Sheikh Mo

"He has had some notable successes. Compared with most other Arab countries, the Emirates federation — in which he serves as prime minister in addition to his role as Dubai’s ruler — is a gleaming model of safety, opulence and multicultural openness. Sheik Mohammed has struggled to foster a culture of self-discipline and entrepreneurialism here. He is famous for visiting government offices unannounced, and sometimes firing public officials who are not working." First, how do you define "multicultural openness" in Dubai? Did you ask the Asian workers about their views of multiculturalness in Dubai? This is like describing the America of the 19th century as a "melting pot". Second, please spare me the stories about the leader "visiting government offices unannounced". Such stories have been used in the propaganda of Saddam, and of the present-day King of Jordan, among others. Those visits are as spontaneous as when singers act surprised when they are asked to sing in Arab talk shows.