If you haven't heard about United Arab Emirates or don't know what they have been up to lately then this should be a quick tutorial. Fifteen short years ago, Dubai was but a desert vast land with more dollar signs in oil then actual sand. With oil and the uses of oil in a paradox of diminishing demand, the country realized that the cash cow they were living on will soon be gone. In an attempt to create a new name and establish itself internationally, Dubai has spurred an astonishingly ambitious plan to turn their desert land into an international tourist mecca.
Have they succeeded? According to Hotelscombined.com, a leading hotel search engine, Dubai is set to be among the top five international destinations for U.S. tourists in 2011. Hotelscombined.com's general manager Hichame Assi reported "Dubai has previously had to compete with traditional European cities such as London, Rome and Paris. However, today, Dubai is in the top cities list." With an untapped international destination waiting to be exploited, how long until we hear rumors of Disney Dubai?
Mickey wasn't meant for the desert, but anything is possible.
