Reduce Speed

Boasting the tallest building in the world, the largest mall in the world, and a series of man-made islands in the shape of the world, Dubai has succeeded in making its brand name known to people around the globe. This small nation-state features economic development more rapid than that of China while attracting more annual tourists than India. The ultimate symbol of capitalism, Dubai has exploded onto the financial market, while its social development has struggled to keep up.

Following the global economic downturn, however, the paradigms about Dubai shifted to an assessment of the “dark side” of Dubai. Suddenly, a series of articles began to appear in the popular presses condemning Dubai for developing too rapidly on the backs of “slave labor.” People pointed to the emir- ate as a case of “capitalism gone wrong” and started fixating on human rights violations, trafficking, and the sense of superiority or entitlement that made it okay for Emiratis to violate rights of migrants from around the world for their own development.

(Gridlock, Labor, Migration, and Human Trafficking in Dubai, pages 42, 44)

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