Dubai, U.A.E. — Start with New York. Mix in Hong Kong. Throw in some Las Vegas. Add a touch of Disneyland.

Blend in  nearly 200 nationalities, mix it all together, and serve it up in the middle of the desert, and there you have it.

Dubai.

What a remarkable city this is, a shining jewel on the Persian Gulf and the  hustling, bustling commercial center of the United Arab Emirates.

And what a remarkable opportunity it has been for me to address the interior design commmunity here , on behalf of the Association of Professional Interior Designers(apid.ae).

What once was a sleepy desert trading outpost is now the world’s fastest growing city, featuring gleaming skyscrapers, seven-star hotels, mammoth malls(one of which features the world’s largest indoor ski run),  man-made islands, luxury villas, international sporting events, and choking traffic.

Under construction here: the world’s tallest building; a 300-island, manmade archipelago in the shape of the world; and Dubai-land, a fantasyland that will be twice the size of Disney World.

For design professionals and industry partners here, business is booming.

Therein, lies the potential. And therein lies the problem.

Design firms, which take on everything from office buidings to sheikh’s palaces, are hard-pressed to find and keep  staff.  There’s tremendous pressure, originating from with Dubai’s ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashin al Maktoum, for projects to be finished on time and on budget.

Traffic is horrendous; getting to a job site often happens later, rather than sooner.

Competition among firms for the best projects is intense; companies from around the world are scrambling for part of the action.

More about all this in upcoming postings.