How Dubai Went From Desert Village to Global Player

[Sally]

When you have loads of money, I imagine you can do things like this.


The emirate has made a splash with headline-grabbing projects—not all of them built

The strategy behind Dubai’s transformation has been to go big and bold. PHOTOUNCAN CHARD/BLOOMBERG NEWS
By
NICOLAS PARASIE
April 24, 2016 10:09 p.m. ET
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Dubai’s ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, once summed up his ambitions for the city in a simple sentence: “We want to be No. 1.”

In recent decades, Dubai has sought to transform itself from a regional trading post and minor oil producer into a global investment and tourism hub—and a haven in a part of the world often associated with geopolitical conflict.

The strategy behind the emirate’s goal has been to pursue the ultraluxurious and futuristic, the big and the bold. Dubai has said it wants to become the smartest and most sustainable city, but what has made it known world-wide is over-the-top projects like an indoor ski slope.

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How Dubai Went From Desert Village to Global Player