Dubai: The Vulnerability of Success - Softcover

Davidson, Christopher M.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0231700350 ISBN 13: 9780231700351

Publisher: Columbia Univ Pr, 2009

Synopsis

Dubai has a remarkable success story. Since its origins as a small fishing and pearling community, the emirate has steadily grown in strength to become the premier trading center of the Persian Gulf. It is also the locus of an exciting and innovative architectural revolution. Despite its lack of democratization and a genuine civil society, Dubai is now a booming metropolis of more than two million people, most of whom are expatriates benefiting from the city's increasingly diversified economy.

Following a detailed history, Christopher M. Davidson presents an in-depth study of Dubai's post-oil development strategies and their implementation during a period of near-complete political stability. Davidson addresses the probability of future problems as the need for sustained foreign direct investment encourages far-reaching socioeconomic reforms, many of which may affect the ideological, religious, and cultural legitimacy of the traditional monarchy. He also analyzes Dubai's awkward relationship with its federal partners in the United Arab Emirates and highlights some of the pitfalls of being the region's most successful free port-its attractiveness to international criminal fraternities, the economy of the global black market, and terrorist networks.

About this title

Review:

'Dr Davidson nicely lays out this flashy emirate's  astonishing ascent from tiny fishing and pearling  village to global hub.' (New York Times)

'Davidson traces Dubai's rise from sleepy Gulf port  to player on the world scene.' (Los Angeles Times)

'This is the definitive book on Dubai and likely to become a classic in Gulf studies.' (Professor Ray Hinnebusch, St Andrew's University)

'It is no surprise a book that analyses Dubai's weaknesses, as well as its virtues, provoked nervousness in the emirate. ... Davidson's book should be seen in Dubai as an important contribution. ... It charts a fascinating history of an obscure part of the Gulf, explaining the ability of the emirate to pursue economic liberalisation without political reform. ... But Davidson sends warning shots that signal the concerns of local citizens. Strains in the ruling bargain have emerged, he argues, as nationals find themselves a small minority in an unrecognisable city. ... Perhaps most irritating to the Dubai authorities is Davidson's depiction of the more seedy side of the city, where he says smuggling, arms trading and prostitution are rife. ... There is much in this book that Dubai prefers to ignore.' (Financial Times)

'This is certainly the best study of Dubai that I have read and is an important contribution to the still meagre literature on the extraordinary formation that is the UAE. Especially interesting about Dubai: The Vulnerability of Success are its discussion of the emirates' founding under British rule and the continuing influence of this imperial history on its politics and society; the imported character of its "Arab" identity; and the regional context that informs everything from its security concerns to its demography.' (Professor Faisal Devji, New School University, New York)

'Davidson offers a detailed historical and topical study of the Dubai phenomenon.' (Foreign Affairs)

'Davidson gives an excellent overview of Dubai, the UAE in general, and its path to economic development . . . Recommended.' (Choice)

'Perhaps the best look at this desert mirage is this prescient book published in 2008. Well before the real estate debacle, Davidson raised questions about how long Dubai could remain immune from regional conflict, organized crime, and terrorism, all of which would swiftly affect its allure as a haven for investment and luxury travel.' (Foreign Policy)

'This monograph is a first-rate piece of scholarship, and provides a wealth of information and analysis about Dubai.' (The Historian)

'As was his previous work on the UAE, Davidson's new book on Dubai is both highly original and pathbreaking, one of the first systematically to investigate the political and economic fate and fortune of one of the Arab Gulf's most globalized city-states.' (Professor Dirk Vandewalle, Dartmouth College)

'Davidson sees beyond Dubai's glitz and glamour, presenting a balanced appraisal of its rise from the desert and its present and future challenges.' (Professor Robert Springborg, Director, London Middle East Institute, SOAS)

About the Author:

Christopher Davidson is reader in Middle East politics at the School of Government and International Affairs, Durham University, a former visiting associate professor at Kyoto University, and a former assistant professor at Zayed University in the UAE. He is the author of several books on the politics and international affairs of the Gulf states, including Abu Dhabi: Oil and Beyond, Dubai: The Vulnerability of Success, and most recently he Persian Gulf and Pacific Asia: From Indifference to Interdependence.

About this edition

• Publisher: Columbia Univ Pr
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 0231700350
• ISBN 13: 9780231700351
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 376