One article per day in Global Humanities and Geography No2609-The second text of the Dubai model: that day Su.
Some cities are like the real second-in-command, always prostrate at the feet of the higher-ups, trying to survive in the competition, just like Incheon in South Korea. Although it is only a dozen kilometers away from Seoul, it has always been firmly pressed under Seoul.
Other cities are fake second children, do not rely on the strategy of getting rich first and getting rich later, believe in their own uniqueness, and can always bring you unexpected surprises, just like the pearl of the Persian Gulf - Dubai! You may not know the full name of the UAE, and you may not be able to tell the difference between Abu Dhabi and Abdullah, but you must have seen Dubai's Palm and Burj Khalifa. Even if you haven't been, you know what it symbolizes – wealth.
However, in fact, Dubai can only be regarded as the second largest in the country, and the real "boss" is Abu Dhabi, which is nearly twice that of Dubai in terms of total GDP and per capita. But Dubai's popularity and international influence far surpass that of Abu Dhabi, making Dubai an inspirational example of the world's second-largest city.
For this reason, when we compare the first cities in China, we divide the second city of each province into the Incheon model, the Dubai model and the Ankara model.
Cities in China that meet the Dubai model include Daqing in Heilongjiang, Yulin in Shaanxi, Changzhi in Shanxi, Qujing in Yunnan, Ganzhou in Jiangxi, Liuzhou in Guangxi, Ningbo in Zhejiang, Quanzhou in Fujian and Zunyi in Guizhou.
They seem to have their own strengths, but they all rely on the "differentiated route" to achieve the second growth pole in the province.
The "essence" of the Dubai model is differentiation, that is, you do your thing, I do my thing.
Dubai's basic panel is actually quite ordinary, but Dubai has seized the blue ocean in the fields of finance, tourism, shipping, aviation, etc., and has successfully built itself into a financial center, shipping center and the first airport in the Middle East.
In 2023, Dubai's GDP will reach 138.1 billion US dollars, although the conversion of ** RMB is only equivalent to between Dongguan and Yantai, and it is not even ranked among the top 20 in China, but Dubai's permanent population is only more than 3 million, and the per capita gap is very wide. Only 15% of them have Emirati nationality and are the ones who truly enjoy Dubai's wealth, while the rest of the migrant workers have contributed to Dubai's prosperity but have not been able to share in its benefits.
In short, the forward-looking strategy, the big investments and the constant availability of cheap labor have underpinned Dubai's aura.
Instead of allowing the central city to absorb unlimited resources and spread the pie, it is better to divide several growth poles and transform into urban agglomerations. It is better for one city to be dominant than to develop synergistically and achieve common prosperity.
Compared with the Incheon model, ordinary people living in the Dubai model have stronger self-confidence, a sense of belonging and a passion for building their city.
So if it were you, would you choose the former or the latter? If you don't like it, there is actually a third possibility - the provincial capital will personally act as the second child in the province! That is, the "Ankara model".