Green Party And Warmist Campaign In Oman And Stasi Dubai

IN Oman - a place that makes Dubai appear enlightened - the greens are campaigning for better world with less sand.

Anorak returned from Dubai last week, and is left with the impression of having wined and dined in a space station far removed from reality, with ex-pats eating roast pork dinners for company.

The NY Times reports:

Instead of moving toward greater transparency, the emirates seem to be moving in the other direction. A new draft media law would make it a crime to damage the country’s reputation or economy, punishable by fines of up to 1 million dirhams (about $272,000). Some say it is already having a chilling effect on reporting about the crisis.

Chilling?

Last month, local newspapers reported that Dubai was canceling 1,500 work visas every day, citing unnamed government officials. Asked about the number, Humaid bin Dimas, a spokesman for Dubai’s Labor Ministry, said he would not confirm or deny it and refused to comment further. Some say the true figure is much higher.

Work visas cancelled because projects are not being completed, ex-pats beeing repatriated - some leaving cars at the airport and just fleeing - and you not requiring a work visa to get sunburnt.

“At the moment there is a readiness to believe the worst,” said Simon Williams, HSBC bank’s chief economist in Dubai. “And the limits on data make it difficult to counter the rumors.”
(Laid-Off Foreigners Flee as Dubai Spirals Down.)

Data schmata. The best thing about Dubai is the desert - and, no, not the tarmaced one the sheiks are building.

Mind the trees…

Anorak

Posted: 23rd, February 2009 | In: Key Posts, Media Comment (1) | Follow the Comments on our RSS feed: RSS 2.0 | TrackBack | Permalink