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Emirates Airline at the Dubai Airport
The President of the UAE is Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum is the ruler of the Governorate of Dubai and also the Vice President and Prime Minister of the Federal Government of the UAE. The Office of the President is held by the Ruler of Abu Dhabi according to the Constitution of the Federal Government of UAE. 
On 2 December UAE celebrated its 43rd National day. It is important to state that there are virtually no controversies among governorates unlike in other federal states (Eg. disputes among states over resource allocation by the central Government as in India).
The development of the oil industry rapidly changed the economic and social landscape of the UAE. The commercial activities of Abu Dhabi and Dubai had a spillover effect on other governorates where oil is not found but the spirit of entrepreneurship spread across the country taking cues from the business models of Abu Dhabi and Dubai. There was greater demand for educational needs for the local population and the UAE federal Government embarked on a massive literacy movement to educate the local population.
The real estate economy of Sharjah, Ajman, Ras Al-Khaima, Um Al-Quwain are all now linked with Dubai. No single city can live in isolation and is inextricably linked to each other’s economy. The rapid development of infrastructure such as highways, airports, ports, free trade zones and other key economic centres really pushed the Dubai’s economy on par with global economic standards.
Many multinational companies set up regional operational hubs in Dubai in an effort to cater to other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) members such as Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman and Kuwait. Halliburton, DHL courier service, J. Ray McDermott, Bechtel, KBR, GE, Flour Corp of US, Saipem of Italy, Atkins of UK, Technip of France, Hyndai and Daiwoo of South Korea are some of the global companies operating from Dubai and serving the markets in GCC countries, Africa and other oil rich Central Asian economies such as Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan etc. Dubai enjoys special relationship with Great Britain and there are thousands of Britons employed in UAE.
Iconic Dubai
Dubai has been a commercial and shipping hub for many decades and has seen rapid economic progress in the Gulf region. Dubai has become the catalyst for change and its cosmopolitan landscape has been copied by other Gulf States (E.g. Palm Island). The rapidity with which Dubai was developed was attributed to the political acumen and the spirit of entrepreneurship displayed by the ruler of Dubai.
Sheikh Mohamed Al Maktoum is a visionary who never stops at making Dubai identified with ‘superlatives’ such as the ‘world’s biggest’ the ‘world’s tallest’, the ‘longest’, etc.
Dubai has become the world’s number one destination, surpassing Paris, New York and London. The rapid urbanisation, business-friendly culture, rule of law (a woman can travel alone in public transport and in a taxi at midnight without any harassment), liberal entertainment industry, liberal attitude respecting the cultures and religions of millions of expatriates who come from over 150 countries, really made Dubai attractive as a center for business operations.
The Dubai Police has proven to be an effective police force. Criminals are apprehended within hours, demonstrating its ability, superior technology, resolve and ‘no-nonsense’ policy when enforcing the law. The Dubai Metro and Public Transport operate in a far superior way to their Sri Lankan counterparts. The culture of discipline can be seen in abundance. Road rules are strictly observed and revenue collection has been fully automated. The moment a vehicle exceeds the speed limit a charge is debited automatically to your annual vehicle licence renewal fee and the charges provide the time and location the transgression occurred.
Burj Khalifa
Branding Dubai
The positive message of Dubai spread across the globe and investors and tourists flocked in millions and this enabled the economy to absorb income from the tourism and aviation-related industries. The revenue from tourism and the travel trade contributes to around 20% of the GDP.
The best-known landmarks are the Burj Khalifa, seven star Burj Al Arab Hotel, Dubai World Central Airport and Dubai Mall. The Burj Khalifa is the tallest tower while rivals in other countries are now trying to surpass the Burj Khalifa. The Dubai Mall is the world’s biggest shopping Mall. Dubai Drydocks is a ship repair and building company which began its operations in 1971 during the time the federation was formed and it has now become a world-class organisation.
Dubai Ports World (DP World) is the operating company of Port of Dubai and had an ambitious desire to acquire the US operations of the port management business of British-owned P&O Company. The acquisition ran into a political quagmire and US politicians claimed national security concerns and thus watered down an otherwise ambitious program of the DP World.
Even the President of Zim Shipping Line of Israel spoke in support of the DP World acquisition effort, endorsing the immaculate security and working relationship with Dubai. The UAE Government provides logistical and other facilities to the US Department of Defence and the UAE is a key ally of the US and has been active in support of US defence policy in the Gulf region.
The Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) is a retail merchandising event with many attractive incentives, discounts and raffles intended to boost the retail industry. DSF usually commences in January and its primary mission is to attract tourists from across the world.
Dubai World Central – The Economic zone
Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International Airport will be the world’s largest passenger and cargo hub with six runways. The economic zone comprises Residential City, Logistics City, Enterprise Park, Commercial City, Aviation City, Staff Village and a Golf City. These infrastructure facilities are built on the basis of a secure economy that can predict the revenue hence none of these structures have ever remained idle and have always been a hive of activity. Dubai’s economic planning is well in line with its projections hence infrastructure investment is justified.
Emirates Airlines
Emirates Airlines, owned by the Dubai Government, commenced its operations as far back as 1985 with a relatively small fleet of aircraft and it has now become the largest airline in the Middle Eastern region and the fourth largest in the world.
It operates a fleet of 221 aircraft flying to 142 destinations across all continents. Emirates Airlines has made steady progress in expanding the fleet operations and destinations in keeping with the market demands of the economy. Emirates Airlines made use of the synergies emerged from the rapid progress of the economy of Dubai and also regional economic developments especially within GCC countries. Emirates Airlines has a proud history of deploying the most modern aircraft and an immaculate safety record. Currently Emirates Airlines operates the biggest fleet of Airbus Superjumbo A380s and Boeing 777 aircraft.
Expo 2020 Dubai
Expo 2020 is a global trade event scheduled to be held in Dubai. The Dubai Government made a valiant effort to secure the opportunity to host Expo 2020 in Dubai and the City of Dubai is currently being transformed to meet the demand expected in 2020.
The bid for Expo 2020 was made possible due to existing infrastructure, style of governance, credibility, track record, testimonials, sustainability efforts and the credentials of a Government which has proven to be ambitious in transforming the city of Dubai. It is estimated that nearly 400,000 jobs will be created either directly or indirectly as a result of infrastructure modernisation and developments. It is expected that 25 million visitors will be attracted by the event. This has now skyrocketed housing and apartment rentals and has spilled over to adjacent governorates where millions of expatriates are living and travel daily to Dubai for work. Dubai is truly a case study in urban planning and economic development.
(This writer is a freelance journalist and a government affairs consultant. He is a registered member of the American Association of Political Consultants)
