Dubai is one of eight cities in the United Arab Emirates and it is a perfect example of how infrastructure such as roads, bridges and high rise buildings can modernise an area that was once a desert.

Through the design and development plan of the government, Dubai has welcomed many foreigners to work and visit the country as a means of tourism. With hotels like The Palm and real estate projects on artificial islands like Atlantis, Dubai has pushed itself to the forefront of modernity.

With a bachelor of science in information technology in Cambodia, Vises Kith, one of 60 Cambodians living in the country, lived and worked in Dubai for 11 years. He found a job at the Le Meridian Angkor and was able to learn more about information technology. He ended up becoming the information technology director for MadinatJumeirah Dubai, and his wife joined him to live and work in the city.

“I and my family are living in Dubai to work in the hotel industry and my children are studying in private schools in Dubai,” he said. “Even though the prices in Dubai are more than three times that of what is in Cambodia, in addition to providing health insurance, they provide us with accommodation, transportation and travel in all its forms.”

Vises added that the funding funneled into construction budgets is very large, so when they decide to do something, they have a clear target and well thought out plan.

“The stay in Dubai offers everything for guests, such as hospitality, technical systems, dining room systems and organised accommodation,” he said.

“Dubai is quite different now than it was 10 years ago. There are many projects under construction such as bridges, high-rise buildings and shopping malls. Sometimes, when I drive on the street, there is a new construction site the next day. But the building does not affect the traffic and people, and I appreciate that.”

Due to the climate, people do not walk in public, and all public transportation services are equipped with air conditioning. Although there are fewer hospitals, there are many public and private clinics in the community. There are supermarkets, schools, malls and other things.

“Something strange that happens is that people in the summer come to Dubai Mall, which stretches over 35 hectares, but people cannot afford to spend even one day walking inside of it,” said Vises.

The city has thousands of hotels, and he works for a company that employs about 4,000 people from 101 countries.

“It is great here in the developing world because the whole country was built in 20 years with billions of dollars. Billions were spent to build a city from the desert to the sea, with high rise buildings, commercial buildings and virtual realms,” he said.

When the infrastructure of a company is good, the country can gain more economic income, he added.

“From year to year, the development of the country has grown strongly because of the living and working experience it involves. I want Cambodia to grow with our human resources so this can be done later,” he said.

In Dubai in 2020, there will be an exhibition of infrastructure and real estate in order to showcase to the world the many amazing things money from tourism can do.

Vises said the tourism and hotel sector could grow more because the number of tourists visiting the country continues to rise.

“There are a lot of jobs in the city that offer you the chance to work here and earn money and a good deal on living, travelling and overall safety. I encourage Cambodian people to work here as foreigners to study management and get a better life,” Vises said.

“Some companies have invested in hotels in Cambodia such as Accord, Sofitel, Intercontinental, Starwood or Marriot, Rosewood and many others. This is good for developing countries.”