Dubai is a beautiful city to visit. It is a cosmopolitan city that has been exposed to
innumerable cultures. The number of languages spoken is one of the many proofs
that show the cosmopolitan nature of the Dubai city. Despite this the city has
succeeded in conserving its rich culture and heritage.
Since the formation of the United Arab Emirates in 1971, Dubai has developed
rapidly from an oil and gas based state to a broadly based market economy. A 30
-year development plan has provided substantial investment in education and
infrastructure (transport and telecommunications) and has led to rapid growth in
trade and inward investment. Dubai offers a world-class airline (Emirates Airlines),
world-class tourism (over 30 five-star hotels and the world's first seven-star hotel,
Burj Al Arab) and world-class sporting events: The Dubai World Cup (the world's
richest horse race), the Dubai Desert Classic (golf) and the Dubai Rugby Sevens.
Recently, Dubai has established Dubai Internet City and Dubai Media City,
providing the regional hubs for IT (notably Microsoft and HP) and media businesses
(Reuters and CNN). In September 2003, Dubai hosted the 2003 Annual Meetings of
the Boards of Governors of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary
Fund.
The success of Dubai and its economy is the result of dynamic and visionary
leadership, an ultra-modern and efficient infrastructure, the absence of government
bureaucracy, and a diversely skilled, well educated, multi-cultural and multi-lingual
workforce. It has an abundant supply of housing for expatriate professionals, and
excellent schools and centres of further education.
The UAE population is 4,104,695, of which 20.1 per cent are UAE Nationals in last
year's census compared with 2,411,041 in the last census conducted in 1995.
All this has made it one of the fastest growing cities in the region, and one of the
world's most prominent centres for business and leisure.