A magnet for tourists, investors, and Fortune 500 companies, the United Arab Emirates is an oasis of economic success—but the wealth is not shared equally among its sheikdoms. In the emirate of Ras al-Khaimah, Sheikh Saud bin Saqr al-Qasimi has a plan to attract more business to his oil-poor realm: a new capital city designed to become the region’s center of trade, industry, and tourism. But can the team of Norwegian architecture firm Snøhetta and the renowned Rem Koolhaas make an iconic city bloom in the desert? This Wide Angle report has the answer. In addition, Afshin Molavi, former Dubai-based Reuters correspondent and New America Foundation fellow, speaks with Daljit Dhaliwal about the U.A.E’s global significance. (57 minutes)
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