Film, Culture and Identity

While Dubai is known for building a palm island, an
indoor snow dome, and a scaled-down size of the
world, it has more to offer than just a tourist
industry. Given the economic wealth established by
its petroleum industry, one of Dubai s newest
projects, Dubai Studio City, has a potential
contingency in becoming the entertainment hub within
the Arab World.
However, Dubai is situated within a region tainted
with a history of religious domination and colonial
rule. A close examination of Islam, Arab culture, and
globalization provides insight into the Islamic
confines and the suppression of sociocultural
development, and helps determine the source for the
inhibition of freedom of expression and the denial of
access to unfiltered information.
This study explores the paradoxical concepts of
establishing a film industry in an
expression-restrictive environment and presents a
strategic design to foster the positive development
of a unique film industry despite the present
restraining regulations.
This book will prove an interesting read and a
valuable resource for those who appreciate the
history of Islam, Arab culture, and the development
of cinema within the Arab region.