DUNES TO DOMINION

FOR A COUNTRY RICH IN TRADITION AND DRIVEN BY AMBITION, THE UAE’S JOURNEY DURING THE PAST 50 YEARS HAS BEEN UNPRECEDENTED. WHAT’S IN STORE FOR THE NEXT 50?

- ZAINAB MANSOOR

Traditional homes. Fishing villages. Old cinemas. White taxis. The UAE of many years ago that once stood at the far end of a long transformational journey and served best as a desert backdrop is a stark contrast to the one we live in today - a multicultural microcosm of progression, technological superiority, and most importantly, a long-term vision.

The key to understanding the journey of the UAE - which marked its 50th year as a sovereign and federal state on December 2, lies in its ambition and strategic depth. From aviation to telecom, constructing the world's tallest building to designing the world's longest driverless metro project, the country's growth chart has been staggering, even unprecedented. To anthropomorphize it, imagine an athlete with an insatiable appetite for success, eager to pull off one exploit after another. One that simply refuses to bask in the glory of his achievements. One who is always on a quest for something bigger, better, braver.

The founding of the UAE represented a bold act of institutional innovation that has since become one of the country's defining characteristics. From its creation and annual hosting of the World Government Summit to the establishment of Abu Dhabi's Sustainability Week, and the creation of the Museum of the Future, to Dubai's Expo 2020, the UAE is now arguably the world's leading laboratory of new approaches to whole-of-nation and global governance, notes Rudolph Lohmeyer, partner of the National Transformations Institute at Kearney Middle East.

BARRELING FORWARD