UAE ambassador in DC speaks: he says that there is democracy in the Gulf

What is interesting is this: he always spoke off-the-record to US reporters.  Now, he decided to speak on the record.  Of all the journalists to talk to, he selected a "former" Israeli soldier.  Also, look how he defines democracy: "But we have our own style of democracy. We have something called the majlis system, which is open forums where people address their leaders, where they voice their grievances and they come and they say “I need this” or “This is a problem” or “My son’s school isn’t working,” and this is the Bedouin style of democracy. Is this the Jeffersonian style of democracy? No. But it works for us, it works for our culture, it works for our identity."