In a burst of ambition, Dubai was striving to assert its dominance over Bahrain and Qatar to become the undisputed center of Middle East business and the vital hub connecting East and West. The motive was simple. Dubai lacked oil, the source of the region’s vast wealth. Its ruler, Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, was determined to build a city of riches by creating a welcoming environment for people to work and play hard in. Western executives and their families were welcome. Alcoholic drinks—traditionally a strict taboo on the Arabian Peninsula, where the Prophet Muhammad lived—were
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