It stands almost 3 thousand feet in the air, and cost the city more than 1 billion dollars.

On the ground signs of Dubai’s wealth are apparent, as the police patrol the streets

in Ferraris, and Lamborghinis. So how did the Emirates, and Dubai in particular, get

so rich?

Well, the UAE is a federation of seven emirates, each ruled, in part, by its own Islamic monarchy.

Historically the UAE has been a prime location for international trade. Situated at the mouth

of the Persian Gulf, ships sailing around Asia and Africa made frequent stops there.

In the late 1950s, large oil deposits were found near the UAE’s capital of Abu Dhabi,

beginning a hugely lucrative oil industry. The oil deposits proved to be so vast, that

presently, they account for a tenth of the world’s total oil reserves. Crude oil exports

are responsible for almost $400 billion dollars of the UAE’s GDP.

But Dubai, by itself, isn’t very oil-rich. Reports indicate that in 2010, only around

1% of Dubai’s economy was from oil sales. So how is Dubai so wealthy?

Well, both Dubai and the entire UAE have a historically productive relationship with

the United Kingdom. This relationship granted them access to exclusive western investments

and partnerships . In 2000, the international credit boom helped the Emirates solidify their

place in the Middle East as a financial and cosmopolitan hub. Foreign investments poured

in for ambitious projects like the world’s tallest skyscraper, largest resort, and even

a series of man-made islands. Since then, tourism, trade, and retail has flourished,

attracting a large number of visitors and immigrants. Dubai was reported to be the world’s

5th most popular tourist destination in 2014. Additionally,there are no corporate taxes,

except on oil companies and foreign banks, making them an attractive business destination.

However, despite the flow of investments and a growing tourism industry, the late 2000s

global economic crisis hit the emirates especially hard. Real estate prices collapsed throughout

the area, and one study found that more than 200 construction projects were cancelled between

2009 and 2011. It got so bad that eventually, Abu Dhabi had to bail out Dubai with a $10

billion dollar loan. So yeah, Dubai is massively rich, but as we’ve seen in recent years,

there’s no guarantee it’ll stay that way.

Migrant labor abuse is a huge problem in the UAE and some of its neighbors. To learn about

the details of this issue, take a look at this informative video from our friends at

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