Arabian Sand Castles : Reinventing Dubai for the Tourist

It is estimated that the oil and natural gas reserves of Dubai, one of the seven emirates of the United Arab Emirates, will be almost completely depleted in 25 years. This realization has led to a radical shift in the economic development of this oil rich Persian Gulf city-state from reliance on the energy industry toward diversification. Tourism, once thought to be a risky venture in the Middle East, has become the single most important industry in the emirate. Within a relatively short period of time, it has completely transformed Dubai into a city whose existence almost completely revolves around the visitor. This, coupled with the rapidly expanding expatriate population, has created an incredibly diverse city striving to redefine its identity as a new player in the global community. This paper examines the nature of the tourist infrastructure and its relationship to the residents of Dubai and the United Arab Emirates. It focuses on Dubai’s development of high profile projects built to allure tourists and recreate its identity in a global community. It will also explore the impact on the local Muslim population whose traditional way of life is also being transformed by Western influence brought about by tourism and the expatriate communities.

Volume Editors
Marilys R. Nepomechie & Robert Gonzalez

ISBN
0-935502-54-8