Study paper from 2010 in the field of Tourism, grade: 1.3, bbw University, event: Tourism, language: German. Abstract: The United Arab Emirates were among the first countries on the Arabian Peninsula to open up to the tourism sector, and tourism has become an increasingly important topic throughout the Middle East. Particularly the desert emirate of Dubai has rapidly transformed into the most significant tourist destination in the Gulf region and is one of the fastest-growing destinations worldwide. The foundation of Dubai's wealth lies in the discovery of oil in the 1960s. Through early economic diversification, it was possible to reduce the market share of the oil sector to about 5% today. Thus, the economic factor of tourism in Dubai represents an alternative source of income.