William Gueraiche's work is the first scholarly study of the UAE's campaign to establish itself on the international stage and to explore the impact that its economic transformation has had on the country. Emirati society remains at core conservative and the preservation of Arab-Islamic identity remains important, yet the UAE has the highest proportion of foreigners of any country in the world. What does this mean for the identity of Emiratis living there and what are the implications for foreigners working there? The author also explores the environmental costs of the Dubai lifestyle, its 'Look East' policy and increasing volume of trade with eastern Asia, and the ways in which the UAE has sought to challenge the traditional hegemony of Saudi Arabia in the region. In a final chapter the author examines the impact of the economic depression that called the whole representation of Dubai into question.

William Gueraiche is Associate Professor, American University in the Emirates (Dubai). He has been Associate Professor of Social Sciences, American University in Dubai (UAE), Lecturer in Geopolitics, University Marne La Vallee (Paris), and Lecturer in History at the University of the Sorbonne. His research focuses upon the UAE and Gulf societies, Middle Eastern security, and diplomacy in the Gulf.