Megaworld

Gr 7 Up—Dubai, the most populous of the seven countries which compose the United Arab Emirates, enjoyed one of the world's most rapidly growing economies in the past decade, despite its lack of any oil reserves. Key to its rapid expansion, the resultant luxuriate lifestyles of its ruling class, and the full employment of thousands of foreign workers was its pivotal location as a trading and shipping center in the Middle East. This fast-moving film, part of a television series covering the technological growth of various countries, was originally broadcast in 2008, the peak of Dubai's development—and therein lies the problem. As the narrator breathlessly relates the incredible building and scientific projects occurring at the time—some as ephemeral as adaptations of camel racing—viewers can't help but be impressed at Dubai's penchant for spending vast amounts of money to transform the former desert backwater into a 21st-century society. However, the film's content doesn't accurately portray the recent free fall the country's economy faced and its steps towards recovery. Since the film was not updated to reflect recent economic events, it is not a good choice for high school students.—Dwain Thomas, formerly Lake Park High School, Roselle, IL