Dubai weathering tough economy

December 04, 2008 Both represent the kind of cross-cultural exchange between East and West that he clearly relishes -- the movie, as a co-production between an American company (GigaPix) and a Jordanian one (Paper and Pen Films); the festival, as a magnet for Westerners who are then exposed to Arab cinema. Recent deals between the United Arab Emirates and Hollywood -- including an alliance between Warner Bros. and Abu Dhabi-based property developer ALDAR, and the purchase of a 4.9% stake in Citibank by Abu Dhabi Investment Authority -- illustrate just how significantly Dubai's international profile has grown in the last decade. That, of course, was before the onset of a global economic crisis that shocked the international business community and shows no signs of letting up.

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