City-states have thrived in the antiquity and the renaissance period as exemplified by the city-states of Athens, Venice or Hamburg. In modern times, city-states have widely disappeared until the 1960s, when city-states and city-state structures in Asia and the Middle East have re-emerged and proven to become considered as examples of successful economic development and prosperity. The aim of this research paper was to explore, analyze and conceptualize the main factors of economic development in Singapore, Hong Kong, Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Findings suggest that in order to analyze the economic development strategy in a comprehensive way, non-economic factors (namely historical factors, geographical factors, and political factors) need to be taken into consideration. Based on the analysis of the different factors, we can identify a common strategy based on four major characteristics: the creation of a corporative identity, labor flexibility, regional-international embeddedness, and the utilization of city branding tools for development-related purposes. This strategic development model for global city-states can be referred to as an integrated globalization strategy and implies that contrary to what we may see in the literature on the development strategies of nation-states, state intervention in city-states not only co-exists with but reinforces the globalization and economic liberalization process. In other words, the decision-makers in global city-states do not passively bear the consequences of globalization but actively use globalization as a tool for economic development, thus justifying and reinforcing the legitimacy of their intervention.