularly in the fast growing boom towns of Dubai (1.14 mill.) and Abu Dhabi (475,000). While the native Arabs are the ruling minority, most laborers come from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. Americans and Western Europeans provide managerial, technical, medical, and educational services. There may well be more Hindus and Christians in Dubai than Muslims. Expatriates can choose their entertainment from concerts by top Western musicians to cricket and rugby matches to a German-style Oktoberfest. Huge oil and gas revenues have given the Emirates one of the highest per capita incomes in the world. Since these revenues were bound to decline, however, the country’s forward-looking royal leaders decided to use their wealth toward turning Dubai into one of the world’s leading trading ports and centers of finance and education. According to the Dubai Ports Authority, it operates in the largest man-made harbor where the Jebel Ali Free Zone provides the most advanced maritime trading hub in the Middle East and serves as base of operations for some 3,800 companies from more than 100 countries. To promote tourism, Dubai built “The Palm,” a development extending far into the Gulf and adding 120 km of shoreline, thousands of new homes and 40 new hotels. Having erected a sail-shaped skyscraper with the world’s only seven-star hotel, the Burj Al Arab, Dubai is now constructing what is to be the world’s tallest building at a height of over 500 meters. Together with the world’s largest shopping center, this expansion is to create “the most prestigious square kilometer on the planet,” according to Dubai’s own advertisements. All those superlatives are obviously designed to attract more business and more tourism to a metropolis that has already some 250 hotels. An American I met at one of the city’s classy country clubs suggested the Emirates’ national bird ought to be the construction crane. Already in operation are the Dubai International Financial Centre, the Dubai Internet City, now combined with the Dubai Media City. and the Dubai Knowledge Village for education and training. As an American, you quickly feel at home when you see the large presence of such corporations as IBM, Microsoft, Oracle, or EMC Corporation, and media organizations such as CNN, AP, and Reuters. The country’s links to the world are bolstered by the fast growing Emirates Airlines and the Dubai International Airport which carries over 12 million passengers a year. “What’s good for business is good for Dubai,” said Sheikh Rashid who, from 1958 to 1990, guided his country toward exemplary prosperity in the Arabian desert and in one of the world’s most unstable regions. He wanted Dubai to be wide open for traders and tourists alike. It is probably still easier for foreigners, including money launderers and terrorists, to get into the UAE than into any other country. That is its strength and its weakness. The Emirates’ government, as well as private elements, may well support the anti-Israeli resistance of Hamas and Hizbollah because they see them as fighting to free the Middle East from decades of oppressive foreign occupation. The U.S. Congressmen who routinely denounce Dubai and its Ports Authority with their anti-Arab invectives do America a distinct disservice. If they would take the time to study this outpost of free enterprise, they would quickly learn that its prospering people want more trade, not terror, more business, not bigotry.

Wolf D. Fuhrig

Home

03-12-06

Flying High In Dubai