The dependence of development on exploitation continues today as a way for developing nations to rapidly‘ modernize’ by following a capitalist path of development laid out by Western nations, particularly the United States. 6 Nations in the Global North have emerged as global superpowers and have paved the way to modernization through established modes of exploitation. Propped up by organizations like the World Bank and the IMF, they lock developing nations- in search of the promise of a modernized nation that is economically sound, industrially powerful and socially self-sufficient- into devastating cycles of debt. 7 In the age of globalization, this mode of development has spread far beyond the borders of Western nations to many Middle Eastern countries, who, in a rush to keep up with global superpowers, have jumped at the chance to be oppressors through the formation of private enterprise and the encouragement of capitalist endeavors. In keeping with the rush to appear modernized, countries of the Middle East have embraced futuristic aesthetics and awe-inspiring projects. However, this modernization is only surface deep. Exploitative conditions for workers in the exploding economies of the Global South, like the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, are well documented, and though some steps have been taken to alleviate the conditions of workers, abuses
8, 9, 10, 11 continue regularly. In much the same way that Kuwait,“ sought to project the spatial and economic bases” of a modern nation through architecture onto the world in the early 70s during the Gulf construction boom, Dubai uses architecture as a means to project its vision of the future onto the world.
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This projection has serious costs. Just this year VICE News released video footage showing migrant workers living in inhumane conditions while constructing a Trump International Golf Club in Dubai. Nearby in Abu Dhabi, at the construction site of a new cultural hub for the U. A. E., working conditions for migrants have been compared“ to an open prison.” 13 In Qatar, there have been numerous outcries over human rights violations following various investigations into the ongoing construction of venues for the upcoming World Cup tournament in 2022. The Khalifa International Stadium in Doha and the surrounding sports complex, is currently being renovated for the event, and reports of human rights violations from Amnesty International are rampant. The whole situation in Qatar is appalling, but it’ s even more underhanded if you