The foundations of Dubai

DFirst of 3 parts

UBAI was not always as we perceive it today. And despite the boom in oil, modern Dubai’s father, Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, foresaw that the city’s economy should not rely solely on the oil industry. At present, the wholesale and retail trade sector is the highest contributor to the city’s gross domestic product (GDP).

Dubai in the 1900s was very much different from what it is today — a plain desert and a creek without a single kilometer of paved road. The locals heavily

for their livelihood. With limited resources, Dubai was considered a backwater. There were even no proper records of Dubai in those times — the old encyclopedias or records even misspelled Dubai as “Dibai” or “Dubayy.” It is thanks to the visionary leadership of Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum and the foundations laid by his forefathers that Dubai is making its name among the

What is good for the merchants is good for Dubai

Dubai was in a strategic location for trading. The creek which was Dubai’s central artery, connected India to the Silk Road. Using the opportunities presented, the Sheikhs welcomed all merchants with open arms. Sheikh Hasher, during his leadership, implemented open policies and liberal trading. Sheikh Maktoum who followed Sheikh Hasher saw an opportunity during the crisis in Ling- Ah and proposed favorable policies for the merchants. The succeeding sheikhs made sure that this was followed. The Sheikhs of Dubai were very hands- on with the city’s business, especially Sheikh Rashid who immersed himself in the trading industry. During his time, merchants could start their business as soon as they got to know Sheikh Rashid. Land and business registration were also done in less than 30 minutes; the Sheikh could not stand red tape. Despite this leniency, Sheikh Rashid made sure that once a merchant proposed a certain venture, he must deliver results.

It was not until 1966 that oil was discovered in Dubai. But even before that, Dubai was already among the most powerful states among the Trucial Coast. Their economic stability despite the crises, such as the death of

among the leaders of Trucial Coast, and World War 2 was due to Sheikh Rashid’s foresight.

Dubai Creek: First gateway

Keeping in mind his mother’s saying, “Never sow seeds which do not bear fruits,” the Sheikh set his mind on building progressive infrastructure that would make Dubai the center of trading of their state. One of the Sheikh’s most notable projects was the development of the Dubai Creek. Despite the booming trading hub in Dubai, its creek did not reflect this, as it was undeveloped and inefficient. Furthermore, the creek was already silting to the point that the fishermen’s livelihood was affected. Knowing that Dubai’s further prosperity would require developing the creek, the Sheikh made plans for its development. The merchants were also pushing the Sheikh for its development as well. However, the Sheikh had difficulty proceeding with the project to permanently open up the creek, since the cost for it was more than what their sheikhdom could afford. To accumulate the funds needed, the Sheikh imposed a customs fee for imported goods, following the advice of the merchants, as well as imposed the “Creek bonds” upon the major users of the creek as their investment in the project since it would also be them who would benefit. Furthermore, the Sheikh did away with the inefficiency in the Customs Department and hired two of the best people as heads. Under their leadership, any inefficiency was cleaned up in a year. The tax collected contributed much to the needed funding for the dredging of the creek.

In 1959, with enough funds gathered, the project was started. There

during the construction. Livelihoods were interrupted, and some houses were damaged. However, despite all the inconveniences, the community understood that the completion of

their children greatly; hence, the locals showed strong support for their leader’s efforts. The completion of the Dubai Creek project increased the value of imports by 20 percent in

Dubai as in instant city

Dubai’s success story as an instant city has left many questions to ponder on, such as what type of government could best suit a state with such limited resources? What kind of planning would be suitable? Dubai’s planning should be seen as long-term and visionary, as well as short- term and opportunistic. A city should be watchful of opportunities presented while taking into consideration how to conserve its existing resources. In this way, a city would have several possible paths to take.

Dubai is about 4,114 square kilometers, while Philippines is roughly 300,000 square kilometers — almost 75 times the size of Dubai. Furthermore, the Philippines is still rich in resources. Our country has more potential than Dubai. Dubai’s success not only relied on its leaders, but also on the support and trust that the citizens and the private sector showed in their leaders. (

Graeme Wilson)