sultans of swing

28 February 2005, Bernhard Zand, Der Spiegel

"The countries lining the Persian Gulf in the Middle East are filthy rich and relatively free of Islamist fundamentalism. And it's not just oil. Gigantic building projects mostly geared toward the tourism industry are becoming the region's-- and particularly Dubai's-- forte. And terrorism is so far leaving the region alone."

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"The capitalist pulse of the Arab world now beats in the small Gulf states. The UAE is quickly developing into a sort of Persian Gulf Asian Tiger-- especially in the banking and service industries. The Kingdom of Qatar, long decried as the dreariest of Arab countries, now hosts the Al-Jazeera network, which has given the approximately 300 million Arabs in the region their first taste of diversity of opinion and also the sense of being truly one nation. The Kingdom of Bahrain, in addition to having brought the first Formula 1 Grand Prix to the region, has, like nearby Kuwait, an elected parliament that's often the scene of lively debates. The Sultanate of Oman is also gradually emerging from the shadows and slowly transforming itself into a dream destination for tourists.

But for some reason, the Muslim countries of Northern Africa and the Arab countries like Syria, Egypt and Saudi Arabia-- with their petrified social structures and generally aging leaders-- have remained behind..."


article: Emirates See Fortunes Rise