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Amanda Roraback's World in a Nutshell |
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Articles
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DUBAI |
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The emirate of Dubai can boast more superlatives than Donald Trump: its Emirate Towers are the tallest in the Middle East, the Burj Al Arab Hotel is the only hotel in the world with a 7-star rating and it has the largest manmade harbor in the world. In 2008, Dubai is also expected to be home to the world’s tallest building: all unlikely accomplishments for a country that abuts one of the largest sand deserts in the world. For centuries, Dubai has grown rich as a trade hub between the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea. Its wealth grew after the 1966 discovery of oil, although today oil only accounts for less than 10 % of the country’s income. The rest comes from finance and tourism. Businessmen are drawn by Dubai’s generous tax laws (the area is free of income tax and many standard western taxes) and top-rated conference facilities, tourists come for the shopping, trade fairs and sporting events. Dubai is also a popular destination of workers from India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and other poorer countries lured by job opportunities. Combined, it is estimated that nearly three quarters of the people residing in Dubai come from other countries, and less than half of those are female. Since 1833, the emirate has been led by members of the Maktoum family which was instrumental in creating the 1971 federation of seven neighboring emirates, or Trucial States as they had been called since entering a truce agreement with the British Government in the 1830s. The resulting United Arab Emirates has operated as a single entity from that point on, and boasts its own collective superlatives, for instance, it has one of the highest percentages of foreign-born people in the world (only 19% are actual Emirati) and it has been deemed one of the fastest growing countries in the world. According to the CIA Factbook its unemployment rate is 2.4% compared to the U.S. at 4.8% and its Gross Domestic Product per capita is estimated at $49,700, in the U.S. its $43, 800. But its reputation as an oasis of modernity in the Middle East and its relatively liberal atmosphere is what gives the emirates their distinction. For Iranians, the personal freedoms and economic stability make Dubai (only a 25 minute plane ride away), a perfect cosmopolitan alternative to Europe and the United States, and a convenient portal through which traders can skirt trade sanctions imposed on Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. For Westerners, the luxuries and party atmosphere make Dubai an exotic alternative destination that has attracted such diverse celebrities as Ludacris, Naomi Campbell, David Beckham, Michael Jackson and Tiger Woods, who reportedly hit golf balls off the Burj Al Arab’s helipad into the Persian Gulf. So if you’re looking for something original to do on New Years, how about toasting in 2008 with champagne in the world’s finest crystal flutes at one of the world’s top 10 restaurants, in the world’s tallest hotel, built in one of the fastest growing cities.
United Arab Emirates (UAE):
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