--- product_id: 48317158 title: "Dubai: The Story of the World's Fastest City" price: "21191CFA" currency: XOF in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.sn/products/48317158-dubai-the-story-of-the-worlds-fastest-city store_origin: SN region: Senegal --- # Outpaced China's economic growth 4.6⭐ from 119 insightful reviews 60 years of rapid urban transformation Dubai: The Story of the World's Fastest City **Price:** 21191CFA **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Summary > 🏙️ Unlock the secrets of the world’s fastest city before everyone else does! ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Dubai: The Story of the World's Fastest City - **How much does it cost?** 21191CFA with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.sn](https://www.desertcart.sn/products/48317158-dubai-the-story-of-the-worlds-fastest-city) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Key Features - • **Balanced Narrative:** Not just glitz—understand the environmental and social challenges behind the shine. - • **Insider Perspectives:** Gripping firsthand accounts reveal the city’s dazzling highs and complex shadows. - • **Economic Powerhouse Unveiled:** Explore how Dubai’s growth outstripped global giants like China. - • **Top-Rated Travel & History Read:** Join thousands of readers captivated by Dubai’s unique story and cultural depth. - • **From Pearl Diving to Skyscrapers:** Discover Dubai’s breathtaking evolution in just six decades. ## Overview Dubai: The Story of the World's Fastest City chronicles the city’s meteoric rise from humble pearl-diving roots to a global economic powerhouse. With vivid storytelling and insider insights, this top-rated book offers a nuanced look at Dubai’s dazzling growth, cultural contrasts, and the challenges beneath its luxurious facade. ## Description Today, Dubai is a city of shimmering skyscrapers attracting thousands of tourists every year. Yet just sixty years ago Dubai's population scraped a living by picking dates, diving for pearls, or sailing in wooden dhows to trade with Iran and India. Dubai is everything the rest of the Arab world is not. Until recently it was the fastest-growing city in the world, with an economy whose growth outpaced China's while luring more tourists than all of India. The city has become a metaphor for the lush life, where the wealthy mingle in gilded splendour and luxury cars fill the streets, yet it is also beset by a backwash of bad design, environmental degradation and controversial labour practices. Dubai tells its unique story. Review: A Gem of a Book - After a short visit to Dubai last Christmas I couldn't believe how strange and peculiar it was and I needed to find out what was underneath all the glitz. First I read Dubai Dreams by Raymond Barrett but it did not provide the historical depth or detail. Jim Krane's book is excellent and beautifully written, forgive me for saying this, I know there are many great American writers out there but I really thought the book had been written by an Englishman as it was so smoothly crafted. This book answered many of my questions and has provided me with more understanding of the Middle East and a thirst to learn more and travel to that region again but to areas with greater authenticity like Oman. Review: Couldn't put it down - Having visited Dubai twice recently, I was keen to learn more about just how this incredible place came to be. Jim Krane's book provides all the answers. Vividly told and relying on accounts from people who know the city inside out, the book is gripping and, at times, quite the page turner. It's snappy and fast, just like the place it describes. And it doesn't shy away from telling the story of the shadier side of Dubai, which it's important to know about to understand the place fully. The book also provides excellent insight into the Ruler of Dubai and his family. ## Features - New Store Stock ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | 514,866 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) 3,297 in Travel Writing (Books) 12,148 in World History (Books) 12,554 in Social & Cultural History | | Customer Reviews | 4.6 out of 5 stars 119 Reviews | ## Images ![Dubai: The Story of the World's Fastest City - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81zLrPGYPnL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A Gem of a Book *by E***E on 20 October 2011* After a short visit to Dubai last Christmas I couldn't believe how strange and peculiar it was and I needed to find out what was underneath all the glitz. First I read Dubai Dreams by Raymond Barrett but it did not provide the historical depth or detail. Jim Krane's book is excellent and beautifully written, forgive me for saying this, I know there are many great American writers out there but I really thought the book had been written by an Englishman as it was so smoothly crafted. This book answered many of my questions and has provided me with more understanding of the Middle East and a thirst to learn more and travel to that region again but to areas with greater authenticity like Oman. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Couldn't put it down *by R***N on 17 February 2014* Having visited Dubai twice recently, I was keen to learn more about just how this incredible place came to be. Jim Krane's book provides all the answers. Vividly told and relying on accounts from people who know the city inside out, the book is gripping and, at times, quite the page turner. It's snappy and fast, just like the place it describes. And it doesn't shy away from telling the story of the shadier side of Dubai, which it's important to know about to understand the place fully. The book also provides excellent insight into the Ruler of Dubai and his family. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ A good introductory book to start understanding Dubai. *by D***Z on 1 June 2013* This is a very good book, which gives a good account on how Dubai developed into what it is today. The author, a former corresponsal for the whole Middle East, used (in my view abused) his journalistic background to produce a book that is lively, easy to read, very illustrative and informative, but it leaves the reader with many questions without answers. The information given in the book is well supported by references to either other books, or interviews, conducted by the author, to some already historical fugures (in the Dubai development context), academics and other comentators of the political and economic developments of the region. These last references make this book to be in between a history book and a compilation of extended newspaper articles. It is not easy to see what, of the many points made in the book, are historical facts and what is just the author or his interviewes interpretation. However, as a regular visitor to Dubai (have a relative working there), I highly recommend this book to start understanding what it has been achieved in terms of the social relations withing this city and its place within the United Arabs Emirates and the rest of the Middle East. ## Frequently Bought Together - Dubai: The Story of the World's Fastest City - My Story - UAE - Culture Smart!: the Essential Guide to Customs & Culture --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.sn/products/48317158-dubai-the-story-of-the-worlds-fastest-city](https://www.desertcart.sn/products/48317158-dubai-the-story-of-the-worlds-fastest-city) --- *Product available on Desertcart Senegal* *Store origin: SN* *Last updated: 2026-09-13*