Constructing Global Cities: Soft Power and Fragility in the Gulf

Jim Krane’s City of Gold explains how Dubai turned itself into a global hub built on tourism, finance, and movement.. Dubai didn’t stumble into becoming a global hub. It was engineered. The leadership made a deliberate choice to open the doors to money, people, and business, then build the infrastructure to match. The Airports, skyscrapers, free zones aren’t just developments, they’re statements. They want to convey the that this is a place connected to the world.

The same applies to Qatar. Both states have crafted an identity based on access, wealth, and movement. But this model depends on a constant flow of capital coming in, workers arriving, and tourists passing through. The region’s global identity isn’t organic. Government policies keep the system open, and branding keeps it attractive.

Having visited both Doha and Dubai, I observed how soft power operates through everyday experience. The built environment with modern skylines, international airports, luxury retail spaces, and global events project an image of openness and cosmopolitanism. These spaces are designed to be universally accessible, creating the sense of a borderless, global city.

However, this experience also revealed subtle distinctions in who occupies different spaces. The system runs on a clear hierarchy. Migrant labor is essential, yet tightly controlled. Who you are and where you’re from largely determines your place. Tourists and professional expatriates move freely through airports and business districts. Others remain in the background, out of sight but holding the system up. This contrast made clear that the region’s global image is not only constructed, but selectively experienced.

Recent geopolitical tensions in the Gulf disrupted travel, tourism, and expatriate mobility, highlighting how dependent they are on stability and global confidence. Their model of globalization, built on the rapid movement of capital, labor, and people, has been central to how Gulf states constructed their global identities. The same interconnectedness that enables rapid growth can amplify instability when external conditions change.

By building global identities through soft power and openness, Gulf states increased their dependence on stability, making disruptions more visible and impactful. While cities like Dubai and Doha are built to facilitate global movement, their success relies on sustained confidence in these conditions. When that perception is disrupted, the effects are immediate, impacting tourism, mobility, and the broader sense of accessibility that defines these global hubs.

The Gulf case suggests that globalization does not eliminate borders, but reorganizes them. Instead of clear geographic boundaries, divisions emerge within societies. In this way, borders persist as social and economic structures, shaping who is fully included and who remains peripheral within a globalized system.