Title: Understanding Dubai's city diplomacy: actors and drivers

Authors: Kai S. Bruns

Addresses: Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, American University of Ras Al Khaimah, 10021 Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates

Abstract: Dubai is one of the few cities in the GCC region which stands as an example of successful diversification of a formerly resource-based economy. Investments in infrastructure, strategic sectors abroad and liberal trade policies earned Dubai the reputation of a cosmopolitan, global city. Its recent success story, however, has attracted little academic research so far. Therefore, this study is a first approach to understanding the drivers and actors of Dubai's international reach. Using parts of Kuznetsov's analytical framework borrowed from the paradiplomacy discourse, this study traces generic and specific aspects that motivated Dubai's international actions. It looks at legal, social, and economic factors to understand the nature of Dubai's entrepreneurial city diplomacy approach. Gaining insights from local leadership styles and Dubai's political organisation, this paper concludes that Dubai's de jure competencies are extensive in the fields of economic and social development. In contrast, Dubai's activity at the multilateral city diplomacy level is reduced and substantially left to local competitors. To counter this trend, Dubai had to re-evaluate policies and collaborate closely with the national government in Abu Dhabi.

Keywords: Dubai; city diplomacy; paradiplomacy; global city; United Arab Emirates; economic diplomacy; diplomacy; non-state actors; globalisation; Sheikh Mohammed.

DOI: 10.1504/IJDIPE.2017.088842

International Journal of Diplomacy and Economy, 2017 Vol.3 No.4, pp.282 - 300

Received: 02 Jun 2016
Accepted: 19 Dec 2016
Published online: 20 Dec 2017 *

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