Globalization:

1. Globalization: The Example of Dubai

2. Global Village - Original concept that the globe has been contracted into a village by electric technology & the movement of information from every quarter to every point at the same time. Now refers to the idea that we are all interconnected as a global community – Thus, globalization.

3. Defining Globalization: • Globalization is the trend toward greater interconnectedness of the world’s financial, economic, technological, political, cultural, sociological, ecological and geographical systems. • What can we learn from the example of Dubai and how can we apply this learning to our study of world issues?

4. Dubai: A Profile • Dubai is part of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a collection of previously separate emirates (or Arab states) that joined together in 1971. • Unlike its six partners in the UAE and its neighbours, including Saudi Arabia & Iran, Dubai had relatively small oil reserves on which to build its future. • It therefore needed to take a different route to ensure its future prosperity.

5. Dubai: A Profile • The emirate of Dubai consists of the city of Dubai and a small surrounding area extending southward into the desert. The area of Dubai is 3885 square km, approximately ½ the size of the GTA. • The population of Dubai was approximately 1 million in 2007, but it is growing rapidly. The majority of the population is made up of expatriates (people who go to other countries to work.) • Only 19% of Dubai’s population was born in the UAE; 23% are from Iran or from Arab countries and 50% are from South Asia (most commonly from India and Pakistan), most of whom work in construction or basic services. The remaining 8% of foreign workers are from Europe, North America or East Asia. Most of these workers are in the professional, managerial or technical fields.

6. Becoming a Globalized City • Tourism: • Dubai has developed into a ‘destination’ for travel and tourism by creating attractions to draw people to the city & establishing an attractive infrastructure (i.e. exclusive shopping locations, hotels, restaurants, an underground / aboveground Metro system). • Dubai’s climate makes it an attractive destination for visitors from Europe & Japan, offering indoor skiing & snowboard facilities, championship golf courses, attractive water parks & luxury resorts. • Annual events include the European PGA golf tournament, tennis tournaments & the Dubai World Cup horseracing event, as well as offering attractive retail opportunities for tourists. • Dubai’s hotels are among the most luxurious & expensive hotels in existence today, catering to a Western clientele. The Burj Al Arab hotel is the world’s only 7-star hotel & rates start at $1500 a night.

7. Top Left: The Burj Al-Arab Hotel Bottom Left: Indoor ski and snowboarding hill in Dubai Top Right: Roger Federer and Andre Agassi, following a friendly tennis match on the highest tennis court in the world.

8. Top: The Dubai Mall, the largest mall by total area. Top Right: The Dubai Metro System, the first metro network in the Middle East. Bottom Right: The Atlantis: The Palm Resort located on its own private island in Dubai.

9. Becoming a Globalized City • In an effort to make Dubai a “Western-friendly” destination to visit/live, city leaders have encouraged the expansion of American& European retail & hotel chains into the city-state.

10. 2. Air Travel • Dubai International Airport has become the main hub for travel between many destinations in Europe, Africa and Asia. A second airport, the Dubai World Central International Airport, will be the largest airport in the world. • Emirates Airlines is the largest airline carrier in the Middle East and has gained a reputation of being among the most luxurious airlines in the world. It operates over 2,400 flights a week to 105 cities in 62 countries on 6 continents and includes among its fleet, some of the largest civil aircraft ever built in order to accommodate non-stop transatlantic flights from Dubai to Los Angeles, San Francisco and Houston.

12. 3. Finance, Business • Dubai is investing billions of dollars to become the business centre of the Arab world & a major player in world commerce. • To promote this goal, the emirate has a number of free-trade zones in which companies can operate free of import & export duties. • The business district in Dubai has attracted important companies including major software engineering firms such as Microsoft, and IBM, as well as media conglomerates such as CNN • Dubai is also the home of a stock exchange, & hosts the head offices of a number of important banks in the Middle East.

13. Dubai has created a “Knowledge Village” to allow several universities and colleges to open campuses in the city & is home to close to 150 private and international schools catering to the expatriate population. • Given its large expatriate population, football (soccer) and cricket are the most popular sports in Dubai. In 2005, the International Cricket Council (ICC) moved its headquarters from London to Dubai. The city has hosted several Pakistan matches &two new grass grounds are being developed in Dubai Sports City. • Dubai has expressed an interest in hosting the 2020 Olympic Summer Games, hoping to be the first Middle Eastern country to host the Olympics.

14. How Dubai is Doing It • 1. Creating a Globalization-Friendly Environment: • In an area infamous for political instability, Dubai provides a high degree of stability for both investors and for visitors. • Although the official language of Dubai is Arabic, most residents speak English • Dubai is officially an Islamic entity, but is tolerant toward the beliefs of most non-Muslims. • Examples: • Pork products & alcohol (forbidden in Islam) are served to non-Muslims in most hotels and restaurants. • Dress restrictions for both men & women are not as severe as in many neighbouring Arab countries. • Religious groups (with the exception of Jewish groups) are permitted to build houses of worship on land approved by the government.

15. 2. Selling the Brand: • The city of Dubai prides itself on its ability to attract attention by creating an extravagant ultra-modern city state in the desert. • Dubai subscribes to the mantra of “bigger is better.” The city currently holds claim to the largest shopping mall based on total area (the Dubai Mall), tallest man-made structure (the Burj Khalifa at 828m or 2,717 ft) and world’s largest man-made islands (the Palm Islands). • The Burj Khalifa, completed in 2010 currently holds the following records: • The first world's tallest structure in history to include residential space. • Highest outdoor observation deck in the world (124th floor) at 452 m (1,483 ft). • World's highest mosque (located on the 158th floor). • World's highest installation of an aluminium & glass façade, at a height of 512 m (1,680 ft). • World's highest swimming pool (76th floor).

16. Above: The Burj Khalifa, currently the tallest free-standing building. Right: Palm Islands, the site of multi-million dollar amenities and estates.

17. Comparing the world’s tallest buildings and free-standing structures.

18. 3. Investment • The remarkable growth of Dubai could have occurred only with enormous amounts of foreign investment, both from foreigners in Dubai & by Dubai interests outside of the UAE. • Investors from the European Union, the USA, Japan & the Middle East have chosen to invest in Dubai due to its political security & the demonstrated possibility of profit. • Dubai has become a destination for international labour capital.

19. Closing Thoughts . . . • Dubai is arguably the most globalized place on Earth and has quickly become a world leader in globalized business and tourism. • Dubai’s movement to globalization has created a significant degree of controversy both within the Middle East & the Western World. • Within Dubai, there have been on-going concerns with the perceived ‘moral laxity’ of the Western World and its influence on Dubai. • In the U.S. and Europe, governments and groups have openly opposed the sale of business assets to Dubai state-owned corporations. • What can we learn from the example of Dubai and how can we apply this learning to our study of world issues?

20. The Nature of Globalization Globalization is an ongoing, evolving process Many forms of globalization (*can occur on their own or via combination)

21. Your Task: A. Provide a brief summary outlining the 8 different types of globalization B. Based on your previous knowledge on the topic and what you have been taught, think of one positive and negative impacts for each 2. Read pg. 29, answer questions 1 and 2

22. Sustainability in Dubai

23. Sustainability in Dubai • Dubai has achieved a remarkable amount in quite a short period of time, but at what cost? • Dubai’s remarkable achievements have been accomplished very quickly, but have been pursued with little regard for environmental sustainability. • To understand how sustainability is not happening in Dubai, we need only to focus on two vital aspects of the emirate’s development: • Water Use • Electricity production and consumption

24. Water Use • Rainfall in Dubai is very low, yet Dubai offers many water-intensive activities, such as water parks & championship golf courses. • Water usage in the UAE is among the highest in the world, alongside the USA &Canada. A significant difference exists between the Emirates & North America. Much of North America has abundant natural water resources, while the UAE has very limited water resources. • The UAE uses its natural rainfall resources very carefully. It has built 114 reservoirs to store winter runoff for later use, however, these reservoirs only count for 12% of the total usage. The remaining 950 million cubic metres comes from the desalinization (the process of removing salt) of sea water.

25. Electricity Production / Consumption • Dubai uses large amounts of electricity for desalinization & supporting tourist infrastructure (i.e. air conditioning & snow-production). • Almost all of Dubai’s electricity is generated in modern thermal plants powered by local sources of readily available natural gas. • A result of this is that huge amounts of greenhouse gases are released. Between 1990- 2000 (no newer statistics are available), the UAE’s total carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions increased by 75% . • Arguably, too little regard for environmental sustainability is occurring to enable people to golf, stay at luxurious resorts and go skiing in the desert!