It’s now two years since Dubai saw what could only be described as its dark days. Those were days that Dubai could do no right and everyone was praying that Dubai would fail. International newspapers were clamoring about the demise of Dubai and international banks were fleeing. Not even the main players in Dubai were willing to stick their neck out and say that Dubai was fine. Now that things are more settled and Dubai’s future is much brighter, everyone is happy to say how wonderful Dubai is today. For me, Dubai was, is and will be, God willing, a guiding light for business within the Arab world even with all its faults.

I am not going to sing the praises of Dubai because as everyone knows, Dubai stands for progress and prosperity for all those who are willing to write their story on its sands and take risks. Sometimes things work out and other times it doesn’t but that is part of life where no one is ever secure. What I do want to focus is on the future and what that means for Dubai.

Dubai has set itself as a logistical hub not just for the region but for two continents—Africa and Asia. Dubai is a port powerhouse challenging the biggest and brightest out there in the world and it is the jumping point for Emirates Airlines. In addition to that, Dubai, through it being part of the United Arab Emirates, enjoys some of the best road networks and telecommunication networks in the world. Cheap it might not be but smooth as silk. Dubai is the leader in easy governmental bureaucracy. Yes there still is some red tape but relative to others in the region and region around it, it is head and shoulders above the rest. Setting up a business is a breeze relatively speaking. People from all over the world come to set up their business here not only for the obvious tax breaks that exist but because of the ease to set up and the lifestyle that is Dubai. Yes there are others in the region that just as relaxed in lifestyle as Dubai but because Dubai has become a global landmark, it is hard to convince people to go elsewhere especially if they are young and are looking for an exciting lifestyle.

So what makes Dubai so unique? Is it the lifestyle? Is it the people of Dubai? Really I can’t think of a single factor but rather a combination of factors that allowed Dubai to become that powerful magnate for people seeking to build their fortunes.
That said, I also think I would be remiss if I did not highlight Dubai’s shortcomings not as a way of bring Dubai down but rather as opportunities to build on what has been wonderfully nurtured so far. Dubai needs to understand that it is not a regional player but a global one. As such, it cannot be satisfied with being the best regional player. It must aspire to be on the same footing as other major world cities. I know that this is a tall order to ask from a city that has only existed as a major city for the past 3 decades but then again, why should that be a reason for not thinking the impossible. After all, isn’t that what made people pay attention to Dubai? Think port Jebal Ali. Think Burj Al Arab and Burj Khalifa.

Dubai has got to start attracting and more importantly creating its own strategic think tanks. Not just as a name to say that we have them, but actively support and nurture them. I do not mean through government backing but by having parts of the government listen to them even if they are saying things that they might not like. After all, that is way we learn and grow. The Dubai School of Government is a good start but we need to see more independent research think tanks come to fruition without fear that they would cause the government to shut them down. We must start to learn to allow the disliked voice to be heard not to cause problems but to cause us to think of other solutions and ideas. This is what allowed other cities to grow and we should learn from that. We also need to look at our court system. I am glad His Highness Shk Mohamed has allowed the DIFC court to also be acceptable as a court of law for Dubai. The current system leaves a lot to be desired. It needs to be looked upon from a point of view of what is best for Dubai to grow and not to protect what is there. I am not an expert and do not claim to be one but simple issues such as precedent setting, jury trials, open courts and such are but normal things that exist in courts all over the developed nations and we should embrace these ideas not shun away from them.

Dubai is a work in progress like any other global city. It is lucky in that it is young and can learn. It is even luckier in that it has a leader who is willing to learn to be great. This is not out of flattery but out of appreciation that I mention this because had it not been for leadership to drive cities forward where would they be today? Take Singapore or Monaco or Liechtenstein. They all had powerful leaders who wanted more for their cities than their neighbors. Did they accomplish that? Most would argue that they did. Did others get hurt by their actions? Most would argue the contrary. Others benefited from their actions.

It is said that the best form of flattery is imitation. Look around not only the Gulf and the Middle East but in the adjacent region and you will be amazed by the number of people that wish that their cities could be run like Dubai. If that is not making a statement that Dubai is the place to be, I don’t know what does.