From the Sands to the Stars: Rise of Dubai

Tourism has become a global vehicle for economic development and diversification, and it has become a vital part of economic policy objectives for many regions and countries in both the developed and developing worlds. Tourism has also emerged as a major source of worldwide economic growth. Many cities' economies and physical structures have been changed as a result of property-based tourist-led development. Dubai, with its appealing "sun-sand-sea" ecology, has risen to become the Middle East's most popular tourist destination (Deffner & Liouris, 2010). In order to improve its image as a major leisure-tourism destination, the city has built trade centers, conference facilities, and theme parks in addition to hotel, entertainment, and retail complexes. Despite the challenges, Dubai authorities have embraced international tourism as a key component of their economic diversification strategy (Henderson, 2006).

Non-oil GDP development has become one of the most significant goals of oil-exporting Arab countries, particularly the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, in recent years. Non-oil exports, FDI inflows, and tourism are the main non-oil revenue sources. The UAE has had consistent economic growth over the last four decades, attributable to the production and sale of oil, but more especially to Dubai's role as a commercial hub. Tourism contributed 68.5 AED to the country's gross domestic product in 2016, accounting for about 5.2 percent of overall GDP (Yas et al., 2020). The contribution of travel and tourism to the UAE's GDP (percentage of GDP) was 10.9 percent and attracted a record 16.7 million tourists in 2019. Dubai has evolved from an oil-and-hydrocarbon-dependent economy to a fully diverse one.

Dubai Tourism Strategy 2020 was developed in 2013 as a strategic roadmap with the goal of attracting 20 million visitors annually by 2020. The goal of the strategy is to make Dubai the "first choice" destination for worldwide leisure and business travelers. As part of an endeavor to cut the cost of doing business and attract investments that match with government initiatives to stimulate the economy, Dubai will waive the bank guarantees required to establish tourism enterprises. Dubai Tourist intends to quadruple the tourism sector's contribution to Dubai's overall GDP in addition to luring 20 million visitors to the city. The tourist industry in Dubai has seen a 12 percent increase in visitor numbers. The growth of Dubai's tourist strategy has been based on a number of elements, notably His Highness, Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum's visionary leadership. Many residents believe Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum is in charge of Dubai's next phase of development. Sheikh Mohammed was involved in the building of many of Dubai's most well-known landmarks, including the Burj Khalifa, Emirates Airlines, and the Palm Islands. He is in charge of creating the "Dubai Vision 2010," which aims to attract the world's best companies to help Dubai transition to a knowledge-based economy. (Matly & Dillon, 2007).

The Palm Islands, which include the artificial islands of Palm Jumeirah, Palm Jebel Ali, and Palm Deira, are the visible result of land reclamation in Dubai. The palm tree had been the main source of food and shelter for the residents of Dubai for generations, and as a result, each of the islands was built in the shape of a palm tree. Property developer Nakheel, which is behind developments such as Dubai's palm-shaped islands, made $1.2 billion in profits in 2018, down from $1.5 billion in 2017.

The Burj Khalifa, also known as the Khalfah, is a mixed-use skyscraper in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and is the world's highest building. In 2016, the developer of the more than 160-story Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest tower, achieved a net profit of $1.43 billion. Emaar chairman Mohamed Alabbar that the company achieved $1.8 billion in profit and close to $5 billion in sales in 2017.

The seven-star hotel Burj Al Arab has been proudly standing on its own private island just off the Jumeirah seafront. The interior of the Burj Al Arab is perhaps even more stunning than the exterior. The Burj Al Arab took five years to build: two years to create the artificial island on which it stands, and three years to construct the hotel itself. The Burj Al Arab has been proudly standing on its own private island just off the Jumeirah seafront. Showers adorned with 24-carat gold tiles Eiderdown duvets harvested from abandoned duck nests in Iceland. Menus on pillows. There are thirty different types of marble. The Milky Way is represented by a ceiling made of 21,000 Swarovski crystals. There are some examples of the beauty of this luxury hotel. The Burj Al Arab took five years to build: two years to create the artificial island on which it stands, and three years to construct the hotel itself (Chilton, 2021).

If you stop in any parking lot of any mall or building in Dubai, you will see a fleet of the most recent models of Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Rolls Royce or Porches! Furthermore, it is known as the City of Gold for a reason.

Dubai has benefited by improving the economy, which has benefited not only Dubai but the entire Emirates. People have put a lot of money into hotels and other companies to guarantee that they meet the needs of travelers. The growth of Dubai as a tourism destination is still underway, and more research is needed to assess underlying policies and monitor its evolution. Some difficulties exist, and new ones may emerge, ensuring that the future will be filled with formidable obstacles.

References:

Chilton, N. (2021, October 13). Burj Al Arab: Legendary hotel opens to non-guests for first time. CNN. Retrieved October 16, 2021, from https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/burj-al-arab-dubai-hotel-tours/index.html.

Deffner, A., & Liouris, C. (2010). the ‘ Creation ’ of a Tourist Destination : a Success Story or a ‘ Generic ’ Place ? the Case of Dubai . Http://Www-Sre.Wu.Ac.at/Ersa/Ersaconfs/Ersa10/ERSA2010finalpaper847.Pdf, 1–21.

Henderson, J. C. (2006). Tourism in Dubai: overcoming barriers to destination development. International Journal of Tourism Research, 8(2), 87–99. https://doi.org/10.1002/jtr.557

Matly, M., & Dillon, L. (2007). Dubai strategy: past, present, future. Harvard Business School, 1–20.

Shadab, S. (2018). Tourism and Economic Growth in the United Arab Emirates : A Granger Causality Approach. IOSR Journal of Business and Management, 20(4), 1–6. https://doi.org/10.9790/487X-2004030106

Yas, H., Mardani, A., Albayati, Y. K., Lootah, S. E., & Streimikiene, D. (2020). The positive role of the tourism industry for Dubai city in the United Arab Emirates. Contemporary Economics, 14(4), 601–616. https://doi.org/10.5709/ce.1897-9254.431