filejw has hit the nail on the head. Dxb is built on GREED! Every aspect of life in the sandbox shows this to be true. The powers that be saw that oil in Dxb would not last forever and decided wisely to diversify. Tourism seemed like a good option with mass development and when that proved able to produce massive dividends, everyone hopped on the bandwagon. Now we sit in a city with vastly overpriced housing, hotels, amenities.... Transport links over-stretched, basic resources like power and water at the limit and more growth forecast.
Who is going to come up with the next scheme to "attract" investors? It would be a good start if initial grand plans like the Palm were produced. So far all we have is grand promises, cheap, self-destructive housing and traffic jams.
Dxb must be one of the most selfish cities I have ever experienced. Try running a business or failing that, try driving on the roads. It is all about ME. Noone gives a spit for anyone else; more so than most places I have ever seen.
This place is busy strangling the golden goose. If they are not careful they will soon have the most expensive, abandoned, man made object visible from space.