Firstly, I thank Almighty God for giving me the knowledge and energy to complete this book.

I've had the wonderful opportunity to witness first-hand the spectacular socioeconomic development of the UAE in general, and Dubai in particular, especially the transformation of the aviation sector with which I have been associated, both as a journalist and a PR professional, forthe past 30 years.

Like hundreds of other expatriates, I thought I would return home after only a short stay of few years in the UAE. However, the peace and prosperity, high standard of living, friendly people,and, more importantly, a promising future, made me continue my journey in Dubai. I, as well as my family, remain much satisfied with what we've achieved in our lives in the UAE.

I would like to place on record my sincere thanks and appreciation to several individuals and institutions for helping me in different ways in realising my dream project. My sincere apologies to those whose names I may have inadvertently forgotten to mention here.

Foremost, I would like to thank my nice family for their support and encouragement throughout the completion of both the Arabic and English versions of the book. My daughter, Farah, helped me in times of urgency to complete certain tasks, while another daughter, Elissar, and sons, Suleiman and Hussein, were supportive as well. My sincere thanks go to Dr. Kazim Alssadi, a father figure for me, and UAE historian, Dr. Mohammed Al Faris, for their support in reviewing the Arabicedition. I also thank my brother-in-law, Dr. Hussein Dandash, for his valuable support.

I would also like to thank dignitaries in aviation sector such as Mohammed Abdullah Ahli,Khalifa Al Zaffin, Paul Griffiths, Jamal Al Hai, Suzanne Al Anani, Anita Mehra, Jill Nealon, Lorne Riley, Rushdi Al Bustani, Gul Nizari , Hala Raslan, Donet deSilva, Rowayaa Bilal, Abdulrahim Al Mulla, Salah Tahlak, Sinead El Sibai, Salah El Tayeb,Saood Kankazar, Mohamed Al Zarouni,annan Al Mazem, Hassan Wahab, and Ola Mosleh for their invaluable support.

I would also like to thank individuals from government organisations for their support, in particular Dr. Ayesha Busmait, Rouda al Mahrezi, Mohammed Munji, Brig. Omar Al Attar, Brig.Ahmad bin Thani, Brig. Salah bin Saloum and Ali Al Mughawi.

I would also like to thank individuals from the private sector like Najath Kasir, Christian Tabet,Giri S. Iyengar, Mohammed Jaber, Aline Aasaad, Mohamad Bader-Eddin, and Adib Aboul Hosnand his son, Anwar.

This book would not have been a reality without the support of my friends, Mohammed Abdul Mannan, Zaigham Ali and James Campbell, who spared their time and energy to copy-edit the English edition. My thanks are also due to Mohammed Abdul Rahman Al Kichk, for his patience and creativity in designing both the Arabic and English editions.
Iwould like to pay my tributes to the UAE's best photographer, the late Noor Ali Rashid, and thank his energetic daughter, Shamsa, for sharing rare photographs which shed so much light on Dubai's rich history.

I also thank Emirates Centre for Strategic Studies and Research (ECSSR), Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dubai Statistics Centre, Juma Al Majid Research Centre and Media Prima.

I thank and appreciate Mahenaz Hussaini and Sanath Shenoy of Printwell for meeting the tight deadlines and delivering a quality printing job.

Ghassan S.Amhaz