"Is this real?" That is what most people ask as they travel through Dubai for the first time. Most cannot believe the development that has occurred in Dubai at breakneck speeds over the last few years. The world's tallest building, a palm-shaped man-made island in the ocean, the world's only seven-star hotel, a ski dome in the middle of the desert and the world's tallest water fountain - these are only a few of the things that make Dubai so special. But is there more to Dubai than just these fanciful attractions?

This winter break a group of 20 students from Columbia Business School visited the United Arab Emirates in order to answer this question. We visited public and private sector companies that operated in the following areas: finance, private equity, consulting, sovereign investment holdings and infrastructure developers, in order to see if Dubai was an oasis or a mirage in the desert.

Regardless of what one feels about the changes that have occurred in Dubai, everyone agrees that much has changed. Dubai is a very different place today than it was 10 years ago. However, there is a popular misconception that Dubai represents the Middle East. The truth is that the Middle East has many cities with their own unique culture, traditions, economics and politics. One cannot talk about Dubai as an accurate representation of the entire Middle East.

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Hasan Kazmi MBA '10
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