My Return to Dubai: The Middle East’s City of Gold

I recently returned from a weeklong stay in Dubai in the Gulf region of the Middle East.

I had first visited Dubai in 2013. At that time, Dubai’s stunning skyline, world-class hotels and global aspirations blew me away. If anything, Dubai’s ambitions seem to have grown since.

One of seven members of the United Arab Emirates, Dubai has positioned itself as the gem of the Middle East — a peaceful pioneer of economic and social success that serves as a model for the rest of the Arab world. Once a small fishing village, Dubai obtained its independence from the British only in 1971.

What it has accomplished since then is remarkable.

Dubai punches far above its demographic weight. When I first visited four years ago, it had a population of 1.8 million. Today, Dubai’s population has hit 2.72 million, and will roughly double again by 2030. It is not a typical city. About 92% of Dubai’s residents are expatriates — mostly guest workers from Asia and a tight cadre of foreign professionals, enjoying the benefits of no personal income tax.

I was overwhelmed because of its architecture and impressive organization.

I was embarrassed when I compared it to the threadbare and downtrodden airports that greet foreign visitors in New York and Washington, D.C.

Despite its tiny population, Dubai has an airport that welcomed a record 83.6 million passengers in 2016.