Lesson video

Hi geographers, my name's Ms. Hoggett, and I'm really excited that you're here to learn some geography with me today.

I'm sure if you try your best, you're going to be absolutely fantastic.

Don't worry too much if you haven't studied this topic before.

I'm here to help you every step of the way.

The title for today's lesson is Dubai: A Global City, and this sits within the unit, The Middle East: How Have Natural Resources Shaped the Middle East? Our learning outcome for today is that I can explain Dubai's development and global role.

To help us through today's lesson, we have a number of keywords that are going to be really useful to us.

Economy, global city, infrastructure, development, and impact.

The economy is the way a country produces, uses, and manages money, jobs, goods, and services.

A global city is an urban area that has strong international connections and advantages over other places.

Infrastructure is all the basic systems in a country, such as transport and power supply.

Development is the improvement in people's quality of life within a country or region.

And impact is to have an effect or influence on something.

So economy, global city, infrastructure, development, and impact are our keywords for today's lesson.

This lesson is split into two learning cycles, the first Dubai's changing economy.

And the second, impacts of economic change in Dubai.

We're going to start with the first learning cycle now, Dubai's changing economy.

Before we can start looking into the economy though, we need to understand what sort of place Dubai is, and where it's located.

Now, Dubai is a city in the United Arab Emirates.

It's located on the Persian Gulf and it's northwest of Abu Dhabi.

Now, Abu Dhabi is the capital city of the United Arab Emirates, Dubai is not the capital city.

But Dubai is in a great location between Europe, Asia, and Africa, which makes it the perfect location for travel and trade.

So true or false, Dubai is the capital city of the United Arab Emirates? Pause the video and have a go at answering this question.

Well done if you said false.

We now know that Abu Dhabi is the capital city of the United Arab Emirates, not Dubai.

Well done, geographers.

Now, we're going to start thinking about how Dubai's economy has evolved over time.

And to do that, we need to start in the 18th century when Dubai was just a small fishing port.

During this time, the locals made a living from the natural resources of the Persian Gulf, such as fish and when they were diving for pearls in the oyster rich waters.

They used these natural resources to trade and earn money to help build their economy.

As a reminder, the economy is the way a country produces, uses, and manages money, jobs, goods, and services.

They continued using these natural resources into the 19th century, when Dubai became a busy trading partner with India.

It sent pearls to ports in places such as Mumbai, and in return bought back food, spices, and colourful textiles.

So they were importing and exporting goods all throughout the 19th century.

And this continued into 1966 when pearl trading was still the main driver of Dubai's economy.

However, it was later in this year when oil, an even more valuable natural resource was discovered, and this started to change the structure of their economy.

This is because with oil, there was money.

And with money came new jobs, new buildings, and better services.

As a result of this, people from all around the world began moving to Dubai.

And their population, which was about 45,800 in 1965, started to suddenly grow really rapidly because people were attracted to Dubai due to their discovery of oil.

As a result of this oil development, in the 1970s and 80s, Dubai started to use the wealth it had generated for development.

It built roads, schools, hospitals, and transport systems. And suddenly, the once small fishing port turned into a really modern city, like we can see in the images on the screen.

But by 2006 though, Dubai's population had reached 1.

4 million, but oil only made up about 3% of its income.

This is because Dubai knew that oil wouldn't last forever, as it's a finite resource.

Sofia says, "Finite means it's non-renewable and it will eventually run out," absolutely.

So Dubai had to start thinking about changing things again because they knew they couldn't rely on oil forever.

Therefore, the city began to diversify its economy again by investing in things like tourism, trade, and finance.

This was a really smart move on Dubai's part, and it helped them grow into a global city.

A global city is an urban area that has strong international connections and big advantages over other places.

Now, this evolving and changing economy meant that Dubai's economy continued to grow.

It also saw another increase in the population.

And by 2025, the population had grown to 3.

1 million people.

So even more people are wanting to move to Dubai due to its changing economy.

So let's check your understanding of that timeline then.

In what year was oil discovered in Dubai? Was it, A, 1699? B, 1966? Or, C, 1996? Pause the video and have a go at answering this question.

Well done if you said B, 1966.

That's absolutely spot on.

Now, being the fastest growing city in the world and to enhance its tourism experience, the Dubai government has a vision to develop the city's waterfront and create a world-class destination for residents, visitors, and businesses.

The focus of this development project is on the Dubai waterfront.

Now, this is the largest artificial waterfront in the world and it now contains lots of artificial islands.

You can see those just sticking out from the coastline in the satellite image on the screen.

One of those artificial islands is The Palm, another is The World.

Within the Dubai waterfront development, we have the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa.

It stands at 829.

8 metres tall.

Sofia says, "The tallest building in the UK is the Shard, and that's only 310 metres tall." So we can see the scale of the Burj Khalifa, and how it's significantly taller than buildings we may have seen ourselves.

Now, developers in Dubai have also built world-class hotels and the world's largest shopping mall as part of this development.

And the project is supported by Dubai building one of the busiest airports in the world, and hosting international events to encourage people and businesses to visit.

So let's check your understanding.

What are three examples of things that Dubai has built as part of the Dubai waterfront development to enhance the experience for tourists? Pause the video and have a think about what you remember.

Well done if you said The Palm and The World islands, the Burj Khalifa, and shopping malls and hotels.

You could have also said one of the busiest airports in the world.

But well done if you gave that a good go.

But it is not just building developments that have diversified Dubai.

There has also been investment in high tech industries and businesses.

Now, Dubiotech is a biotechnology research and innovation park.

And it was built as part of Dubai's 2010 vision to establish a knowledge based economy.

So they were continuing to diversify the whole time.

And Dubai also aims to attract global businesses, with having things like free trade zones and pro-business laws that help foreign companies keep 100% of their profits.

So both of these are really encouraging the economic growth in Dubai.

And as a result of its large construction projects, Dubai has become that global city that we mentioned earlier.

This is because it's well connected, it's modern, it's diverse.

And it's important for world trade, tourism, and business.

So it has a really important position on that global stage.

So we're going to practise what we've learned in learning cycle one.

And I would like you to annotate the timeline, detailing how Dubai's economy has changed over time.

So you can see there you have the 18th century, then the 19th century, and then we become more specific with 1966, the 1970s to the 1980s, and then 2006.

I would like you to detail how to Dubai's economic structure has changed over those time periods.

And then for the second part of this practise task, I would like you to explain the factors that have contributed to Dubai becoming a global city.

So pause the video and have a go at completing this practise task.

Well done if you gave that a really good go, geographers.

Let's check your answers.

So for part one, we had to annotate the timeline, detailing how Dubai's economy has changed over time.

So in the 18th century, we know the economy was based on fishing and pearl trade.

In the 19th century, Dubai became a strong trading partner with India.

In 1966, it was a really significant year because oil was discovered in Dubai.

Between the 70s and 80s, Dubai heavily invested in building projects.

And in 2006, the economy diversified to tourism, trade, and finance.

So we can see how Dubai's economic structure has changed over time.

And then for part two, we needed to explain the factors that have contributed to Dubai becoming a global city.

Now, we could have said, Dubai is a global city for many reasons.

Firstly, it is in a great location between Europe, Asia, and Africa, which makes it perfect for travel and trade.

It's a major transport hub, with one of the busiest airports in the world.

The city is known for its modern infrastructure, including tall skyscrapers, busy ports, and high tech buildings.

Dubai is also very business friendly, with low taxes and free trade zones that attract companies from all around the world.

Tourists love visiting for attractions like the Burj Khalifa, sandy beaches, huge shopping malls, and desert adventures.

People from many different countries live and work there, making it a very diverse place.

Dubai is also focused on the future, with smart city projects and sustainable technology.

And it hosts big global events like expos, sports tournaments, and business conferences.

So well done if you mentioned lots of those key elements to that question.

You've been brilliant so far, geographers, and we have now reached the end of learning cycle one.

And we are ready to move on to learning cycle two, impacts of economic change in Dubai.

Now, as a result of economic change, we can see really big impacts on a place.

As a reminder, an impact means to have an effect or influence on something.

Now, when we're looking at impacts, they can be in different categories.

They could be social, economic, or environmental.

So social refers to impacts on people, such as healthcare and education.

Economic refers to things like jobs, money, and infrastructure.

And environmental refers to the physical and the human landscape.

But they can also be positive or negative, so they could be good or bad.

And they could be immediate or they could be long-term.

So immediate would be impacts that happen straight away, whereas long term impacts would be things that are seen over a much longer time period.

So we are going to unpick these impacts in a little bit more detail.

And to start with, we're going to look at the positive economic impacts.

Now, Dubai has expanded its tourism, finance, and business sectors as a result of its economic change.

And this has created jobs, particularly in infrastructure.

And this has attracted a lot of investment from international businesses.

Now, this investment that's focused in Dubai means that the overall GDP in the United Arab Emirates has increased.

And Sofia says, "Did you know that one third of all the world's cranes are currently in Dubai to develop its infrastructure?" That's a huge amount of cranes all in one place.

So that's really interesting.

Thank you, Sofia.

There are also positive social impacts of economic change in Dubai, such as by attracting tourists and migrants, the city has become very multicultural.

Now, to enjoy things like the luxury hotels, the shopping malls, and modern attractions like the Burj Khalifa, people have travelled from all over the world to visit Dubai.

At the same time, workers and professionals from countries such as India, Pakistan, the Philippines, and the UK, for example, have moved to Dubai for job opportunities in construction, tourism, finance, and technology.

As a result, there are people from all over the world bringing different languages, foods, clothes, religions, and traditions, and that makes it really multicultural.

The cultural mix brings lots of benefits, such as diversity and creativity, and helps people understand those from different cultures.

Likewise, living standards have improved for the residents due to better services and infrastructure.

The heavy investment from the government on things like roads, transport, clean water, and electricity mean that it's easier to get around.

There's well planned housing developments, and there's more comfortable living spaces.

So people really benefit from that development and infrastructure.

This has made it easier for the locals and the migrants, as many people now have access to better jobs, safer neighbourhoods, and modern conveniences that raise their standards of living.

So it just means that people have a better experience of the city.

And lastly, education, healthcare, and leisure facilities have improved as Dubai has focused on allowing people to have a more successful life.

Education has expanded with many international schools and universities now offering high quality learning in both Arabic and English.

And students from different countries can now access education that prepares them for global careers.

Healthcare in Dubai is also of a high standard with modern hospitals, clinics, and trained professionals providing treatment for locals and international residents.

And we can see Dubai Hospital in the image on the screen.

But it's not just this though.

Leisure facilities have also grown.

There are theme parks, sports arenas, cinemas, beaches, shopping malls, and cultural festivals.

These places give people more ways to enjoy their free time and stay active, which also supports the city's economy through tourism and hospitality.

So the social impacts of the economic change in Dubai are really vast and have a huge impact on the people who live there.

And environmentally, there have also been some real positives.

As lots of energy is needed to power the infrastructure, Dubai has invested in renewable energy such as solar parks and green building standards.

This is going to be sustainable, as it will have really long-term impacts.

But there's also been initiatives, such as the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve, which are also being implemented to balance development with conservation.

So that's really good for the nature and the wildlife.

So which of the following positive impacts of economic change would be social impacts? Is it, A, Dubai is investing in renewable energy? B, the tourism industry in Dubai has created jobs? Or, C, education, healthcare, and leisure facilities have improved? Pause the video and have a go at answering this question.

Well done if you said, C, education, healthcare, and leisure facilities have improved.

We know that Dubai investing in renewable energy would be an environmental positive.

And the tourism industry creating jobs would be economic.

Well done, geographers.

But there are also negative impacts that we have to be mindful of.

Now, about 90% of Dubai's workforce come from overseas.

This means Dubai depends a lot on international employees, which might be difficult to maintain in the future.

In addition to this, many migrant workers earn much less money than local Emirati people.

For example, a migrant construction worker is likely to earn 10% of the average Dubai wage while carrying out hard and dangerous work.

This shows that there are really unfair gaps in wages across the city.

Socially, some feel that rapid modernization of Dubai is eroding the traditional Emirati culture.

And likewise, rapid population growth is putting pressure on services such as education and healthcare.

And lastly, there are also negative environmental impacts.

Now, Dubai's rapidly growing infrastructure has a number of challenges.

It's energy intensive, meaning the city releases high amounts of carbon dioxide, and therefore has a high carbon footprint.

But it also destroys habitats, including marine ecosystems and natural coastlines.

Now, as Dubai has a warm desert environment, water is scarce.

With an increasing population, the city needs to meet the need by desalinating its water, which means removing salt from sea water.

However, desalination is energy intensive.

And the leftover salt water, which we call brine, is damaging to marine life.

Pause the video and have a look at this diagram which explains how the desalination process works.

So whilst there are lots of positives to celebrate, we know that there are definitely some environmental, social, and economic challenges of economic growth in Dubai.

So which of the following negative impacts of economic change would be environmental? Is it, A, coastal development can destroy marine ecosystems? B, there is a large income gap within the population? And, C, rapid modernization of Dubai is eroding the traditional Emirati culture? Pause the video and have a think about which of the following negative impacts of economic change would be environmental.

Well done for giving that a good go, geographers.

The correct answer was A.

We know that coastal development destroying marine ecosystems is going to be an environmental negative.

Whereas B, there is a large income gap within the population, would be economic.

And, C, removing that Emirati culture would be social.

Well done for giving that a really good go.

Now, we're going to practise what you've learned in learning cycle two.

So the discovery of oil in 1966 led to economic change in Dubai.

And for this practise task, I would like you to explain the positive and negative impacts of this economic change.

Pause the video and have a go at answering this question.

Well done forgiving that a good go, geographers.

Let's consider what your answer may have included.

So the discovery of oil in 1966 helped Dubai's economy grow very quickly.

One positive economic impact is that it created lots of jobs and made Dubai one of the wealthiest cities in the world.

The money from oil was used to build important infrastructure like roads, airports, and skyscrapers, as well as artificial islands, such as The Palm, which also helped further grow tourism and trade.

To ensure there is enough energy for the infrastructure, Dubai has invested in renewable energy.

Furthermore, money could also be invested in services.

And as a result, there has been an improvement in the standard of living for many residents.

However, there are also some negative impacts of economic change.

Around 90% of the workforce in Dubai come from other countries.

And many of them are paid much less than local people.

This shows there is an income gap within the city.

Likewise, there are also environmental problems, such as high energy use, water shortages, and pollution from so much building and traffic.

Marine ecosystems are also particularly vulnerable around the Dubai waterfront.

In conclusion, the discovery of oil has led to significant economic change in Dubai, which has had both positive and negative impacts.

Well done if you considered all of those social, economic, environmental, positive, negative, immediate, and long-term impacts within your answer.

I'm sure you've all done a fantastic job.

We've now come to the end of our lesson looking at Dubai as a global city.

And to summarise what we've learned today, Dubai grew from a small port to a global city.

Oil wealth funded rapid development.

Tourism, trade, and finance now drive the economy.

And rapid urban growth raises social, economic, and environmental opportunities and challenges.

Well done for giving today's lesson a really good go, geographers, you've been fantastic.

I hope you have a lovely rest of your day, and I look forward to seeing you in our next lesson.