From a forgotten outpost in the desert to a global epicenter of innovation and business, Dubai has built its own oasis for the future.
In just half a century, the city has left behind its tents and traditional markets to become one of the most visited destinations on the planet — a symbol of strategy, vision, and relentless execution.

What seemed improbable has become reality thanks to three pillars: oil, strategic leadership, and a singular ability to adapt to the fast-paced modern world.

Today, Dubai is not just an architectural spectacle. It is the center of decisions that shape the future of technology, culture, and global investments. Understanding this transformation is also understanding why players like DUX are increasingly present in this ecosystem that breathes expansion and creativity.

The Dubai of Before

Long before skyscrapers cut through the golden horizon, Dubai was a coastal village where time seemed to move slowly, cradled by the pearl trade and the crossing of camels through the desert. Until the early 20th century, the city barely exceeded 20,000 inhabitants, living mainly from fishing, gathering dates, and trading in its sand markets and tents.

The British presence, established in 1892 through protection agreements, brought some commercial stability to the region, but prosperity seemed a distant dream. Dubai was a forgotten point on the map — without oil, without modern ports, with no glimpse of what it would become.

It was only in the late 1960s that the city's destiny radically changed, propelled by an underground opportunity that would forever alter its history — and that of the world.

The Discovery of Petrodollars

Dubai's historic turning point began in the late 1960s when the city found oil on its lands — although in modest volumes compared to its neighbors, such as Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia. Still, it was enough to ignite the spark of an unprecedented transformation.

Instead of resting on the easy revenues from oil, Dubai — under the visionary leadership of Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum — chose to diversify from the very beginning. Inspired by the model of global port cities, the emirate outlined a bold plan: to use oil resources as a springboard for a sustainable, open, and globalized economy.

The foundation of the United Arab Emirates in 1971, led by Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, solidified this long-term vision. A significant portion of oil revenue was directed toward durable assets — real estate, infrastructure, art, stocks — in a strategy aimed at preparing the emirate for a future beyond oil dependence, as the BBC highlighted in its special analysis of the region.

Between 1970 and 1990, Dubai invested over $10 billion in infrastructure projects, creating the foundation for its transformation: roads, ports, airports, and trade zones that now attract millions of visitors and trillions in global capital.

The Transformation of the City

With limited oil, but unlimited vision, Dubai bet on something radical: not to depend on the luck of natural resources, but to create its own ecosystem of prosperity.
The city opened its doors to the world by launching, in 1985, the Jebel Ali Free Zone — still the largest on the planet, offering tax incentives, 100% foreign ownership, and simplified business formation processes. This move transformed Dubai into a global trade hub, even before it was known for luxury tourism.

The 1990s and early 2000s marked the total acceleration: icons such as the Burj Al Arab and the ambitious Palm Jumeirah project emerged, showing the world that Dubai not only thought big — it executed big.

When the global crisis of 2008 shook the markets, Dubai once again showed its resilience: Abu Dhabi injected around $10 billion to stabilize the emirate, and as a gesture of gratitude, the then-called Burj Dubai was renamed Burj Khalifa. The gesture transcended architecture: it was a demonstration of strategic alliances and diplomatic agility in times of vulnerability.

But Dubai did not stop at infrastructure. It heavily invested in education, culture, and innovation, becoming home to global universities such as New York University and Sorbonne, and inaugurated the Museum of the Future, one of the strongest symbols of its commitment to technological and sustainable leadership.
Today, according to the Global Innovation Index, Dubai consistently ranks among the most innovative hubs in the Middle East.

What was once a coastal village is now a global platform for business, culture, and the future.

How It Became the Global Capital of Events in the East

Dubai understood early that the future would not belong only to those who had resources — but to those who created vibrant and open ecosystems for the world.
By transforming the city into a machine for attracting business, talent, and tourists, Dubai established itself as the epicenter of global events in the East.

Regulatory agility was one of the secrets: as Issam Kazim, CEO of the Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, highlighted in an interview with Forbes, “if a rule stifles growth, it is quickly adapted or eliminated.”
This stance transformed Dubai into one of the most favorable environments for conferences, fairs, and major global meetings.

Today, the city boasts over 150,000 hotel rooms, a network of airports that includes Dubai International Airport (DXB) — one of the busiest in the world — and the emerging Al Maktoum International Airport, designed to be the largest on the planet.

High-impact events have solidified international positioning:

• Expo 2020 Dubai: Welcomed over 24 million visitors, even facing pandemic challenges.

• Art Dubai: Established as the leading contemporary art fair in the Middle East.

• Dubai International Film Festival: One of the main cinema events in the region.

• TOKEN2049: One of the most relevant meetings for blockchain, Web3, and digital assets in the world, with the Dubai edition growing year after year.

• COP28 (2023): The largest climate event in the world reinforced Dubai as a relevant interlocutor in the sustainability agenda.

According to the Department of Economy and Tourism of Dubai, the number of international visitors grew by 9% between 2023 and 2024, firmly placing the city among the three most visited destinations on the planet.

Dubai not only hosts events: it transforms them into platforms for global influence and innovation.

DUX and Its Presence at TOKEN2049

Participating in events is easy. Making history at them is another conversation.
Last year, DUX made its first presence at TOKEN2049, the largest gathering of Web3, blockchain, and digital assets in the world, now with a vibrant edition in Dubai.

Our participation was not just institutional — it was strategic.

• Connections: We established partnerships with funds, platforms, and creators from various continents.

• Learnings: We absorbed cutting-edge insights about new liquidity dynamics, decentralized communities, and the role of the creator economy in the new technological cycle.

• Validation: We confirmed that our receivables anticipation model is not only innovative in Brazil — it has global relevance and potential.

This year, we return to Dubai even stronger.
With a validated product, a growing operation, and a more mature positioning, DUX arrives at TOKEN2049 to:

• Expand strategic alliances

• Present new products for the Web3 ecosystem

• Strengthen its thesis that liquidity is the fuel that accelerates creativity and innovation

But the deeper reason for our presence goes beyond networking or commercial expansion.

Dubai reflects everything that is in DUX's DNA:

• Future vision: Just as Dubai built a city beyond oil, DUX builds solutions beyond traditional financial models.

• Fast and strategic execution: The agility of adaptation, so characteristic of Dubai, also pulses in DUX's way of operating and growing.

• Openness to the world: We are a company born in Brazil, but with a global mindset and ambition since day one.

• Commitment to creative autonomy: Just as Dubai created an environment where ideas flourish, DUX exists to give creators what they need most: capital, freedom, and power of choice.

Being at TOKEN2049 is being in the place where the future is decided — and where DUX needs to be to build, together with partners and creators, the new global economy.

Dubai understood early that building the future requires more than resources.
It requires vision, agility, and the will to lead.
It is with this spirit that DUX continues to advance.

Where Vision Meets Action

Dubai is not just a city — it is a living metaphor of what happens when vision meets execution.

From a village by the Gulf to the capital of major events and global innovation, the emirate has proven that it is possible to rewrite one’s own destiny with strategy, speed, and courage.
And this is exactly what DUX has been doing in the creative economy ecosystem.

By participating again in TOKEN2049, we bring more than a financial solution. We bring a thesis: creators are economic powerhouses — and the world needs to treat them as such.

• Where there is talent, we want to bring liquidity.

• Where there are projects stalled due to lack of support, we want to unlock possibilities.

• Where there are creative communities seeking scale, we want to accelerate with capital and vision.

The expansion of DUX is not about opening new markets. It is about connecting creators and investors to a new logic of value — more agile, fairer, and more global.

If the future is being shaped in places like Dubai, that is where we need to be.
And it is with those who share this vision that we want to build the next chapters.

Creators, agencies, and collectives:
Want to grow without limits? Anticipate your receivables with DUX and unleash your creative potential.

Global investors and partners:
Want to invest in the new energy of the global economy? Discover partnership opportunities with DUX.

Get to know more.