Mohammad's confidence is reassuring

Since its existence, Dubai has always been known for its resilience in facing up to the challenges of survival. This is a fact that is supported by historical evidence as the emirate has gained unparalleled experience in paving a path out of every single crisis it has come to face over the past centuries.

Over time, industries have thrived and trades have crashed. Over time, wars have begun and bitter disputes have ended. Over time, plagues and famine have brought about misery and widespread death. And over so much time, Dubai has tasted it all.

Yet the constant element that has enabled the emirate to endure through it all has been its insistence on surviving — something that could only be fully comprehended and appreciated when one becomes a good reader of history. Dubai has always been and will continue to be a place that thrives on commerce. As a matter of fact, all that it has achieved so far has enabled it to exist as a trading entity.

The recent comments of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, come as yet another reminder of the fact that the emirate exists because of its long history as a trading hub and a point of contact between various continents.

And perhaps it is within this context that the emirate has no choice but to weather the current global crisis. "Dubai is capable of overcoming the economic slowdown, which gave us time to think and reflect, and to renew our compatibility," Shaikh Mohammad said. Hence, it is unfair to judge the emirate's success on the performance of the property sector, regardless of the boom it witnessed. Other sectors are also integral to the emirate's economic engine.

More important, though, is the fact that Dubai does not exist in a vacuum or in isolation from the UAE federation and its success. As much as it could be credited for its spirit of taking risks, it also belongs to a broader and bigger entity. "Sometimes I read stories about Dubai and Abu Dhabi, separately. But Abu Dhabi is Dubai, and Dubai is Abu Dhabi. The ruling families of both emirates are one family," said Shaikh Mohammad. And it is this unity which holds the secret of any success.