Oil changed everything. In the Persian Gulf world, they have had to draw borders, establish order in the desert, and invent cities… How did the triumvirate of City-States Doha in Qatar, Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates come to be?
A new generation of rulers has appeared in the 21st century, with a vision for the Gulf’s future. Their ambition is to achieve sustainable growth without relying only on hydrocarbon reserves – and they have considered the post-oil era more thoughtfully than most of their foreign customers.