The Emirati Model: Capitalism without Apology

The Emirati Dream is a provocative exploration of how the United Arab Emirates became the most successful capitalist experiment in the Arab world. Written by Obaid AlZaabi, an Emirati insider with a frontrow seat to his country's transformation, the book weaves historical narrative, economic analysis, and political insight to explain why the UAE succeeded where others faltered. Through rich storytelling and data-driven argument, AlZaabi contrasts the UAE's pragmatic, pro-business ethos with the socialist and populist models that have dominated the region-from Egypt's Nasserism to Iraq's Baathism. He examines the pillars of the Emirati model: open trade, limited taxation, foreign labor, state-led investment, and strategic neutrality in global affairs. He also reflects on the role of identity, leadership, and ambition in shaping the country's social contract. At once a celebration of the UAE's rise and a critique of its ideological alternatives, The Emirati Dream offers a new way of thinking about development, governance, and ambition in the Arab world-and what the future might hold for a region at a crossroads.