Phoenix officials want the fifth most-populous U.S. city to partner with the fast-growing Middle Eastern port of Dubai, hoping ties to the wealthy emirate will turn into more jobs for locals.

This weekend, the Greater Phoenix Economic Council is hosting a delegation of government and business leaders from Dubai.

“We would like Dubai’s center of the universe in the United States to be Phoenix,” said Barry Broome, the council’s president and CEO.

He cited similar desert climates and strong tourism and aerospace industries as reasons that Dubai businesses would consider locating its U.S. operations in the Phoenix area.

Dubai, one of seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates, is a major trade center and one of the world’s fastest-growing urban areas. It is moving to expand its investments in the United States.

Mohammed Bin Ali Alabbar, chairman of real-estate giant Emaar Properties, and Richard Rodriguez, who oversees Emaar’s developments in the United Arab Emirates, will meet with local business leaders and watch Sunday’s Super Bowl pro football championship while they are in town.

Their visit comes after the economic council made two trips to Dubai in an effort to lay the groundwork for more foreign investment in Phoenix.

“This is a giant step forward for the city and the region,” said Don Maxwell, director of economic development for Phoenix. “We have stepped up into the big leagues.”

Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon plans to visit Dubai within the next year.

“We need to take advantage of every opportunity and not blink,” Gordon said. “In today’s world, I think that means establishing direct relationships with countries and cities.”

During his trip to Washington, D.C. last month, Gordon visited the United Arab Emirates Embassy to introduce himself and make the case for Phoenix.

Currently, Phoenix is negotiating a letter of understanding with Dubai that would bring a direct flight from the port to Sky Harbor International Airport by 2010. The airport deal is seen as the first step in building a stronger link to the region.

Whether Phoenix can make that a reality is anyone’s guess, and some say it could take 25 years to develop a world-class partnership.

Meanwhile, the Phoenix area’s aerospace industry is seen as a major source of potential investment.

Dubai made its first direct investment into the Phoenix area last August, when Dubai Aerospace Enterprise bought Tempe’s Landmark Aviation for $1.9 billion in a deal that also included a Canadian aerospace company.