Case Study: Dubai Flashcards
Why is Dubai’s geographical proximity important to its growth?
It’s geographical proximity to India made it an important trading centre between Asia and Europe and many traders eventually settled there in the city.
Why did the population of the Dubai city quadruple from 1968 to 1975?
1966 oil was discovered- foreign workers flooded into the city to work in construction and oil production.
Industrial and port development followed as Dubai creek was dredged to improve accessibility- this allowed large ships to access the city and a new port was built at Jebel Ali (the biggest in the middle east).
It was known Dubai’s oil reserves would not last, so how was the money used to diversify the economy to promote growth?
A free economic zone was set up adjacent to the port, offering tax incentives to international businesses. Global businesses such as Microsoft, IBM and CNN located there, attracting both domestic and international workers to the area.
How has tourism been a massive importance to Dubai’s growth over the last 10 years?
The Dubai government is investing heavily in tourist infrastructure and hopes to attract millions of tourists a year.
Huge construction projects which require a skilled foreign labour force have contributed to doubling Dubai’s population since 1993.
Less than 20% of the 1.4 million people who live in Dubai are native.
