Wednesday, December 25, 2019

The Passage Of The 16th Amendment Essay - 2036 Words

After the passage of the 16th Amendment, the nature and process of taxation changed many times. An author for the Virginia Law Review wrote in 1972, â€Å"Developing and maintaining an appropriate tax structure for a nation as economically complex and dynamic as the United States is a mammoth task† (Graetz, p. 1401). Because of this complexity, the nature of the Tax Code would need to be altered to keep up with what the country requires at a given time. Several significant changes have been made to the Tax Code, but none more significant than the passage of the Tax Reform Act of 1986 (TRA 86). TRA 86 was one of the most polarizing changes in tax law and where the current Code gets its name (Spilker et all., 2016, p. 2-11). It brought about more revisions than most people and businesses could keep up with, and it brought to light the deficiencies in implementing amendments to the Code, namely a disturbing lack of awareness from taxpayers of the alterations. Many businesses bene fited from the changes—mostly large, well-established firms, but small mom-and-pop stores who have less stake in tax planning suffered (Scholes, Wilson, Wolfson, 1992, p.181). This negative effect would have been avoided if taxpayers had taken precautions and been aware of the impending changes in tax laws and if those changes had been communicated clearly to them. This Act changed many aspects of taxation, particularly for business owners. It broadened the tax base, altered tax rates, and removed some taxShow MoreRelatedThe Progressive Era Of The 19th Century1463 Words   |  6 PagesThis distinctive period in history (spanning from the 1890s through 1920) found progressives seeking to use the American federal government as a means of change through social, political, and economic reforms. Politically, the passage of the 16th, 17th, 18th, and 19th amendments are evidence of the success of progressive reformers, despite the fact that some of the new laws failed to create desired social changes. The efforts of the progressives were mainly effective when it came to social reformsRead MoreThe Legacy Of Abraham Lincoln1230 Words   |  5 Pagesolder he studied law without a teacher. Abraham Lincoln became a lawyer. He was interested in politics. So people said that he should run for public office he ran for Senate, Congress then the most import ant one of all, President. Abraham Lincoln the 16th president. Abraham Lincoln had to do a lot while he was president he had to help with the civil war during the civil war he gave a speech called the Gettysburg Address. After the rebels won the war Abraham Lincoln had to help make the 13 colonies uniteRead MoreAnalysis Of The Movie Lincoln 962 Words   |  4 Pagesevents as the passage of the 13th Amendment finishing slavery, the capitulation of the Confederacy, and his murder. In addition to this, film clearly showed the particular important details of politics. Accordingly, after all, this story is a movie, a drama, but not a typical documentary film, because it has a historical analysis of two completely different and the most important events in the United States history – an ultimate end of the Civil War and the passage of the 13th Amendment. As a matterRead MoreThe United States Of America Hit An All Time Low During The Roaring 20 s With The Presence Of954 Words   |  4 PagesCinevert 1 Outline The United States Of America hit an all-time low during the Roaring 20’s with the presence of prohibition and organized crime. I. The Jazz Age Jazz Music Dance Appliances II. The New Women KKK Flappers 19th Amendment III. Mass Culture More Spending Money .First Radio Affordable Consumer Product ( Automobile) Read MoreHuman Trafficking Is Not A Choice1132 Words   |  5 Pagesiii. There are more people involved in slavery today than at the height of the Transatlantic Slave Trade during the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries. c. Crime against humanity – stripped of their individual freedoms and identities d. Human beings are considered a commodity, and human trafficking is the business. e. Treatment of slaves - no less brutal or degrading today; These individuals are being exploited with the sole intent of being sold to increase one’s economic status; used and reused, abusedRead MoreAnnotation1248 Words   |  5 PagesHoda Mokarian Rebecca Yamano English 101 November 16th, 2011 Critical Annotated Webliography Research Questions: What kinds of school reform strategies have been suggested historically? ANNOTATION #1 Source Information: Goodman, Paul. Compulsory Miseducation. Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1971. Paul Goodman suggests that in order to counter the strict, lockstep tendencies of American educational institutions, that universities as well as secondary schools devise strategies to encourageRead MoreEssay on United States Government and Federalism1473 Words   |  6 Pagesnational standards during this period, it did little to enforce compliance on the state level. For example, little was done to enforce the implementation of the 15th amendment at the state level. This period also ushered in an increase in the economic power of the federal government. With the legalization of the income tax with the 16th amendment in 1913, the US government saw a large rise in revenue. This allowed the national government to firmly establish itself as dominant economic force over the statesRead MoreEssay The American Civil War: Abraham Lincoln754 Words   |  4 Pageshe began his term the following year. After his term was over, promising not to seek reelection, he moved back to Springfield in 1849. However, certain events pushed him back towards politics. Stephen Douglas, a democrat in congress, pushed the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska act, which declared that the voters of each territory had the right to chose whether the territory should have slaves or be free, instead of the federal government choosing that. October 16, 1854, Lincoln gave a speech inRead MoreWhat Makes Elected Officials Take Other Stances On Different Types Of Bills And. Congressional Resolutions?1203 Words   |  5 Pagesrepresentative Jim Costa, and can determine how popular and favorable a he is, which can lead to particularized benefits and reelection. My member of Congress is Jim Costa, a Democratic representative from California’s sixteenth district. The 16th district is located in California’s Central Valley that includes the cities of Merced, Madera, and Fresno. The Central Valley is by far not a popular district, and has a population of roughly 714,214 people with 58.1 percent of the residents beingRead MoreUs History Research Paper930 Words   |  4 Pagesand because of the Fourteenth Amendment in 1868, it gained the explicit duty to protect individual rights. However, when white Democrats regained their power in the South in 1877, often by paramilitary suppression of voting, they passed Jim Crow laws to maintain white supremacy, and new disfranchising constitutions that prevented most African Americans and many poor whites from voting. This would continued until gains of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s and passage of federal legislation to enforce

Monday, December 16, 2019

Discrimination On The Workplace And Can Result On...

For centuries, society has been shaped following a structure that might have slightly changed over time, however not in a radical way. As stated by Giddens, structure could be defined by a set of rules, laws and resources that societies follow, by producing and reproducing social practices. Women’s voice in the structure has variated from being nearly insignificant to consequent, indeed they represent half of the workforce worldwide in 2011.** However, gender inequalities persists with a gender pay gap of 18% in the UK and 39% in Korea in 2010 *2 – a pay gap that would not close until 2095, according to the World Economic Forum. This unequal power relations between sexes is the result of sexism, discrimination on the workplace and can result on psychological trauma. *4. A point to take into consideration when analyzing the structure is how do people that do not fit in it, can survive into modern society? And how does the political context a cause of exclusion of the structure, which could result on body suffering and trauma? Today, most individuals are considered as consumers. However, some consumers cannot afford first aids services have to live infected, which can be fatal for some. These consumers feel insulate and marginalized by the society they live in, which leads them to commit illegal practices to be able to subsist to their essential needs. A good illustration of this approach is the living conditions of some women in the United States. The structuralShow MoreRelatedWorkplace Violence And The Workplace1396 Words   |  6 PagesWorkplace violence Workplace violence can be any act of physical violence, threats of physical violence, harassment, intimidation, or other threatening, disruptive behavior that occurs at the work site. Workplace violence can affect or involve employees, visitors, contractors, and other non-Federal employees. A number of different actions in the work environment can trigger or cause workplace violence. It may even be the result of non-work-related situations such as domestic violence or â€Å"road rageRead MoreEssay on Social Connotations of Name and Well Being1548 Words   |  7 Pagesothers at the airport. The only way the airport staff can identify that you are of Arab decent is based on your family name, Najjar. The airport staff constantly takes extra measures to confirm that you are not a terrorist. Stereotypes have existed in American culture for centuries. Early in American history stereotypes of Negroes and Mexicans predominately associate them with lower-class attributes (Campbell, 1967). Major social events can have an effect on how certain groups and assemblies ofRead MoreSocial Stereotypes in America Essay1479 Words   |  6 Pagesothers at the airport. The only way the airport staff can identify that you are of Arab decent is based on your family name, Najjar. The airport staff constantly takes extra measures to confirm that you are not a terrorist. Stereotypes have existed in American culture for centuries. Early in American history stereotypes of Negroes and Mexicans predominately associate them with lower-class attributes (Campbell, 1967). Major social events can have an effect on how various groups of people are viewedRead MoreBeing Part Of A Stigmatized Group1287 Words   |  6 Pagesaccompanies a sense of negative self-worth. This association can become increasingly evident if an individual is constantly faced with adversities that make the individual feel devalued. Specifically, individuals in the LGBTQIA (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual) population have unique experiences that proliferate the rate of being marginalized. This marginalization can negatively affect the individual and can be portrayed in multiple ways. At the society level, HerekRead MoreThe Effects Of Workplace On The Organization And Answer The Following Questions Essay1290 Words   |  6 Pagesorganizations overlook workplace bullying and underestimate its power since it is not a punishable offense. Consequently, almost 14 million American adults succumb to bullying daily, and millions more experience the mortifyi ng consequences of witnessing the maltreatment (Namie, 2011). Therefore, this brief research will discuss the impact of workplace bullying on the organization and answer the following questions: 1. What is workplace bullying? 2. What are the causes of workplace bullying? 3. WhatRead MoreThe Effects Of Workplace Bullying On The Organization And Answer The Following Questions Essay1315 Words   |  6 Pagesoverlook workplace bullying and underestimate its power since it is not a punishable offense. Consequently, almost 14 million American adults succumb to bullying daily, and millions more experience the mortifying consequences of witnessing the maltreatment (Namie, 2011). Therefore, this brief research will discuss the impact of workplace bullying on the organization and answer the following questions: 1. What is the definition of workplace bullying? 2. What are the various causes of workplace bullyingRead MoreAlicia Kate O. Borja. English 27 A. Andre Dominic Peralta.1260 Words   |  6 Pagesthe World Health Organization (2016), mental health is a state of well-being wherein an individual has the capacity to realize his or her own potential, can manage with the normal stresses of life, can work efficiently and successfully, and is able to render something to his or her community. Mental Health incorporates our emotional, psychological, and social prosperity. It affects our behaviours. Many experts have tried to come up with various different terms to explain the difference between ‘mentalRead MoreRacism Is Defined As An Ideology Of Racial Superiority1384 Words   |  6 Pagesand prejudicial behavior. Racism can come in many forms such as racial profiling; hating someone for the color of their skin, workplace discrimination, and the stereotypical notion that one race has superior work ethics than another. No matter the o rigin, racism can have long lasting effects on its victims and the community. We will look how the psychological impact of racism affects the victim mentally and health wise. We will then look into how the community can be affected. Effects on the VictimRead MoreRacial Discrimination : The Act Of Making Or Perceiving A Difference1705 Words   |  7 PagesMerriam-Webster defines discrimination as, â€Å"the act of making or perceiving a difference† (Discrimination, 2017.) Does your skin color impact the quality of your work or the fortitude your resolve? It may seem that the answer to that question is quite clear, nonetheless, 32,309 cases of race/color discrimination were reported in fascial year 2016 (EEOC, 2017.) Prejudice and discrimination are often mistaken for one another, however, prejudice is the negative attitude toward a category of peopleRead MoreRole Of Ngos On Addressing Sexual Harassment1581 Words   |  7 Pagesoutside is important to ensure that the victims know about their rights and duties. These organizations tackle the problem of ignorance through such programmes. 2. Support to victims These NGOs provide social and psychological support to the victims to help them recover from the trauma. Such help is provided in the form of a personal one-on-one counseling for the victim as well as for the family. It gives them courage to fight emotionally and physically. 3. Legal aid NGOs often provide the requisite

Sunday, December 8, 2019

Changing Business Environment for Disruptive - myassignmenthelp

Question: Some of the buzzwords you hear about todays economic environment are black swans, unicorns and disruptive strategies. Describe each of these and discuss how industry leaders should prepare for them. Can you insulate your company from their influence? Answer: Introduction Black Swans Black swans are events that occur suddenly and cause a major disruption in an industry, economy or the world stage at large. They are unexpected in nature and it is extremely difficult to predict their manifestation (Taleb, 2016). The financial crisis of 2008 is a classic example of a black swan event. When it hit the world economy, it caused disruptions to every part of the globe. It must be understood that the signs of these black swan events are most difficult to notice. There were only a few outliers who predicted the fall of the financial markets in 2008. But once a black swan event is triggered all that is left to check is who is most prepared. Similarly the dot com bubble burst in the year of 2001 and left everyone catastrophically impaired. Certain events cast their effect in a specific region like the Hyperinflation of Zimbabwe. This was the most unexpected and the steepest rise in inflation that the world has seen till today. The countrys inflation reached an astronomical 79.6bn percent (Koech, 2011). The causes behind these events are different for different events and challenging to predict. However, in this report we will be discussing the impact of major black swan events and how an organization can protect itself from its devastating consequences. Unicorn Startups Unicorns is a terminology given to startup firms which cross the $1 billion mark in terms of their valuation. The term was first coined by a venture capitalist Aileen Lee. According to research, there are over 100 million new startups every year. Not all of them see the light of the day and among the ones that do, hardly a handful are valued at over a billion dollars. Therefore, it is safe to presume that these unicorns are doing something different and better than their counterparts and hence it becomes imperative that the existing firms prepare themselves against their rise. A new startup either offers an entirely new line of products or adds on to an existing product line by offering it at a lower price. Either way, it hurts the existing organizations of the industry. Another important point to note is that these unicorns are extremely beneficial for any economy at large. They bring about a constant wave of innovation and help industries grow and consistently offer something new (Lee, 2013). They help to widen the customer horizons and set a rather tall benchmark for other players in the industry to follow. Uber, Xiomi, Air BnB, Snapchat and Flipkart are at the moment top unicorns of the world (Fortune, 2016). Flipkart, since its beginning changed the face of the Ecommerce industry, Xiomi managed to lead the mobile phone market share across the globe and Snapchat became the face of social media by attracting 173 million new users every day in quarter 2 of the 2017 (Business insider, 2017). Disruptive technology Disruptive technology is the term used to address any new technology that emerges out of the blue and disrupts the status quo of the industry. The advancement of such technology is imperative for the growth of any economy. It must be kept in mind that every technology or innovation, may or may not be disruptive. However a disruptive technology most definitely challenges an incumbent business (Danneels, 2006). Any new knowledge, expertise or equipment that first surfaces in the market, targets the overlooked customers of existing organizations. Here Paritos principle plays an important role which defines that every company focuses on its 20% of customers who generate 80% of the profits for the company. Therefore a most common strategy adopted by upcoming entrepreneurs is to design products or services in order to target those 80% of disregarded customers. This is how every new startup establishes itself. Nonetheless when these new firms upmarket and start targeting the remainder profitable customers of the organization, disruption occurs. As this completely disorders the status quo and functionality of existing firms. Recommendations PESTLE analysis PESTLE analysis is a strategy tool followed by managers that helps them gain an insight on their industrial environment. This tool helps organizations be aware of the events surrounding them (Ramli, 2015). This awareness often helps firms get a birds eye view of any new business or technology emerging in the market and in turn keeping themselves prepared for black swan events, unicorns and disruptive technologies. One important aspect of this analysis involves not ignoring small hints thrown by the environment, which is often the trickiest part. Awareness of competition More often than not, the startups are taken for granted as organizations assume that firms will take time to grow and build a market share. Whenever a competitor firm changes its business pattern, it symbolizes that either it is expecting a change in the industry or a change in the consumer behavior. This makes it very important to track and keep aware of what competitors are doing (Huffington post, 2014). Also, customers at large have a tendency of comparing products and services from different firms of the industry before actually investing on it. A company must aim to get selected in that procedure of comparison by the consumer, at least by their targeted customers. This competition is also required and rather beneficial for the industry at large, as it helps to keep organizations on their toes and helps shake off complacency (Forbes, 2017). Keeping a stern eye on the competitor not only keeps the firm up to date but also enhances customer service and in turn customer satisfaction (Massey, 2000). Focus on all consumer segments As the Paritos rule discussed above implies that organizations gain 80% of their revenue from 20% of their customers. This makes firms myopic and they focus only on those 20% of the customers. Their advertising strategies, product positioning and service deliverability becomes increasingly focused on those 20% of the customers and the remaining 80% remain rather overlooked. This is exactly what startups take advantage of. They target this 80% and grab a hold on the market. Soon enough when they penetrate towards the rest 20%, disruption occurs. Therefore, it is essential that in order to protect the firm from the harmful impact of disruptive technology, an organization focuses on all of its customer segments. Regular feedbacks from the customers, increasing service efficiency and improved customer relationships can help gaining customer loyalty which in turn can either completely prevent or at least reduce the impact of an emerging disruptive technology or a unicorn startup. Continuous innovation Needless to say that continuous innovation is mandatory to survive the competitive scenario that we live in today. Customer demands and buying patterns change at the drop of a hat and hence it is wise for any organization to keep up with this change and develop in accordance. A classic example of promoting innovation is the Google 80-2 rule which implies employees to devote 20% of their work time into developing something new, brainstorming on new ideas and working on them. Google has a clear motto of Innovate or die (Wired, 2013). This is a major reason behind Google being a super unicorn with a mammoth valuation of over $100 billion (Huffington post, 2014). Google along with Facebook is a super unicorn and what is interesting to note is that not every new thing that these firms bring to table might be a hit with the customer. Some innovations like Google Video, Google wave and Google notebook were absolute flops (Fortune, 2014). Similarly Facebook gifts, Facebook credits, Facebook poke and recently Facebook stories have failed to garner the attention of its audience (Tech world, 2016). However what is important is that the company continues to innovate and consistently offers newness to sustain in the market (Denning, 2015). Remain differentiated In the world where every industry is trafficked with so many organizations, the only way to make a mark in the minds of the consumer is to remain differentiated. This differentiation could be in the form of price, product, place, target consumers or way of promotions. Carving a niche is a sure shot way of reducing the impact of unicorns hitting the industry day in and day out. Also as long as a firm is able to differentiate itself from its competitors, it is most like to protect itself by being washed away by disruptive technologies that might see the light of the day. This is the reason why many firms are consistently putting efforts to differentiate their offerings in order to build a loyal customer segment and to keep up with changing consumer needs. Contingency planning Black swan events are challenging to predict and the most that can be done by any firm is to prepare for the worst at any given point of time. Organizations must perform a thorough industry analysis, consider the worst case scenario and ensure that the firm is prepared for it. This is the reason why many banks hire experts whose sole work on everyday basis is to tally their current performance and camouflage it over every possible scenario politically, legally, technologically, economically and financially. This gives the firm a clear idea of what it can survive and what it cannot. This contingency comes handy at the times of black swan events or swooshing off of a market by a disruptive technology. Conclusion Black swans, Unicorn startups and disruptive technologies are no more far away scenarios, rather they are todays reality. They exist and as a matter of fact the frequency of their occurrence is on a rise. They are also important aspects of the world as without them there would be a definitive lack of innovation. It is extremely important that organizations prepare for the advent of such scenarios as and when they arise. In this era of cut throat competition, the strongest organization will survive while the ones that succumb will face a disappointing departure. Therefore organization must be very aware of every move their competitors make, have a detailed knowledge of the industry and its factors, promote innovation as a culture of work, strive to remain differentiated and have a contingency plan in place for any hard times the firm may face. If not eradicate, these few calculative and strategic measures by firms are sure to reduce the impact of these unforeseen circumstance. References Business insider, 2017, Snapchat users, https://www.businessinsider.in/Snapchat-has-173-million-users-but-its-struggling-to-grow-outside-North-America/articleshow/60029175.cms, viewed on 25 September, 2017 Tech world 2016, Facebook failed products, https://www.techworld.com/picture-gallery/social-media/17-failed-facebook-products-3605823/, viewed on 25 September, 2017 Fortune, 2016, Unicorns, https://fortune.com/unicorns/, viewed on 25 September, 2017 Huffington Post, 2014, Business Competition, https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/reuben-singh/business-competition_b_6020018.html, viewed on 25 September, 2017 Forbes, 2013, Understanding your core market, https://www.forbes.com/pictures/emjl45fhdh/understanding-your-core-market/#3f639a7f1d37, viewed on 25 September, 2017 Wired, 2014, Googles 80-20 rule, https://www.wired.com/insights/2013/08/innovate-or-die-why-googles-8020-rule-is-a-red-herring/, viewed on 25 September, 2017 Huffington post, 2014, Super unicorn, https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/hilary-wardle/mobile-commerce_b_5626140.html, viewed on 25 September, 2017 Fortune, 2014, Googles 8 biggest flops, https://fortune.com/2014/04/28/googles-8-biggest-flops/, viewed on 25 September, 2017. Ramli, M. A., Twaha, S. (2015). Analysis of renewable energy feed-in tariffs in selected regions of the globe: lessons for Saudi Arabia.Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews,45, 649-661. Massey, P. (2000). Market definition and market power in competition analysis: some practical issues.Economic and Social Review,31(4), 309-328. Taleb, N. N. (2016). Black Swan Events. Lee, A. (2013). Welcome to the unicorn club: Learning from billion-dollar startups.Techcrunch (https://techcrunch. com/2013/11/02/welcome-to-the-unicorn-club/). Koech, J. (2011). Hyperinflation in Zimbabwe.Annual Report, Globalization and Monetary Policy Institute, 2-12. Danneels, E. (2006). Dialogue on the effects of disruptive technology on firms and industries.Journal of Product Innovation Management,23(1), 2-4. Denning, S. (2015). New lessons for leaders about continuous innovation.Strategy Leadership,43(1), 11-15.

Sunday, December 1, 2019

The Dubai City Essay Example

The Dubai City Essay Dubai is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and is one among the seven emirates. It is situated on the Arabian Peninsula along the southern coast of the Persian Gulf. To distinguish it from the emirate, Dubai city is sometimes referred to as the Dubai Municipality. This city has been estimated to have existed for more than one hundred and fifty years prior to the formation of UAE. Within the federal framework, Dubai shares economic, political, military and legal functions with its fellow emirates. However, each country has its own jurisdiction over special functions such as upkeep of local facilities, provision of local facilities and civic law enforcement (Brown, 2006, p. 15). In this union, Dubai has the largest population and is the second largest after Abu Dhabi. In the country’s legislature, veto power is exercised on matters that are considered of national importance. In the early 19th century, Dubai was established and operated independently until 1833. With the British government, the country signed the general maritime peace treaty. In 1892, the country came under the protection of the United Kingdom after an exclusive agreement. The country has a history of being an important port for foreign based traders, most of them coming in from India. Ultimately, many of the traders ended up settling in the nation because of the conducive investment and trading environment the nation had. The fame of the country started as early as 1820s and is still very much pronounced today. Today, the nation is mostly referred to as the City of Dubai (Omar, 2006, p. 11). During these times, Dubai was very well known for exporting pearl. We will write a custom essay sample on The Dubai City specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Dubai City specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Dubai City specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Unanticipatedly, the trade was dismissed by the events of the World War 1 in 1930s. The effects of the great depression in the late 1920s also devastated the growth and development of the city. In the realm of the economic challenges the city faced, it experienced massive migration of people to seek better living in parts of the Persian Gulf. The 1950s marks the time when the British moved its local administration offices to Dubai and thus airport, telephone and electricity services were established in the city. The town joined Qatar in 1966 to form a new monetary unit, Dubai/Qatar Riyal. This move led to the devaluation of the Gulf Rupee that had previously lasted as the medium of exchange. Still in 1966, oil was discovered in Dubai and the town granted concessions towards international oil companies. When it was discovered, a large influx of foreign workers mainly Pakistanis and Indians was experienced by the city (Ciecko, 2006, p. 19). Through some estimates, the population of the town grew by more than 300% from 1968 to 1975. The Britain protectors left the Persian Gulf in 1971, leading the emirates to join and form the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Dubai joined fellow emirates in adopting a uniform currency, the UAE dirham. Despite the influx of the Lebanese immigrants fleeing civil war in Lebanon in 1970, the city continued to grow rapidly because of the revenues collected from trade and oil. In 1979, Jebel Ali port was established, becoming the largest manmade port around the world. This port enabled the foreign companies to have an unrestricted importation of labor as well as export capital (Rugh, 1997, p. 23). In 1990, the effects of the Persian Gulf War had a large impact on the city. This war created uncertainty in the political fields within the whole region. As a result, the economy experienced a shock as Dubai banks withdrew their funds massively. During the Persian Gulf War, Kuwait trading community moved their businesses to Dubai. During the Shia unrest, communities from Bahrain also moved their businesses to the city since it was felt as the best investment site in the region by then. During the Persian Gulf War, the city provided refueling services at Jebel Ali free zone to allied forces. The town provided the same services during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. After the Persian Gulf War ended, oil prices increased largely, encouraging the nation to highly focus on tourism and free trade. The model to develop clusters of new free zones was fueled by the success of the port. The clusters included Dubai Maritime City, Dubai Media City and the Dubai Internet City. Dubai marketed its tourism sector through the construction of Burj Al Arab which up to now serves as the tallest freestanding hotel in the world, and also as the most developed residential holdings. In creating Dubai’s skyline, the country since 2002 has experienced increases in private real estate investments. This development was aided through engaging in projects such as Burj Dubai, The World Islands and The Palm Islands (Khalaf, 2000, p. 27). In the recent years, the city had robust economic growth, which has been accompanied by high inflation rates. In 2007, the rate of inflation stood as 11. 2%, measured against consumer price index. The inflation rise is attributed to doubling trend of residential and commercial rental costs, which have caused substantial increase of living costs for the citizens. The city lies directly within the Arabian Desert. Its topography is however different from the ones within the emirates zone, making the city appear unique. A larger portion of Dubai’s landscape is highlighted by gravel deserts and sandy desert patterns. Gravel deserts dominate the southern part of the city. The sand is composed of coral and crushed shell and it is also white, clean and fine. The eastern part of the city is made up of a north south running line of dunes formed with salt crushed coastal plains. Far to the east, the dunes are tinged red with iron oxide (Sultan, et al, 1999, p. 31). There is a flat sandy desert forming a paving path towards the Western Hajar Mountains that found to stretch along the Dubai’s border with Oman at Hatta. These mountains have a landscape that in shattered, jagged and arid, rising to a height of 1300 meters. The city does not have any natural water body or oases, but only a natural inlet called Dubai creek, dredged to make it deeper for use by large vessels. The city has multiple waterholes and gorges, at the base of Western Al Hajar Mountains. The vast sea of sand dunes in the southern part forms a desert known as the Empty Quarter. The city is located in a very stable zone, bearing in mind that Zargos Fault which is the nearest seismic fault line is one hundred and twenty kilometers from the UAE territory, limiting the possibilities of seismic impacts on Dubai. Through expertise consultation, the region has minimum possibilities of experiencing tsunami because the waters of the Persian Gulf are not deep enough to trigger the disaster (Marios, 2007, p. 16). The sandy desert that surrounds the city nurtures occasional date palm trees and also supports wild grasses. In the east of the city, desert hyacinths grow as ghaf and acacia trees grow in the flat plains. Dubai’s natural parks are composed of both indigenous and imported trees. The indigenous trees include neem and date palm whereas the imported trees mainly include eucalyptus. The parks still have a variety of animals such as Arabian Oryx, falcon, desert fox, caracal, striped hyena and the houbara bustard. This city lies in a migration path of birds towards and from Africa, Asia and Europe, through which about 320 migratory birds pass during autumn and winter. The waters of Dubai also harbor more than 300 species of fish, with hammour being the most popular. The city has a hot and humid climate with monthly recordings of over 40 degrees Celsius. The highest recorded temperature is usually 47. 3 degrees whereas the lowest recorded is seven degrees. The city receives light rains of about 150 millimeters annually, precipitations coming in March, February and January. Heavy rains usually come in winter months, recording 120mm. High humidity levels are experienced in cooler winter periods and the mean humidity in the country is 60% (Daniela, 2002, p. 24). Dubai has a multicultural and diverse community. This was after the arrival of nationals and ethnic groups, first Iranians, Indians and Pakistanis. Only infrequent and minor episodes of ethnic tensions have ever been reported despite the diversity of the whole population. The common conflicts occur between expatriates who are recently and frequently visiting the city. In 1994, Muslim laborers and the Hindu clashed leading to deportation and detainment of Pakistani and Indian workers. The cosmopolitan nature of the society is indicated by the diversity of cuisine. Arab food is readily available and very popular. The consumption and sale of pork is regulated though not illegal, being sold in designated areas and to non Muslims. To purchase alcohol within the city, a liquor permit is required, or else obtained from restaurants and bars within five and four star hotels. Bollyhood and holly wood movies have made the city fame through their popularity. The city attracts celebrities from international cinema and the Arab community because it is where annual Dubai international film festival is held. The nation has an active musical scene, with musicians Phil Collins, Celine Dion, Shakira, pink, Elton John, Santana, Aerosmith, Tarkan, Diana Haddad and Amrdiab having frequent visits to the city and making musical performances (Martin, 1993, p. 67).