I was the first Filipino to be born in Dubai. Within a few minutes of meeting a new person, my father would mention this as if it were my biggest achievement. I was born in Dubai in 1981, four years after he had been invited to be part of an international team of urban planners that would help plan the emirate’s future. My parents had not even heard of the former British protectorate then. It is always interesting to hear their stories about Dubai’s transformation in the last three decades. Our family, as well as the others who were hired by the Dubai government, were well-taken care of during our stay there. The package included free lodging and medical bills, travel between Manila and Dubai, and one month of paid leave so the family can travel the world and bring back inspiration. Our family was allotted four gallons of gas a day, but my parents could not consume it because there were not too many places to go to back then. For my elder sister’s first birthday, my Dad searched for balloons everywhere but he could not find any so he settled for beach balls instead and wrote her name on each one.
Dubai in 1977 was very different from what it is today. What was mostly desert has been transformed into some of the most vibrant urban developments in the world. Downtown Dubai where Burj Khalifa, the tallest skyscraper in the world stands, used to be called sabkha flats. These were barren salt lands considered to have no use. In the ’70s, the Manila airport was decades ahead of the Dubai airport. Today however, the Dubai International Airport is the busiest in the world, with 70 million passengers passing through every year. The flag carrier is said to have been established after the late Sheikh Rashid Al Maktoum experienced delays in his flight with another airline. He then decided to establish Emirates as part of his vision of diversifying Dubai and the United Arab Emirates’ economy from one that was highly dependent on oil to one that was more diversified with revenues from trade, tourism, banking and finance, and real estate. Dubai has become a popular shopping destination with all the goods tax-free and with a calendar of events that includes shopping festivals throughout the year. Although income from oil gave opportunities for Dubai to modernize within just a decade, their income from oil today is only two percent.
Two hundred nationalities have come to call Dubai home. Of its 2.5 million population, 92 percent are expatriates and migrants. People have come from different parts of the world to seek better opportunities. There are very few places in the world where a diverse group of people from different cultures, languages and religions live together harmoniously. Security is given importance and is evident in the intelligent surveillance system and the 15,000-strong police force. What is worth highlighting are Dubai’s efforts to make women feel safe. It is one of a handful of places that I have visited wherein I felt safe to walk alone even at night.
I visited Dubai twice in the last three months, and the visits have allowed me to know and appreciate my birthplace more. In November I attended the Big 5, which is the largest construction show in the world. It received 85,000 visitors and 3,000 exhibitors. The second visit was to celebrate the New Year with my family. We were fortunate to witness the celebratory vibe all around Dubai with the celebration of the 44th national day of the UAE, as well as the 10th anniversary of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum as ruler of Dubai and vice president and prime minister of the UAE. Forty-four years ago, the seven sheikhdoms united to become one of the world’s most advanced countries.
Dubai has been blessed with rich marine resources that allowed it to thrive in fishing and pearl diving, and later on in oil production. What sets it apart from other economies also blessed with natural resources is visionary leadership. Nothing seems to be impossible for the emirate that built the world’s tallest building on sand, created an artificial archipelago of islands, and re-exports some of the highest volumes of gold and diamonds from other countries.
The fast growth of Dubai is not without challenges. Efforts are being made to improve living and working conditions for migrant workers. Roads and districts that have been designed to prioritize cars have led to traffic congestion, inaccessible districts and unsafe streets for pedestrians. This is currently being addressed though with the Dubai Metro and an integrated network of walkways. Dubai has an equivalent of 19 square meters of green open space per person. Newer developments such as The Walk in Jumeirah Beach Residences and the Marina have been designed to make walking enjoyable for Emiratis, expats and tourists alike.
Dubai looks ahead and keeps focus with targets it has set in relation to its 2021 Plan and its hosting of the Expo in 2020. It has required all new developments to follow the green building regulations to reach the target of having all buildings green by 2021. Another goal is to reduce energy consumption by 2030, which is a challenge for a wealthy city that aims to attract and keep more talent.
In the same way that Dubai was able to attain its first world status in 15 years, it will be able to transform clusters of real estate, luxury hotels, skyscrapers and the world’s biggest shopping centers into communities connected by streets designed at the human scale. While the former objective was to establish its place in the world map, now Dubai is focused on improving livability and keeping its people happy.
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