Cultural appreciation

West meets East.

Al Wathba

As the rich and famous continue to be let out for fear of the further press intrusion, Cat Le-Huy tells us what it is really like in the luxury of Al Wathba Prison:

"There was also some drugging. One guy came in he was screaming all day and all night and kept everyone up. He would just lie in the middle of his urine and faeces. They put him in solitary but he got better and said he had been injected by guards.

"Another guy came in with the same thing - we fed him food and water through the bars, but he didn't improve.

"The bathrooms were absolutely filthy - the toilets were overflowing. There was a Salmonella outbreak, but the prison denied it was happening."

Some more 'wise' words: Dubai has a promising future if it can maintain its Islamic views, while also bringing in some sort of representative justice system. It has to realise what it is putting people through - something needs to change.


I'm sure he didn't care too much before he went in.

TV executive tells of Dubai prison ordeal

Doing Business in Dubai

The basics of Doing Business in Dubai presented as a 12 minute audio clip. Worth a listen if you know absolutely nothing about Dubai and how to conduct yourself.




If you want more detail, check out the business section

2008 is the year of Abu Dhabi

3 months in, and it is worth reiterating expedia's Top 10 destinations for 2008. In there among China and Argentina is Abu Dhabi:

Few places can have undergone such fundamental change over the past 50 years as the emirate of Abu Dhabi. Today it’s a powerhouse of the Arab world, perched atop vast oil reserves, with development and ambitious construction to rival its famous neighbour Dubai. Today visitors can enjoy the beach, desert safari’s and acres of glossy malls and shops in and around the city, variety enough to quench even the strongest thirst for retail therapy.

We've said it before - All the money in the UAE is originated in Abu Dhabi. All the external money up to now was coming from Dubai. Just remember where the oil comes from.