The Making of Dubai's Success Story

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There is a fact of life in Dubai which speaks volumes about the future of the Gulf's most dynamic emirate.

Every week, planes full of visitors from across the world touch down at Dubai International Airport. Many of them have come on professional shopping missions. The $1,000 million they are reputed to spend each year gives a substantial boost to the re-export trade of the emirate. But the travellers' true significance is that they represent in a single form the commerce and tourism the leaders of Dubai are aiming to attract as the emirate prepares to face a future without oil.

The rise in visitor traffic has not happened spontaneously or by accident. Conscious of the need to generate income outside the oil sector and develop productive jobs for future generations, the government of Dubai has worked hard for a decade to make the city what it is today. The aim for the future is to make Dubai a world-class base for leisure and business.

The city has long been established as one of the leading Gulf …