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Dubai, on the Arabian Gulf, is an important international center of finance and tourism. Many people think that Dubai’s success is only because of its petroleum, but petroleum is only one factor. In the 19th century, Dubai became a major port and center of commerce on shipping routes from India. It also had an enormous international market for its pearls. Dubai was already a wealthy city, and the discovery of oil in 1966 made it much, much wealthier. Sheikh Rashid, Dubai’s leader since 1958, used oil money to modernize the infrastructure of Dubai. He made Dubai a free port, and became the major business center for the region. Rashid also promoted Dubai as a tourist destination. In the 190s, Dubai joined with six other emirates to form the United Arab Emirates. The UAE is one of the richest nations in the world.
