Can Dubai Be Interpreted as a Private Law Society?
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I see Dubai as almost a real-world example of a private law society in the Hoppean anarcho-capitalist tradition.
Now, you might object:
“Dubai has a centralized legal system. Hoppe envisioned multiple competing law providers, arbitrators, insurers, etc. not a single authority.”
That’s true, but Hoppe’s model also allows for uniform rules within a covenant community, a territory governed by a proprietor who sets the terms of entry, behavior, and dispute resolution. Dubai’s laws, while centralized, reflect the preferences of its de facto owner (the ruling family).
Another objection might be:
“Dubai, for the most part, has state ownership of land. In a true private law society, ownership would be fully privatized.”
but If you interpret “the state” in Dubai as a proxy for the royal family, then all land is effectively privately owned, or at least privately controlled. In practice, this mirrors landlords in a Hoppean system who rent out space and enforce behavior standards. so it's not state ownership of land, it's private ownership by the natural aristocracy.
You might also point out that:
"Dubai is not stateless. It's an absolute monarchy, and laws come top-down from the royal family and there's a monopoly governance"
I'd say, it's not a monopoly governance, it's private proprietor rule. In Hoppe's model, private law communities may be governed by a single owner or corporate-like authority that sets rules. Dubai’s government acts as a proprietor managing a territory, setting rules for entry, employment, behavior, etc.
Hoppe’s model also considers voluntary entry and the right to exit a community sufficient for the 'consent of the governed' principle. Dubai fits this mostly. ~90% of population of Dubai are foreign residents on temporary visas. Expatriates choose to enter and live under Dubai’s rules. And citizenship isn’t a right, but a contract.
So we have a “natural order monarchy” and an exclusion-based covenant community in Dubai right now. Is Dubai where it's at?! What am I missing?
Posted Aug 3, 2025, 8:57 PM UTC