1. Haroldo Moreira Junior
Class of English

2. Dubai City
Is this a mirage in the Middle East?

3. Dubai City is currently undergoing an unbelievable
transformation right in the heart of the Arab world.

5. Dubai, population one million, produces some of
the best modern architecture in the world.

7. Among the accomplishments are the Burj Al
Arab Hotel, considered the world’s most
expensive and beautiful hotel.

8. Dubai City is located on the
shores of the Persian Gulf. It is
the capital of Dubai which is
one of seven "Emirates" or
states that form a country
known as the United Arab
Emirates. The 'Emirate of
Dubai' is about the size of
America's Rhode Island.
Dubai City does not have a
particularly long history. Since
it is located in an unbelievably
harsh terrain, there have been
very few battles fought here
since no one wanted any part
of this land!

9. Dubai first gained distinction in
the 1800s as a stopover for ships
making their way to and from
England to India. Dubai was
under the protection of the
British Empire until 1971 when
Britain left the area peacefully.
Shortly after, oil was discovered
just off the coast. Suddenly
Dubai was rich beyond anyone's
wildest imagination. It was like
winning the lottery.

10. Dubai is a very unusual city for many reasons. The majority of
its population is from "somewhere else". Citizens of the UAE
are in a distinct minority.

11. Naturally the Muslim religion predominates, but apparently
religious tolerance is very high in this area which is rather
unusual given the state of the world today. As a result,
people of all religions feel welcome here.

15. One fascinating part of this bizarre desert city is the unbelievable
construction boom. Since 2000, Dubai's municipality has initiated a
plethora of construction phases and plans across the entire city of
Dubai. In many areas, it is not easy to see Dubai's sky without at
least one crane in your view; some say 16% of the world's large
construction cranes reside in Dubai. Construction in Dubai and the
UAE in general is being done at a much faster process than in any
Western country.