DUBAI       A City Unlike any other Dubai is both a city and one of the emirates making up the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The federation consists of 7 emirates: Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Sharjah, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah and Umm al-Quwain.

Located on the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, the UAE covers an area of 83,000 km_ and has more than 4 million inhabitants, 80% of which are foreigners from the Indian sub-continent and certain Arab countries.

Dubai was founded in the 18th century and very soon distinguished itself from the other emirates by playing an active role in the creation of the current federation, known as the “Trucial States” in 1853 (under the British protectorate) and then the UAE in 1971(on independence).

The leaders of Dubai also encouraged trade. Many foreign merchants settled in the city. Up until the 1930s, the pearl trade was the source of the city’s fame and wealth. At that time, there were more than 1000 merchants in the city.

With 1,200,000 inhabitants and an area of 3885 km2 (it is the second largest emirate after Abu Dhabi). Dubai has maintained the same vision and the same dynamic character to become the post-petroleum economic engine of the region. Aware of the extreme dependence of the local economy on fossil fuels (petroleum, gas), Dubai has successfully converted its economy to other sectors, including trade, new technologies and, especially, luxury tourism and real estate, to such an extent that petroleum only accounted for 4% of GDP in 2006.

This planetary and continuous success is due to a very aggressive fiscal and financial policy that has made Dubai a city of money that attracts the largest international business groups and the most important people in the world. But this fame is largely due to the media coverage of the gigantic tourist and real estate projects that are under development there. The avowed goal of the local authorities is to become the number one region in the world for luxury tourism and one of the major world centers of business and trade tourism.

These Pharaonic projects, completely outside the reality of the societies in which we live, fascinate us. This is the pyramid effect. 700,000 laborers work without rest under extremely difficult conditions to build these modernday temples with names like The Palm, The World, Dubai land, Burj Dubai…..

After pearls and petroleum, Dubai continues to build its fantasy-like history.

The Burj Al Arab At 321 meters high, the Burj Al Arab, located on an artificial island, is both the tallest hotel in the world and the only one with a seven star rating.This impressive infrastructure in the form of a sailboat houses 220 duplexes.
	The Palm is without doubt the largest and most media-covered project in the Emirate. This project involves the construction of 3 luxurious residential and tourist complexes on a piece of palm-tree shaped land reclaimed from the sea.
The World is a project to build islands reproducing the 5 continents. 250 to 300 islands will be used to house luxury residences, businesses and leisure activities.
	Dubaï Land : a project to create a theme park complex for all ages and all activities, with hotels and shopping centers over an area 10 times the size of Monaco.