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Inside Dubai: Pearls, Oil, and the 90% Expat Nation
Episode 4538
Published 1 week, 5 days ago
Description
Most of us know Dubai only as a city of towering skyscrapers and relentless heat. But beneath the postcard lies a society defined by a staggering demographic inversion: nine out of ten residents are not citizens. In this episode, we trace the UAE's journey from pearling outpost to global hub, exploring how the collapse of the pearl trade, a calculated bet on oil, and the rise of free zones created a nation built on permanent temporary labor. We also unpack the Abraham Accords, which made Israel-UAE ties a reality, and examine what this all means for the region's future.