Gulf Research Centre Cambridge 161 Accidental or Envisioned Cities: A Comparative Analysis of Abu Dhabi and Dubai Accidental or Envisioned Cities: A Comparative Analysis of Abu Dhabi and Dubai Jerry Kolo Introduction he story of growth and development in the Gulf region is unfolding day by day, given the nascent modern political history of the region. Yet, the rocket pace of development within the short timespan that the countries of the region have existed is causing the story of their growth to be retold, revised, and re-documented moment by moment. For urban scholars of all specialties, these are the best of times to explore, research, and try to understand and explain the various facets and dynamics of urban growth and development in the Gulf. For architects, Katodrytis opined that, in Dubai, “the explosion of mega-scale structures and satellite cities provides opportunities for the study of new typologies of building programs and forms,” 1 suggesting essentially that new innovative visions, technologies, and professionals are needed to address the phenomenon that is Dubai, as well as other post-modern Gulf cities such as Abu Dhabi, Doha in Qatar, and Manama in Bahrain. In the broad context of opportunities for urban research and discourse, this chapter analyzes the conceptual and empirical literature on urban growth and development in the cities of Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates 1. Katorydis, “Metropolitan Dubai and the Rise of Architectural Fantasy.” 3.1