Bye bye Dubai or Do buy in Dubai? Glittering metropolis or megalomania? Is the city of superlatives plunging into a real estate crisis? Is the land of tomorrow suddenly bankrupt, with oil billions sinking into the sand? Critics of the gigantism in the emirate see their views confirmed; the media now presents the free fall of an economy after the soaring success of the Gulf states. But it’s not that simple. Bettina Müller takes a holistic interpretative approach, questioning both positive developments and negative consequences. Much has been done in the desert state to create new cornerstones for the economy and to craft an appropriate image. This is primarily achieved through targeted staging and tourist architecture. Despite all setbacks, the once pearl fishing village has become a central trading and financial hub of the Middle East and a tourist destination for visitors.