If you do not know this man's face...you will. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum is the Vice President and Prime Minister of the Unites Arab Emirates and the newly crowned ruler of Dubai, the second most powerful and influential of the seven emirates that make up the UAE. For the past 20 years, and with the tacit agreement of his recently deceased father and former ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mo as he is affectionately known to ex-pats and locals alike, has been vigorously fighting to bring Dubai into the 21st century...and he has. Dubai is a cosmopolitan city, oozing with absurd wealth and dripping with the kind of delight Nero would approve of...and you don't even have to pay that much for it.
With the human sex trafficking, the terrorist money laundering, the local entitlement class, and the modern day caste system in place, Dubai may not be YOUR kind of Arab modernity...but the alternative is not much better. Think Iran. If we are lucky, then think Jordan.
Life and geopolitics, especially in the Middle East, is about uncomfortable compromise. You only hope that you are more right than the next guy...and the world and its markets agree.
6 comments:
Dubai, for all its excesses, is the hope of the ME. An interesting thing which I'm sure you know, quite a few real estate developments are taking place right now that allow for the salaried class (albeit high salary) to won in Dubai and not just the entitlement class. What do you say, JPD? We go in a 2 bedroom condo vacation pad and go drink Chartreuse with the Sheiks!
actual = JPD...Decided to change my "handle"
On the above post...just let me know when you are ready....
I've been working WTO accession for an Arab country here in the U.S. and USTR was so frustrated they just said to me "Tell them to answer the questionnaire!" I laughed at THEM -- questionnaire. . . yeah right! To Arabs it's all in the touch of the hand and everything, every sin is negotiable if we just keep it 'tween us girls.
exatly, OSO...
Arab culture and business are imtimately connected...nothing in business happens outside the context of their culture.
The fastest way to lose a biz deal with an Arab is to get right to the greedy part...the bottomline.
Interesting post, Actual. But would you want our ports being administered by them?
My only business dealings with Moslems was with Moroccans, mostly Berbers I guess. I'm still trying to figure out what to do with the dozen jalabas I bought.
D.O.-
Been off the net for a while...
I would answer your post but I think the media has done a good job of answering it in the affirmative for me...
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