Ecosystems as Commodity Frontiers—Challenges Faced by Land Set Aside as Protected Areas (PAs) in the Dubai Emirate, United Arab Emirates (UAE)

Abstract

Land development in the UAE rapidly expanded with the arrival of oil wealth in the late 1950s in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.1 The rise of the oil economy brought with it the increasing commodification of land. The first manifestation of this was with the introduction of mod- ern agriculture in the mid-twentieth century. British colonial authorities working closely with coastal rulers took a keen interest in developing land and water resources during this period, partly in the hopes that this would improve local people’s standard of living, support emerging urban centres, and allow for the spread of modern agriculture. The emer- gence of protected areas (PAs) as commodity frontiers must be looked at in the context of the history of land commercialization in the country.