The Example of Dubai

Globalization is the trend toward greater interconnectedness of the world’s financial, economic, technological, political, cultural, sociological, ecological and geographical systems. What can we learn from the example of Dubai and how can we apply this learning to our study of world issues? Defining Globalization:

 Dubai is part of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a collection of previously separate emirates (or Arab states) that joined together in  Unlike its six partners in the UAE and its neighbours, including Saudi Arabia & Iran, Dubai had relatively small oil reserves on which to build its future.  It therefore needed to take a different route to ensure its future prosperity. Dubai: A Profile

 The emirate of Dubai consists of the city of Dubai and a small surrounding area extending southward into the desert. The area of Dubai is approximately 4000 square km.  The population of Dubai was approximately 1 million in 2007, and has reached 2 million + in The majority of the population is made up of expatriates.  Only 19% of Dubai’s population was born in the UAE; 23% are from Iran or from Arab countries and 50% are from South Asia (most commonly from India and Pakistan), most of whom work in construction or basic services. The remaining 8% of foreign workers are from Europe, North America or East Asia. Most of these workers are in the professional, managerial or technical fields. Dubai: A Profile

1.Tourism : Dubai has developed into a ‘destination’ for travel and tourism by creating attractions to draw people to the city & establishing an attractive. Dubai’s climate makes it an attractive destination for visitors. Annual events include the European PGA golf tournament, tennis tournaments & the Dubai World Cup horseracing event. Dubai’s hotels are among the most luxurious & expensive hotels in existence today, catering to a Western clientele. The Burj Al Arab hotel is the world’s only 7-star hotel & rates start at $1500 a night. Becoming a Globalized City

Top Left: The Burj Al-Arab Hotel Bottom Left: Indoor ski and snowboarding hill in Dubai Top Right: Roger Federer and Andre Agassi, following a friendly tennis match on the highest tennis court in the world.

Top: The Dubai Mall, the largest mall by total area. Top Right: The Dubai Metro System, the first metro network in the Middle East. Bottom Right: The Atlantis: The Palm Resort located on its own private island in Dubai.

 In an effort to make Dubai a “Western-friendly” destination to visit/live, city leaders have encouraged the expansion of American& European retail & hotel chains into the city- state. Becoming a Globalized City Hotel ChainsFurniture StoresRestaurants / Fast-food chains Clothing Stores Four Seasons Crowne Plaza InterContinental Park Hyatt Fairmont IKEA Crate and Barrel Ace Hardware Versace Home Zara Home Burger King Jimmy the Greek McDonald’s Pizza Hut Subway Aeropostale Diesel Banana Republic Gap Costa Blanca Le Chateau

Dubai International Airport has become the main hub for travel between many destinations in Europe, Africa and Asia Emirates Airlines is the largest airline carrier in the Middle East and has gained a reputation of being among the most luxurious airlines in the world. 2. Air Travel

 Dubai is investing billions of dollars to become the business centre of the Arab world & a major player in world commerce.  To promote this goal, the emirate has a number of free-trade zones in which companies can operate free of import & export duties.  Dubai is also the home of a stock exchange, & hosts the head offices of a number of important banks in the Middle East. 3. Finance, Business

1. Creating a Globalization-Friendly Environment:  In an area infamous for political instability, Dubai tries to provide a high degree of stability for both investors and for visitors.  Although the official language of Dubai is Arabic, most residents speak English  Dubai is officially an Islamic entity, but tries to be tolerant toward the beliefs of most non-Muslims.  Examples:  Pork products & alcohol (forbidden in Islam) are served to non-Muslims in most hotels and restaurants.  Dress restrictions for both men & women are not as severe as in many neighbouring Arab countries.  Religious groups (with the exception of Jewish groups) are permitted to build houses of worship on land approved by the government. How Dubai is Doing It

 The city of Dubai prides itself on its ability to attract attention by creating an extravagant ultra-modern city state in the desert.  Dubai subscribes to the mantra of “bigger is better.” The city currently holds claim to the largest shopping mall based on total area (the Dubai Mall), tallest man-made structure (the Burj Khalifa at 828m or 2,717 ft) and world’s largest man-made islands (the Palm Islands). 2. Selling the Brand:

Above: The Burj Khalifa, currently the tallest free-standing building. Right: Palm Islands, the site of multi- million dollar amenities and estates.

Comparing the world’s tallest buildings and free-standing structures.

 The remarkable growth of Dubai could have occurred only with enormous amounts of foreign investment, both from foreigners in Dubai & by Dubai interests outside of the UAE.  Investors from the European Union, the USA, Japan & the Middle East have chosen to invest in Dubai due to its political security & the demonstrated possibility of profit. 3. Investment

 Dubai has achieved a remarkable amount in quite a short period of time, but at what cost?  Dubai’s remarkable achievements have been accomplished very quickly, but have been pursued with little regard for environmental sustainability.  To understand how sustainability is not happening in Dubai, we need only to focus on two vital aspects of the emirate’s development:  Water Use  Electricity production and consumption Sustainability in Dubai

 Rainfall in Dubai is very low, yet Dubai offers many water- intensive activities, such as water parks & championship golf courses.  Water usage in the UAE is among the highest in the world, alongside the USA &Canada. A significant difference exists between the Emirates & North America. Much of North America has abundant natural water resources, while the UAE has very limited water resources.  The UAE uses its natural rainfall resources very carefully. It has built 114 reservoirs to store winter runoff for later use, however, these reservoirs only count for 12% of the total usage. The remaining 950 million cubic metres comes from the desalinization (the process of removing salt) of sea water. Water Use

 Dubai uses large amounts of electricity for desalinization & supporting tourist infrastructure (i.e. air conditioning & snow-production).  Almost all of Dubai’s electricity is generated in modern thermal plants powered by local sources of readily available natural gas.  A result of this is that huge amounts of greenhouse gases are released. Between (no newer statistics are available), the UAE’s total carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions increased by 75%.  Arguably, too little regard for environmental sustainability is occurring to enable people to golf, stay at luxurious resorts and go skiing in the desert! Electricity Production / Consumption