This is a little off topic so I apologize, but might shine some perspective: I lived in Dubai and Sharjah (neighboring emirate) for almost 15 years during my c

This is a little off topic so I apologize, but might shine some perspective: I lived in Dubai and Sharjah (neighboring emirate) for almost 15 years during my childhood. This was in a time when UAE was not as glamorous as it is today. I am of Asian decent and basically had zero rights. I still remember the time when we were at the beach, a family friend was arrested for staring at the local emirati ladies (who were fully clothed in a burkha). During the time that I left (around 2000) Dubai had started to change, and was in a construction boom and had just launched the Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF). It was a month when all the retailers and shops would participate in a city wide discount program and slash 10-50% on prices. The whole city would also be covered in lights and fireworks every day. This is when Dubai started attracting a lot of investment. I admire the way the Sheikh of Dubai envisioned this, and basically built a metropolitan and business friendly city to overcome the reliance on oil earnings. But, under the surface the old regime still exists where minorities are mistreated and a blind eye is turned towards where the money is coming from. I see what's happening in Dubai as a natural progression when there is a lack of morality and humanity in society. You have to understand the roots of how these Sheikhs who were no better than local tribe leaders wandering the deserts who came upon riches (oil!) and quickly catapulted as head of states. It's going to be hard for them to regulate this behavior and knowingly or unknowingly participate in this.