Human history has seen many settlements transformed or built entirely by expatriate work forces and foreigners arriving from various places. Recent migration patterns in the Gulf have led to emerging 'airport societies' on unprecedented scales. Most guest workers, both labourers and mid to high-income groups, perceive their stay as a temporary opportunity to earn suitable income or gain experience. This timely book analyses the essential characteristics of this unique urban phenomenon substantiated by concrete examples and empirical research. Both authors have lived and worked in the Gulf including Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates during various periods between 2006 and 2014. They explore Gulf cities from macro and interconnected perspectives rather than focusing solely on singular aspects within the built environment. As academic architects specialised in urbanism and the complex dynamics between people and places the authors build new bridges for understanding demographic and social changes impacting urban transformations in the Gulf.
Florian Wiedmannis Assistant Professor of Urban Design at the Department of Architecture and Built Environment at the University of Nottingham, UK. His involvement in interdisciplinary projects and courses in five different countries made it possible for him to gain in-depth experience in various areas of urban development, from urban governance to urban economics and the spatial impact of migration. After his PhD at the University of Stuttgart, he joined Albert Speer + Partner to consult major projects in the Middle East. After this position, he coordinated an international research collaboration between TU Munich and Qatar University between 2011 and 2014. After returning to Frankfurt am Main, he became an external lecturer at Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences. In addition to teaching, he has worked as a sub-consultant for Makower Architects on plans for an urban regeneration project in the city centre oflcĪ
![Building Migrant Cities in the Gulf: Urban Transformation in the Middle East [Paperback]](/itemImage/2/6/7/0/2_4567272.jpg "Building Migrant Cities in the Gulf: Urban Transformation in the Middle East [Paperback]")