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Lädt ... City of Gold: Dubai and the Dream of Capitalismvon Jim Krane
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Melde dich bei LibraryThing an um herauszufinden, ob du dieses Buch mögen würdest. Keine aktuelle Diskussion zu diesem Buch. A very well written account of how the entire Emirates region was transformed overnight from a poverty stricken stone age backwater to super rich economic powerhouses largely due to the effects of oil wealth and the skill, vision and erudition of their far sighted rulers especially the ones in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The main focus then shifts to Dubai and chronicles the life and times of the Al Makhtoum clan that has reigned over this city state since the earliest of times. Far short on oil compared to Abu Dhabi, this clan managed to transform Dubai into an economic superpower through sheer skill and business acumen. Investing in large capital projects like Ports, Airports and Infrastructure while the Moolah was still plenty. Dubai got to reap the enormous benefits from this during lean times and they turned out to be very prescient and far sighted investments. Later on a lot of such investments were added to this list including the world's tallest building, the diamond bourse, the Burj Al-arab hotel, exotic and innovative reclaimed real estate like the Palms that rose out of the sea and the list keeps growing. Dubai is also the most liberal emirate. The things that go in this freewheeling capital of middle eastern capitalist excess would put other such metroplises to shame. It is literally a modern day version of a typical 1850s gold rush town. Dubai has made it the motto that anything goes as long as it is related to Business and making money. Sometimes there are very thin lines between legitimate and downright criminal activities like smuggling drugs and contraband. If such activities continue unfettered and unchecked it could prove the undoing of this glitzy capital. Krane delivers a great synopsis of Dubai’s startling emergence (at least I think so, having never been there). This is an exemplary example of neutrality, positioning Dubai presumably as it is without any other apparent agenda on the author’s behalf. Roughly speaking, the first half traces the city’s transformation from sand to Singapore in fewer than 50 years (or, in many ways, fewer than 15 years). Obviously an amazing – even inspiring – story, I damn near began thinking a hereditary monarchy might just be the way to go. This is the shining example of progress and religious/social tolerance smack dab in the middle of a region not necessarily known for these traits. Of course there’s a dark underside to all of this – exploited underclass of immigrants, outrageous ecological footprint, questionable business ethos, lack of cultural development and even an identity crisis amongst bona-fide Emirates, an increasingly vast minority – and the latter half clearly articulates these issues despite an overall non-critical disposition. This is a definite must-read for those interested in this peculiar City of Gold. Zeige 5 von 5
Krane is particularly good at capturing the hysteria that accompanied the building boom.
From the Publisher: The city of Dubai, one of the seven United Arab Emirates, is everything the Arab world isn't: a freewheeling capitalist oasis where the market rules and history is swept aside. Until the credit crunch knocked it flat, Dubai was the fastest-growing city in the world, with a roaring economy that outpaced China's while luring more tourists than all of India. It's one of the world's safest places, a stone's throw from its most dangerous. In City of Gold, Jim Krane, who reported for the AP from Dubai, brings us a boots-on-the-ground look at this fascinating place by walking its streets, talking to its business titans, its prostitutes, and the hard-bitten men who built its fanciful skyline. He delves into the city's history, paints an intimate portrait of the ruling Maktoum family, and ponders where the city is headed. Dubai literally came out of nowhere. It was a poor and dusty village in the 1960s. Now it's been transformed into the quintessential metropolis of the future through the vision of clever sheikhs, Western capitalists, and a river of investor money that poured in from around the globe. What has emerged is a tolerant and cosmopolitan city awash in architectural landmarks, luxury resorts, and Disneyfied kitsch. It's at once home to America's most prestigious companies and universities and a magnet for the Middle East's intelligentsia. Dubai's dream of capitalism has also created a deeply stratified city that is one of the world's worst polluters. Wild growth has clogged its streets and left its citizens a tiny minority in a sea of foreigners. Jim Krane considers all of this and casts a critical eye on the toll that the global economic downturn has taken on a place that many tout as a blueprint for a more stable Middle East. While many think Dubai's glory days have passed, insiders like Jim Krane who got to know the city and its creators firsthand realize there's much more to come in the City of Gold, a place that, in just a few years, has made itself known to nearly every person on earth. Keine Bibliotheksbeschreibungen gefunden. |
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Google Books — Lädt ... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)953.57History and Geography Asia Arabian Peninsula UAE; Oman United Arab Emirates (UAE)Klassifikation der Library of Congress [LCC] (USA)BewertungDurchschnitt:
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The main focus then shifts to Dubai and chronicles the life and times of the Al Makhtoum clan that has reigned over this city state since the earliest of times. Far short on oil compared to Abu Dhabi, this clan managed to transform Dubai into an economic superpower through sheer skill and business acumen. Investing in large capital projects like Ports, Airports and Infrastructure while the Moolah was still plenty. Dubai got to reap the enormous benefits from this during lean times and they turned out to be very prescient and far sighted investments.
Later on a lot of such investments were added to this list including the world's tallest building, the diamond bourse, the Burj Al-arab hotel, exotic and innovative reclaimed real estate like the Palms that rose out of the sea and the list keeps growing. Dubai is also the most liberal emirate. The things that go in this freewheeling capital of middle eastern capitalist excess would put other such metroplises to shame. It is literally a modern day version of a typical 1850s gold rush town. Dubai has made it the motto that anything goes as long as it is related to Business and making money. Sometimes there are very thin lines between legitimate and downright criminal activities like smuggling drugs and contraband. If such activities continue unfettered and unchecked it could prove the undoing of this glitzy capital.