Laavanya Kathiravelu is Assistant Professor in the Division of Sociology at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. She is also a Fung Fellow at Princeton University, USA, in 2015/16. Her research sits at the intersection of international migration and contemporary diverse cities, especially in the Global South.

• 1. Introduction: Situating Dubai 2. Dubai as Metaphor. Corporate Entity, Global City, Hope and Mirage 3. Migrants and the State. Structures of violence, co-ethnic exploitation and the transnationalisation of rights 4. Neoliberal Narratives. Migrant self-constructions and the performance of empowered subjectivities 5. The Divided City. Gated communities, everyday mobilities and public space 6. Social Networks. Informal solidarities and an ethic of 'care' 7. Conclusion