Opening a New Branch of Disneyland in Dubai - Research Paper Example

 Opening a New Branch of Disneyland in Dubai Political system The Emirate of Dubai is found in the United Arab Emirates, a country situated in the East of the Arab world. It is the second largest Emirate (with approximately 1,520 square miles) after Abu Dhabi. The United Arab Emirates was established in1971. It is a federation of 7 Emirates namely: Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah, Umm Al Quwain, Ajman and Fujairah. Dubai is built along the edge of a narrow long winding creek that divides the southern part of Bur Dubai, the Emirate’s traditional heart, from the northern area of Deira. There are no legal parties and therefore no elections in the UAE. Dubai and other Emirates are governed by seven hereditary Sheikhs also known as Emirs. The seven emirates choose the presidents among themselves. Dubai’s Emir, Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan is also the president of UAE. He was reelected to his fourth consecutive term in 1991by the Supreme Council of Rulers, the highest body in the country. The council meets informally. The Vice President and Prime Minister is the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum. There is also a cabinet with various ministries distributed among the seven Emirates. The president is also the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. The Federal National Council is the parliament. It was formed in 1972 and is considered a landmark in UAE’s legislative and constitutional process. The role of the parliament is to advice the Supreme Council and the Cabinet. The FNC is made up of 40 members appointed by rulers of the 7 Emirates. The United Arab Emirates is the founding member of the Gulf Cooperation Council which was created as a conference in Abu Dhabi in 1981. Member countries include Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the Sultanate of Oman. UAE is also a member of the Islamic Conference Organization, the United Nations and the League of Arab States. Legal system Dubai is basically a civil law jurisdiction, having been influenced by Roman, French and Islamic laws. The increasing presence of international law firms from Common law jurisdiction had confirmed the application of Common Law principles in commercial contract. This, to some extent, has influenced the UAE legal system. A number of codified laws are used to regulate matters arising, such as maritime affairs, labor relations, commercial agencies, commercial transactions, intellectual property and commercial companies. There are two types of laws in Dubai, federal (which apply to all the Emirates) and local (which apply to Dubai only). Local decrees are passed by Crown Prince while a local order is given by a member of the Royal Family of that Emirate. Additionally Dubai has the huge manmade port, Jebel Ali, the largest free-trade zone in Arabia, accommodating a growing list of international corporations. Dubai in anticipation of an increment in number of business travellers and tourists embarked on a project to build the world’s largest airport, with total infrastructure expected to hit USD 33 billion (Diamond, 2002). Rationale for setting up a Disneyland branch Dubai is synonymous with investment, trade and entrepreneurship (Davidson, 2009). During the parts decades the leadership took on developing investment and trade profile of Dubai with an innovative diversification strategy. Therefore, a Disneyland would be a welcome idea in Dubai, from the business perspective and from the social view. This will be in line with tourism which is an important component of diversification for private sector and foreign direct investment (FDI). With the city keen to establish its prowess as a regional hub in the Arab world and an international trade center, I would highly recommend a Disneyland branch in Dubai. One of Dubai’s biggest project is the Dubai World Trade Centre expected to have convention conferences, office and residential towers, shopping malls, and two five star hotels. This provides the market for a Disneyland theme park. The location of this park will cater for the countries in the Middle East for instance Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and Saudi Arabia, who are also members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (Investment Council, 2012). Cultural Environment of Dubai The population of Dubai is 1995 was fifteen times as it was in 1965. This was due to immigration of expatriate workers. Four-fifths of Dubai’s inhabitants are foreign workers and their dependents. Because of the influx of young foreign workers, cultural preference for large families and greatly improved medical care, Dubai has a youthful population. The native population is mostly Arab. A different tribe dominates each emirate. About two-thirds of the countries nonnative population are Asian (Pakistanis, Indians, Sri Lankans, Filipinos and Bangladeshis) while the other over third are Arabs (mainly Palestinians, Egyptians and Jordanians or Iranians). The huge population of expatriates has in some instances case some tension on the impact of social and cultural value, this is slight. There is a very low level of crime in Dubai. Similarly, standards for public conduct are high. For instance, expatriates may be expelled for minor law violations. Arabic is the official language in Dubai. English is also widely spoken, as are Urdu, Hindi and Persian. The official religion of the country is Islam and all Emiratis, and most of the expatriates are Muslims (Barret, 2010). Besides, religious freedom is guaranteed in the constitution and as such, you will find some Christian churches in Dubai. Mosques are heavily populated in the urban areas with two or three mosques in the vicinity of one another. The culture of Dubai can be said to be a blend of traditional and modern components, which is open to influences and changes. The basis of a stable and conservative social structure is formed by Islam and the heritage of traditional, tribal Arab society. Media censorship is common in Dubai. However, there is some degree of openness and tolerance that allows expatriates chances to enjoy familiar entertainment and activities. The most conservative areas of life in Dubai concern women and female-male interaction. For most native Emirati women the home is the basic sphere of activity. Younger women, due to their educated states play more roles in the society, but their numbers are very few. Arranged marriages are also a common thing and family members restrict the conduct of young women. In the recent years, the number of Emirati men marrying non-Emirati women has gone up and the government considers this a national threat that needs intervention. Clothing styles reflect a mix of modern and traditional life. A great variety of dress is shown in public places including that of Asian groups. Most Emirati mean put on dishdasha, a white, loose fitting garment that is confortable in Dubai’s hot weather. Most women wear the black abayah and some wear a facemask known as the burka, though this is not very common with younger ladies (Eugenio, 2010). Most of the houses in Dubai are air conditioned, and are apartments or villa-styled, a big contract with the simple house forty years ago. The small rural population lives is traditional style and a few Bedouins prefer to lead nomadic lifestyles (Krane, 2009). Local foods represent a blend of traditional Arab dishes with Chinese, Southern Asian, European and popular American fast food joints in the urban areas. Establishing a new branch, like Disneyland, requires that one knows everything about the culture and social life of the inhabitants, since this is the target population for the activities of Disneyland. Being a dominantly Muslim population, a Disneyland in Dubai will need to be designed in such a way that it takes into account the needs of this conservative population. Most Emirati women are housewives and prefer staying at home. While the population of nonnative population is high enough, there is need to open up for the native Emirati population as well, so that they can feel as part of Disneyland. The idea of giving the cultural information means that the advertisers are able to approach the target market by creating and developing adverts that go hand in hand with the values of this unique and mixed community (Ali, 2010). It should also be able to reach out to the neighboring Arab countries who are allowed to visit UAE without a visa and thus comprise a big population. References Ali, S. (2010). Dubai: Gilded Cage. Yale: Yale University Press Diamond, B. (2002). Legal Aspects of companies in UAE. Salisbury: Quay Books. Davidson, C. (2009). Dubai: The Vulnerability of Success. Columbia: Columbia University Press State University (2012). United Arab Emirates: History & Background. New York: McGraw Hill Investment Council (2008) The Code; Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics for trade in United Arab Emirates. London: NMC. Krane J. (2009). City of Gold: Dubai and the Dream of Capitalism. New York: St. Martin's Press Eugenio, O. (2010). New Frontiers in Architecture: Dubai between vision and reality. Washington DC: White Star Publishers Barret, R. (2010). Dubai Dreams: Inside the Kingdom of Bling. London: Nicholas Brealey Publishing Read More