Cities in the Gulf

Abstract

In fast growing cities, such as Dubai, Jeddah and Doha the issue of identity and its implications are increasingly complex and multi-dimensional. Traditionally, people were able to maintain a strong identity in their urban environment because everything was locally influenced, created and managed. In dealing with the question of identity in the present Gulf city, several important concepts are raised; impact of rapid growth and urbanization on the resilient historic centers is one such important issue. This chapter raises and discusses the following question “Will the historic city, the heart of urban life, survive and maintain its place in the emerging global Gulf cities of today and tomorrow?” This study will focus on the three old centers of Dubai, Jeddah and Doha with the aim to explore ways of being undertaken to rediscover their vanishing cultural identities in the mainstream of rapid growth and urbanization that happened since the discovery of oil in the 1950s.