Some Perspective on the Greatness that is Dubai
Chris · April 01, 2008
The tourism industry in Dubai, U.A.E. is growing at an astronomical rate and there seems to be no end in sight to the massive hotel construction boom.
In 2006, over six million tourists visited Dubai, compared with 8.6 million who visited all of Egypt according to the World Tourism Organization. To accommodate these fast growing numbers, Dubai is building a new airport complex that is expected to be the world’s largest when completed in 2012.
I recently heard a statistic from a hotel director of human resources here in Cairo that completely blew me away: Dubai is going to need more than 26,000 more mid-level managers in the hotel industry alone over the next five to ten years. I asked her to repeat the number twice because it just wasn’t registering in mind.
Perhaps it stands to reason, however, that all the incredible growth, wealth and luxury that seems to be defining the Dubai experience might also come at a huge cost to the many thousands of foreign workers who are flocking to Dubai in pursuit of employment, and the promise of a better life.
Simon Clark is a writer for Bloomberg.com, and today he published a fascinating story that gives some balance to the incredible stories of wealth and success in Dubai.
If you are inclined to read an interesting alternate perspective on the current state of affairs in the U.A.E’s second largest Emerate, I highly recommend Simon Clark’s article titled ”As Dubai Millionaires Multiply, Money Masks Missing Liberties “.
