A Visit To Dubai Inc.

Steve Kroft Reports On A Success Story In The Middle East

(CBS)  This segment was originally broadcast on Oct. 14, 2007. It was updated on July 30, 2008.

Dubai is a tiny sheikdom nestled along the Persian Gulf on the eastern edge of the Arabian peninsula and part of a tiny, oil-rich country called the United Arab Emirates. Over the course of just a few decades, it has transformed itself from a spit of sand about the size of Rhode Island into the Singapore of the Middle East.

It's a political, economic and financial success story, in a region torn by conflict, and as 60 Minutes first reported last October, it's all the vision of one man, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum. He rarely gives interviews and but he gave one to correspondent Steve Kroft, along with a tour of his sheikhdom.

---

No matter how many articles you read or how many pictures you see, they don't quite capture the enormity and the energy of Dubai. It is a physical manifestation of Arab oil wealth set in concrete, glass and steel, a place so rich and ambitious that is changing the geography of the world as a business center, transportation hub, and tourist destination.

It's a 21st century city at the crossroads of a new world. Skyscrapers rise in clusters, man-made islands rise from the sea, and entire neighborhoods with hundreds of office buildings and apartments that rise from the sand. And it is all Sheikh Mohammed's vision.

One project, called by some the "largest construction site on earth," was just desert several years ago. The site employs half a million laborers, working 12-hour shifts on a reported $300 billion worth of projects, building Sheikh Mohammed's dream of a modern, efficient and tolerant Arab city with fine restaurants, a vibrant nightlife, that is both the playground and business capital of a new Middle East.

"What are you trying to do here? What do you want this place to be?" Kroft asks.

"I want it to be number one. Not in the region, but in the world," Sheikh Mohammed says.

Asked what he means by "number one in the world," Sheikh Mohammed says, "In everything. High education, health, housing. Just making my people the highest way of living."

At 59 years old, he is one of the richest people in the world, a member of the Maktoum family which has ruled here for nearly two centuries. He is a former air force pilot and an avid horseman who competes in cross country endurance races and is one of the largest breeders of thoroughbred race horses in the world.

By Western standards his marital situation is a little complicated. He’s married to Princess Haya, the daughter of the late King Hussein of Jordan, but he also has another wife who is rarely seen in public.

He is frequently described as a workaholic and, as 60 Minutes found one morning, always in motion. The sheikh, who likes to stay on his feet, walks around without a security detail.

He is famous for dropping in unannounced at construction sites and government offices to see how things are going.

He uses his cars as mobile offices, traveling most of the time by himself.

There is a little bit of Donald Trump in him, at least when it comes to showmanship and getting people to come to Dubai. "You know this building up here? This is where we have snow skiing," Sheikh Mohammed points out.

The strange looking building the sheikh had pointed out is the world's tallest indoor ski slope. Outside it may be 120 degrees but inside it feels like the Alps.

There is the Dubai World Cup, showcasing the fastest horses in the world running for the world's richest purse. Not to mention the most luxurious hotel in the world, the Burj al Arab, where the cheapest room is $2,000 a night.

"Why do you want everything to be the biggest, the tallest?" Kroft asks.

"Steve, why not? Why not? If you can have it in New York, why can’t we have it here?" Sheikh Mohammed asks.

"Why are you in such a hurry? Most people would try and do this in a lifetime, not five years," Kroft asks.

"I want my people to live better now. To go to high school now. To go to good health care now. Not after 20 years," the sheikh explains.

[usascottwright]

You said most of the 9/11 terrorist came through Dubai, but 100% of the terrorist came through USA customs and 100% of them over powered the non armed pilots. So as soon as we get rid of people like Wisconsin Govenor Doyle, Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton, the better we will be.

[skao61]

I notice two errors. English is not Dr. Sulaiman%u2019s first language. Reporter has the responsibility to validate the data even you got a yes answer.
1.%u201CKilo and a half, that''s more than a mile?" Kroft asks. Nope, 1 mile=1.6 kilometer.
2."He gave us the water," Sultan Bin Sulayem says. "We have to make the land." I believe he was actually saying %u201CHe gave us the ORDER%u201D with an accent
Listen again.

[yohnvilson]

We should definitely pay attention to countries like this. GWB thinks we can calm the world down by exporting our system of government, but we would probably get better results by trying to export our standard of living (or better), since that''s what people actually like about us anyway. They''re not jealous of the fact that we get to vote for the guy who taps our phones and reads our email (who is it that hates freedom, again?), but of the fact that we even *have* phones and email. Same goes for illegal immigration -- the main problem is that Mexico is awful and the US is great. Of course a lot of people want to move here. The solution isn''t to make life worse for illegals here, but to try to help make it better down in Mexico (and really everywhere). Not sure how but I''ll bet we could find a way to make a bigger dent with less tax money. Right now we aren''t even trying.

[burke1242]

It makes you wonder if he and Iran, didn''t make a deal to destroy the WTC, so global finances would shift to his Country? The WTC use to be the hub of global finances, but afterwards, who became the new hub? Dubai and under the protection of the sheikh? With Iran backing him? Is this why Iran is pouring money in his country, now that it is the global power center of the Middle East? I think he is after global domination and it was he who orchestrated the destruction of the WTC, with Iran''s backing.

[jindubai]

Jebel Ali is a port in the city of Dubai. Probably where your daughter in law would have been stationed.

And these conspiracy theories of the government of Dubai planning the WTC attacks with Iran...are you serious? Get out of your country and see there is more to the world!!

[jeff77733]

MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
REVELATION 17:5

This is the new Babylon which will be the world trade center in the last days.

[stevencee]

Wondering,....if Dubai is the "New Babylon", simply because it has taken American, free-market, capitalistic values, and out-capitalized modern day America, what does that say about us, who created the model?

And did anyone else find it truly astounding that the leader of that nation, & probably the richest man on the planet, goes any & everywhere without security?
Hell, even our lamest celebrities would never dream of that, much less our top government leaders. Think that says a great deal about some of the differences in the two societies. Of course, they have their problems, & issues, but there seemed so rapid an upward-moving empowerment & development, you have to be impressed by it.
It confirms to me again, how effective the most ideal form of government, a "benevolent dictatorship", can really be! :-)

[airjackie]

Halliburton does good business with Dubai. Before Bush/Cheney took office Dubai was a work in progress. Clinton left office with a surplus Bush/Cheney now have a National Debt of 9 Trillion dollars. No wonder the Sheikh is smiling he got most of the US Taxpayers money. He played Bush/Cheney like the fools they are smart man. Yes the Middle East will be bigger and better then the US as they did it with US money. Look the US saw Saddam as a weak Leader so we invaded Iraq to steal oil. Nobody had a problem with the Most Powerful country in the world doing that. So what''s wrong with Dubai taking advantage of a stupid US President and a greedy VP. Even Putin is getting in the act now. I know Connie Rice didn''t like waiting 45 minutes and Gates was treated like he wasn''t even in the room while visiting Putin. Dubai is laughing because the New York Port deal was signed before the American people knew about it. Then of course the name was changed to protect the true owners (Dubai) and yes Dubai was given the great big hotel in New York. Now Americans might not like it but the Middle East is really in the house of the USA. Yes I love the fact that the GOP can''t give American Children Health Care but Dubai Children and all citizens have free health care, schools, college and the best no taxes. Yes no taxes because the US Treasury is paying all the taxes for the people of Dubai. Smart and wise Sheikh Mohammed, he knew how to play idiots like Bush/Cheney and he can smile and say CHECK MATE.

[chad-from-sb]

I thought Mr. Kroft''s line of questioning was a bit offensive. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum should be applauded for the efforts he is making to bring the East and the West closer together. Lets remember our coutry has been ruled by the military industrial complex for 50 years. That is fine except we forget to charge other countries for our services. If we would just protect ourselves instead of our business interests abroad then you wouldn''t have had 9-11.

[cyberdjs4]

Over 200 years ago, we fought for our independence from Europe.
Now, in 2007, we have quietly given control of this country to China, Europe, and the Middle East through economic "cooperation".

"Made In America" is a lie.
It is easier to list the products made/grown completely in this country than the ones made in, say CHINA!

[ginney4]

Since the Southern United States is in the throes of a severe drought, I wondered where Dubai gets its water?

[abdulhakim-2009]

I am suprised that the Americans cannot comment or judge any interview or article withour involving the Israelis and Arabs crisis .It must be the numbing down of the daily dose of LITE news or Night news

[synchro1-2009]

I would suggest you check the meanings of words before broadcasting. Specifically, the word "enormity" does not mean huge or large scale as your broadcast tonight implied.

[synchro1-2009]

I would suggest you check the meanings of words before broadcasting. Specifically, the word "enormity" does not mean huge or large scale as your broadcast tonight implied.

[neobrian-2009]

Where Does ALL That Cash Come From ??
FROM US,..every time we buy fuel,every time we buy groceries (from the added fuel costs ),..
It blows my mind to see how they can EXPLOIT all those people who labored in that Extreme heat to build such structures so Quickly !
YES,..It`s A HAVEN for BIG Money Criminals & Political Croninals,..Blackwater KBR ( Kellogg,Brown,Root) THE BIGGEST SCAB contractor on EARTH !!!!!
It looks Deceivingly Beautiful,...It Grew So Fast ,Like A weed,.It grew from OUR Money,...Contrived from politically EVIL ROOTS,...Roots of THE EVIL SHRUB !!!
It started in 2000,..Hum,..When did Shrub first OCCUPY the white house ? Oh,.2000,..Something that looks like a weed,grows like a weed,..IS a WEED.!
Time to get The ROUND UP out !! EXTERMINATE The SHRUB & HIS EVIL ROOTS,..

[mbburch06]

"How they can EXPLOIT all those people who labored in that Extreme heat to build such structures so Quickly!"

A job is not exploitation. If these people were truly being "exploited" they would quit. I''m sure the pay and working conditions are not good, but obviously they have no better alternatives. Therefore, by definition, these jobs are making their lives better, not worse. Would you prefer that they have no job? Get a clue.

[rushlimbaug4]

"How they can EXPLOIT all those people who labored in that Extreme heat to build such structures so Quickly!"

A job is not exploitation. If these people were truly being "exploited" they would quit. I''''m sure the pay and working conditions are not good, but obviously they have no better alternatives. Therefore, by definition, these jobs are making their lives better, not worse. Would you prefer that they have no job? Get a clue.


Posted by mbburch06 at 11:16 PM : Feb 03, 2008

Wise words my devoted listener. Much like the coal miners of the deep South who were beholden to the company store, these Dubai workers need to stop their whining.

If you have food, clothing and a roof over your head like the Civil War era slaves did, then you are not a slave at all, you are better off. If a Dubai Sheik is willing to let you build him a sky scraper so he can observe the fertile desert wasteland than he rightfully has dominion over, you should do it with a smile on your face.

This is a world of Self Sufficient winners and losers. The losers are there to satisfy your every desires and whim, whether it is a temporary roll in a snuff film or buried deep in the earthen tomb while trying to retrieve diamonds for those winners!

May God Continue To Bless My Fellow Winners.

[rowdytexan2]

I think I''ll just enjoy my little house here on the farm, with no one around me most of the time, and peace and quiet, and the little birds and animals, and the pond.

Happiness is not having what you want, but enjoying what you have.

God bless the people of Dubai...reminds me kindof of Sodom and Gamorrah, lol

May Bush and Cheney be happy there before they have to face hell.

[neobrian-2009]

How they can EXPLOIT all those people who labored in that Extreme heat to build such structures so Quickly!"
====================
YES SO TRUE !!! YES SO TRUE !
Workers from Southeast Asia brought there with promises,...for $ 4 an hour,..more than they can make at home,...They put them in camps,...They CAN`T QUIT,,...They Can`t go home,...I`ve seen this kind thing First hand !!
YOU BIGOTS Go To Faux Noise !
You Scumbugs ARE the Filth of this nation !!!!!
If You had Your way,..Everybody would work for nothing,...GET a Clue !! YOU HAVE NO IDEA !!
You live in Fantasy world where You believe all the lies You are Told by YOUR KING,...Go listen to Rush,..Get Your Brains washed some more by the Shrubbie-scrubbing s,..
YES,..These workers Have Been EXPLOITED,..not all,..They Have Only the law of the RICH,The Corrupt,The Greedy,.....Just Like The GOP would Love to enjoy here,..BUT,THIS ELECTION WILL ERADICATE the GOP Stranglehold on Our Once Proud Nation !
Shrubbies,..Crawl back into Your Holes,..You ARE The Lowest forms of Life,..Amoebas,Slimy,Greedy,Liars

[rudy654-2009]

Dubai makes me think of something so bizarre and strange, like that of the Empire in the Star Wars movie series. Somewhere in there is a creature as dark as Darth Vader. The buildings are not anything real (not like the art of ancient cities), but just false corporate communities, with an emphasis on greed and debauchery, the hypocrisy of Islam and Christianity.

[brianbwb-2009]

Didn''t get to stop by the new Halliburton headquarters, eh?

[brianbwb-2009]

Posted by mbburch06

"Once they arrived in the new country, they were priced and sold, and their documents taken away. The young women told me they were forced to service mechanics, soldiers, priests, butchers, tourists, and even U.N. personnel who were supposed to protect them...

(You can hear Vika''s story in the FlashPoint slideshow, Moldova: The Price of ***.) She told me she had been trafficked to Dubai, at times serving 30 clients a day. She quickly learned the only English words necessary to keep her owner from hitting her: "How much?" and "With or without plastic?" Once, without plastic, her luck ran out and she got pregnant. It didn''t matter. Her pimp kept her working for the duration of her pregnancy."

Some job mbburch06, let us hope your daughter gets one of these jobs.

[brianbwb-2009]

"Somewhere in there is a creature as dark as Darth Vader." Posted by rudy654

Or, as he is known in America, VP Di*k Cheney.

[cbs_oliver]

The fairy land image and gushing praise featured in this story reminds me alot of a story I read when I was younger - it was in Life Magazine, beautifully illustrated, about the Shah of Iran.

[hypnotoad72]

"Why are you in such a hurry? Most people would try and do this in a lifetime, not five years," Kroft asks.

"I want my people to live better now. To go to high school now. To go to good health care now. Not after 20 years," the sheikh explains.
------------------------
Everyone in the world wants that.

America is currently helping them and every other country develop. Right now, at the cost of its own.

I look forward to the day we can rebuild America and continue down a truly globalized society where we all prosper.

[ladyjaneg]

Yay Dubai!! Good for you! :D

[inventagod]

Oh -
Thought this was a discussion board about Bu$hCo...
Sorry.

[loushor]

To Steve Croft:

You did not tell the whole story about Dubai !

Within 5 years they will have the busiest airport in the world. More takeoffs and landings than O''Hare or Atlanta, or any other place in the world. Perhaps a little more than five years to reach the goal.

To accommodate the entire number of visitors going to where there is everything in one place, not necessary to go to the beach or mountains or to a shopping center: They will get it all in Dubai. Expensive, but for people with the ability to go where they want, this will be the ultimate destination. Look for that to happen sooner than later.

LOUSHOR

[tnollc]

It is disappointing that 60''s Steve Kroft did not discuss with Sheikh Mohammed his education program for his subjects. This program has resulted in his subjects running the country and not the foreign nationals...i.e..like in Saudi Arabia

[trader1999]

I liked Steve Kroft''s report, though in this rerun, it appears that it was not updated from the first run. Along with the images from the piece, another stands out in my mind: that from CNBC (I believe) in the last 30 days of 200 tanker trucks which each day haul sewage away from the new development because the existing 30 year old treatment plant is inadequate to handle the new offices and condos. But, along with Steve, I guess all those condo-buyers spent more time in the penthouses and boardrooms and not much time underground exploring the more mundane aspects of the country. Had they done so, I rather believe those condos might have come off their $5M price tags. Furthermore, if I were considering some involvement with this development, it would give me pause to consider how such an integral part of any building or city in the world got such short shrift in Dubai. But then, I do not believe they provide sewage systems on Hollywood movie sets either.

[bwinski]

It amazes me how Americans (AND Steve Croft) view the rest of the world thru an American-only prism... Americans will see this an say "We''re paying for all of that - let''s drill everywhere we can here". Which is COMPLETELY not the right message of "Were running out of Oil, we have to think about what we will need as a country in 20-50 years"...VERY different perspectives.

We are such small minded people...Limited perspective will be our undoing.

But with the chimpy/darth media filter running rampant in this story, NO ONE will get the correct message...

[bwinski]

It amazes me how Americans (AND Steve Croft) view the rest of the world thru an American-only prism... Americans will see this an say "We''re paying for all of that - let''s drill everywhere we can here". Which is COMPLETELY not the right message of "Were running out of Oil, we have to think about what we will need as a country in 20-50 years"...VERY different perspectives.

We are such small minded people...Limited perspective will be our undoing.

But with the chimpy/darth media filter running rampant in this story, NO ONE will get the correct message...

[xlib]

Oh veteran, no, no, no. See, this is the place that bubba made big, big bucks. See, you''re still buying into that class envy thing. That doesn''t work anymore. Do some research and see just who are the rich scumbags. I do believe there would be many, many dems. Besides, why so jealous??

[kffinance]

Great sales pitch for Dubai. Mr. Kroft never mentioned that you will not be allowed in Dubai if you have an Israeli stamp in your American passport - traveller beware.....

[revcsg]

PLEASE could we not get it right? Burqa is a word used to describe the women''s blue tent like garb (that has a woven net over the eyes)in Afghanistan which is not an Arab country. In the Middle East it is not used. In the Arabian Gulf region including Dubai, Qatar the word most used is Abaya. I have heard the word Burqa used time and time again recently in the States.It is not correct and thus we are embarrassing ourselves by our ignorance certainly in the eyes of others who know better.

[nagma-2009]

Except for a pithy reference to ''building without regulation'' and ''changing of geography,'' you avoided the expose of an environmental disaster that the planet and world''s people will ultimately have to pay for. The long-term forecast for Dubai society does not look too promising either.

[nagma-2009]

Except for a pithy reference to ''building without regulation'' and ''changing of geography,'' you avoided the expose of a gigantic environmental disaster that the planet and world''s people will ultimately have to pay for. The long-term forecast for Dubai society does not look very promising either.

[fingerson-2009]

Where are they getting their electricity? Nuclear plants?