Interdisciplinary in approach, this volume explores and deciphers the symbolic value and iconicity of the built environment in the Arab Gulf Region, its aesthetics, language and performative characteristics. It suggests that recent developments in this region of the world not only represent a showcase of extraordinary initiatives by which these desert states have transformed, but also that the commodification of local 'traditions' acts as an essential element in the countries' effort to design an Arab version of (hyper-)modernity and to position themselves as a regional and global archetype, which has frequently been adopted elsewhere.

Contents: Foreword, Ulrike Freitag; The Arab(ian) Gulf: urban development in the making, Katrin Bromber, Birgit Krawietz, Christian Steiner and Steffen Wippel. Part I The Politics and Economy of Infrastructure and Architecture: Iconic spaces, symbolic capital and the political economy of urban development in the Arab Gulf, Christian Steiner; The role of 'lavish construction schemes' in 'late-late-late' developing societies: the case of the Arab Gulf States, Martin Hvidt; Masdar City: a critical retrospection, Boris Brorman Jensen; Tourism and urbanization in Oman: sustainable and socially inclusive?, Sonja Nebel; Off and running: Qatar brands for FIFA World Cup, and life beyond, Nadine Scharfenort. Part II Images and Iconic Brands: Constructing Markets and Identity: Promise and reality in Dubai's architectural design, Felix Sommerlad; Port and tourism development in Oman: between economic diversification and global branding, Steffen Wippel; The sporting way: sport as branding strategy in the Gulf States, Katrin Bromber; Falconry as a cultural icon of the Arab Gulf region, Birgit Krawietz; '1,001 places to see before you die': constructing Oriental holiday worlds in European guide books - the example of Dubai, Nicolai Scherle and Mikael Jonasson. Part III Art Production and Exhibitions: A Critical Engagement with Urban Developments: Dubai: telegenic fantasies, George Katodrytis; Model toy city, George Katodrytis; The cultural imperative: Saadiyat cultural district in Abu Dhabi between public policy and architectural gesture, Brigitte Dumortier; The Louvre Abu Dhabi: utopia as reality, Bruno Maquart; A vision becomes an institution: the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) in Doha, Qatar, Joachim Gierlichs; Universalism in art and the art of universalism: thoughts on the 'globalization' of the art system, taking the United Arab Emirates as example, Alice Creischer and Andreas Siekmann (edited, revised and supplemented for publication by Katrin Bromber, Birgit Krawietz, Christian Steiner and Steffen Wippel); Alice Creischer and Andreas Siekmann: artwork Dubai I and Dubai II, Alice Creischer and Andreas Siekmann (edited, revised and supplemented for publication by Katrin Bromber, Birgit Krawietz, Christian Steiner and Steffen Wippel); Stefan Zirwes: how real is reality? Katrin Bromber, Birgit Krawietz, Christian Steiner and Steffen Wippel. Part IV Dubai-Style Elsewhere: Plagiarizing or Transforming the Gulf Model: Modes of urban diffusion: culture, politics and the impact of the recent urban developments in the Arabian Gulf cities on Cairo's Vision 2050, Khaled Adham; Global waterfronts in the Maghreb: a mere replication of Dubai? Case studies from Morocco and Tunisia, Pierre-Arnaud Barthel; Dubai on Barada? The making of 'globalized Damascus' in times of urban crisis, Leila Vignal; Seeing Dubai in Khartoum and Nouakchott: 'Gulfication' on the margins of the Arab world, Armelle Choplin and Alice Franck. Index.