Desert to Digital: UAE and the Arabian Peninsula's Transition to an Innovation-Based Society

Catalog description

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the broader Arabian Peninsula region, leveraging heritage from traditional livelihoods like pastoral nomadism, pearl diving, and maritime trade, are strategically using modern energy resources to build knowledge-based economies. Guided by national vision programs, Gulf nations seek to balance rapid economic growth and innovation with rich cultural traditions. This seminar examines these strategic transformations through lectures, guest speakers, site visits, and case studies of Dubai's urban innovation, Abu Dhabi's leadership initiatives, Al Ain's diverse cultural heritage sites, Saudi Arabia's large-scale national development strategy, and Oman's measured approach to sustainable growth. Students will gain an interdisciplinary understanding of the cultural, historical, economic, and social factors shaping the region's evolution, with a primary focus on the UAE.