Govenrment and Business Environment Case Study

Dubai: Shifting From Oil to Tourism, Transport & Trade

OR

Abstract:
In the early 1990s, it was discovered that the known oil reserves of Dubai, one of the seven emirates that comprised UAE, would exhaust by 2016. This led the government of the city state to look for new growth opportunities. Accordingly, the government of Dubai decided to reduce its dependence on oil as a major contributor to the GDP and focus on other areas of the economy. The case starts with a brief history of the emirate and then goes on to its growing prosperity due to the discovery of oil. The subsequent section attempts to highlight how the government of Dubai transformed the emirate from a fishing settlement to a hub of tourism, trade and transport. The concluding section raises a question regarding the state’s ability to ensure political and civil stability which Dubai was exposed to.

Pedagogical Objectives:

• To understand the transformation of Dubai into a modern industrial city and a leading investment destination
• To discuss how Dubai reduced its dependence on oil and focused on other areas
• To assess Dubai’s efforts to shape up sectors like tourism, trade and transport
• To analyse how Dubai gradually built up its attractive infrastructure.

Keywords : Government and Business Environment Case Study,Dubai, Dubai International Airport, Dubai shopping festival, Emirates, Abu Dhabi, Dugas, Burj Al Arab, Dubai Duty Free, Jebel Ali Port, DP World, Desert miracle, The Palms, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Dubai World Trade Centre, Port Rashid