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Dubai is a trendsetter city with rapid modernization

Friday, September 7, 2018

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Dubai sees a slowdown in tourismAfter missing the opportunity to build an airport during his father’s rule, Sheikh Rashid with visionary leadership was keen to establish an airport in Dubai that would push the city into becoming a regional hub.

 

He believed that Dubai needed its own airport, and acquiring an open skies policy would make the city a regional center for aviation. Even with the lack of assistance from the British government, the Sheikh proceeded with the project. He thought that to maintain and expand trade links, certain infrastructure would be needed, and it was clear even during the mid-1950s that the commerce and industry would be utilizing air transportation. When the Dubai International Airport finally opened in 1960, it had a parking capacity of 500 cars, which seemed excessive for that time; however, just a decade later, the parking capacity needed to be expanded.

 
To quote Sheikh Rashid, “I’m not looking forward to next year, or even the next five years. I’m looking ahead perhaps 50 years. We’ve got money, so what is the point in keeping it in the bank? Eventually, we will definitely need more port capacity and in 20 years, this could cost us double or triple the price to build than it will cost us now.”

 
This was Sheikh Rashid’s statement when he was persuading his fellow majlis to build a new port in Jebel Ali. During this time, even some of the majlis did not find it beneficial for Dubai to establish a port in such a place. However, the Sheikh continued with this project in spite of having fewer supporters. It would be years before the Jebel Ali port will serve its purpose. But now it is the largest man-made harbor and the most productive port in handling ships. It is also among the top five busiest ports in the world.

 
Moving away from oil, which was the pivotal industry of Dubai, what would sustain Dubai’s economy would be trade and the tourism and hospitality industry. With the construction of the Dubai International Airport, the Sheikh envisioned a world where there is no Tokyo, Las Vegas, or Shanghai and Dubai had to be all of those. Even at present, the oil industry contributes around 2 percent of Dubai’s gross domestic product.

 
Through strategic thinking, planning of grand but feasible ideas, and investing in the absolute best infrastructure, Dubai was transformed into a trendsetter city.

 

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